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At HotOperator®, we’ve been busy helping restaurants grow their brands and improve profitability through menu design-engineering, social media, advertising, logo design, illustration, photography, and more. Here’s a look at some of our recent restaurant marketing projects from across the country.

Wubba’s BBQ — Klamath Falls, OR

Project: BBQ Drive-Thru Launch + Branding

Long-time client Aaron Webb of Wubba’s BBQ is expanding with a brand-new drive-thru location. HotOperator® developed a new logo, menu boards, and a carryout menu to support the launch. We’ve partnered with Wubba’s for many years, providing menu strategy and marketing designed to help the brand scale while staying true to its roots.

Manila Resto — Oshkosh, WI

Project: Menu Redesign

We’ve worked with Manila Resto since they opened more than a decade ago, updating their menu twice a year. This time, we created a completely new look — moving from a hard-bound cover to a clean, 11″ x 17″ double-sided menu that’s easier to navigate and showcases their dishes beautifully.

Angelo’s — Florida

Project: Logo Redesign + Brand Differentiation

After returning to HotOperator® for support, Angelo’s wanted to stand out from competitors using similar branding. We developed a custom caricature logo featuring Angelo Sr. and Angelo Jr. The fresh design reinforces their family legacy and gives the restaurant an instantly recognizable identity that’s already proving successful.

Country House — Clarendon Hills, IL

Project: Menu Design, Email Marketing, Social Media & Promotions

We’ve partnered with Country House for years, managing their menu design, email marketing, social media, and promotions. Each month, we craft creative campaigns that connect with their loyal guests. For October, we helped launch a fun pumpkin promotion, turning seasonal décor into a marketing opportunity — now a favorite fall tradition.

Ragtime Café — Birmingham, AL

Project: Menu Update + Brand Hijack

Ragtime Café has trusted HotOperator® for menu updates for more than a decade. In the latest refresh, we introduced a clever brand hijack around their famous onion rings — a locals-only secret. Even though they’re not listed on the menu, table talkers remind guests to “just ask.” It’s a creative way to reward regulars and build hometown buzz.

Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar — Las Vegas, NV

Project: Menu Design-Engineering

Part of JRS Hospitality, Chayo is a vibrant Mexican restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. We completely redesigned and engineered their menu, implementing strategic layout, pricing psychology, and item positioning to drive higher profitability and improve guest experience.

Beer Park — Las Vegas, NV

Project: Menu Redesign & Optimization

Another high-volume Las Vegas venue, Beer Park partnered with HotOperator® for a menu redesign that improves readability, adds product recommendations, and introduces anchoring strategies to increase average check size. The result: a guest-friendly format that’s both visually engaging and financially optimized.

Partner with HotOperator®

If your restaurant could benefit from professional menu design, menu engineering, or strategic marketing, reach out to HotOperator®. We help restaurants nationwide increase sales, enhance brand recognition, and create menus that work as hard as you do.

📩 Let’s start your next project — Contact HotOperator

The post New Work from HotOperator® appeared first on HotOperator.

According to The National Restaurant Association, the foodservice industry is on target to reach $1 Trillion dollars in sales this year. And when asked what stands out in the industry, here’s what they had to say (and what HotOperator recommends for taking advantage of those trends).

But before we get to that. Keep in mind, a strong message became clear: People want human contact when dinning out. You know, people helping people. So, take note before you try to tighten staff with computers.

The Key findings:   

1. Sales are up: The foodservice industry is forecast to reach $1 trillion in sales in 2024.

Is this sales in more people going out to eat? Nope. It’s mostly higher prices. To offset this, make sure you are mental anchoring your restaurant menu. Have comparative prices that show the guest just how little they are spending.

2. Restaurants are hiring: The industry workforce is projected to grow by 200,000 jobs, for total industry employment of 15.7M by the end of 2024. 45% of operators need more employees to meet customer demand.

Which is great. But it also offers another problem. Many operators are struggling to find workers (and keep them). A strong brand marketing campaign will help your restaurant stay top-of-mind. And that makes your restaurant more attractive to employees along with consumers.

3. Competition is strong: In 2024, 45% of operators expect competition to be more intense than last year.

This is difficult for most independent operators. Chain restaurants are taking a larger and larger portion of the market. To combat this, independent operators will need to use guerrilla marketing programs to stay in front of chains moving into their market. Try things like local bonuses. Special menu items that only local guests know about. And treat guests like royalty. 

4. Costs are up: 98% of operators say higher labor costs are an issue for their restaurant. 97% cite higher food costs. 38% say their restaurants were not profitable last year.

This points to a lack of marketing which puts stress on any restaurant. Simply put, a weak brand will not push their value up in the eyes of local guests. Our recommendation? Do a brand analysis along with a menu matrix to find out what your guests really think of your business. Every day you have a focus group going on in your restaurant. People are voting for your business with their pocket books and their feet. They are telling you if they like your business, and they are telling you what they like most about dinning with you (and what they don’t like)

But don’t do this on your own. You need an objective view. You need an expert to look at your business and offer advice. It might be painful, but it is necessary.

5. Consumers are value conscious: Nearly half of consumers are taking a wait-and-see stance when it comes to spending. Operators who offer a solid value proposition for dining out can nudge customers out of their holding pattern.

This is not a deep thinking thing to say. That’s because consumers are always value conscious. Where most people make a mistake is thinking that value conscious is all about price. But it’s not just about price. It’s about price and function together. A product can have a higher price only if you offer reasons that will support that higher price. Most operators get this wrong in their business and never think to support each item with the proper description and highlight.

6. Consumers love restaurants: 9 in 10 adults say they enjoy going to restaurants. Restaurants allow them to enjoy a favorite meal that has flavor and taste sensations they can’t easily replicate at home.

So it’s not all bad news. Of course people want to eat out. It’s fun. In fact, it’s a mini vacation. So, you need to nurture those feelings with your guests. That means you have to train your staff on how to work with guests so they make better choices when they order from you. And how to get your servers to leave their own struggles at the door when they come to work.

If you’re looking for help to build a better brand in your restaurant, give Mark a call. He’s an expert in restaurant branding, menu development, social media and content development. He’s been doing this stuff for nearly 4 decades, and has worked with more than 200 restaurants across the country. This gives him a unique ability to learn from other independent operators what’s working and what isn’t.

Hey, the first 15 minutes are free. To take advantage, call 800-316-3198 and leave a message. Mark will get back to you.

The post 6 Restaurant Trends and What They Mean (number 4 is essential) appeared first on HotOperator.

Customers Enjoying Meals In Busy Restaurant

Running a restaurant can be tricky. Especially when you have to operate all the day-to-day drama along with marketing the business as well. That’s why HotOperator has come up with 8 More Restaurant Promotions. Before you run off and try these in your restaurant, take a moment and see if you might need a little professional help.

So, here are 8 More Restaurant Promotions can be helpful, but they can also be harmful if they are not well executed.

1. Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with local influencers to promote your business to their followers through reviews, shout-outs, or sponsored content. Every community has a celebrity of sorts that can be offered a little something to post on your page for a few days. Take advantage of that connection and have a bump in local credibility.
2. Customer Testimonials and Reviews: If you’re working with HotOperator, you’re already doing this. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and testimonials, and feature these on your website and social media.
   
3. Community Involvement: Sponsor local events, sports teams, or charities to build goodwill and increase brand visibility in your community.
4. Birthday Discounts: Offer special discounts or freebies to customers on their birthdays to make them feel valued and encourage repeat business.
   
5. Prix Fixe Programs: Create bundles or packages of your products at a discounted rate to increase average order value. These can be for a day part, and limited time, or just a single day event. These can be developed as a separate menu, or added to your everyday menu.
   
6. Special Guest Events: Like a special local celebrity, or a beer or wine pairing events to get your guests to visit and enjoy themselves.|
   
7. Affiliate Program: Create an affiliate program where customers and partners can earn commissions by referring others to your business.
   
8. Game Promotions: Getting your servers and other staff to focus on add-on items and new offerings can take some promotions on your end. Talking about extra tips is one thing, but getting a server to actually ‘sell’ something is a different story. Here’s the thing: servers are all coin operated. So offering them an extra buck or two for a short time can get their attention (and you more sales in return).
   

Give Mark Laux a call at (920) 420-2076 for expert advice.

The post 8 More Restaurant Promotions (Number 5 is Hot Right Now) appeared first on HotOperator.

An ugly menu made by a restaurant operator.

I was out with friends for dinner the other night at a fairly upscale restaurant and was offered a really terrible menu. My friends all know that I have spent the last 30 years working with restaurant operators all over the world building great menus, so they all cringed a little when they got the menu. They asked me what I thought, and at that moment I was thinking: Does your restaurant menu represent your food? And then I said it out loud: “I was just thinking ‘does your menu represent your food?”

How can I put this in a way that you will understand how important this is and not get offended. When your menu is an ugly piece of garbage, it impacts your guest’s food experience. In this case, I ordered the ‘crunch chicken salad’, and found the chicken to be over cooked, and the salad dressing overly sweet. Would I have noticed that if I were not already turned off by the menu? Probably not. I can honestly say that if the menu were on a nice, waterproof sheet with an elegant design, I may have overlooked those slight imperfections. I probably would have thought that the menu does represent the brand, and that the salad was above average in quality.

Why chefs should stick to cooking.

What’s with all the dots? Makes the menu about price rather than quality.

When I go to a restaurant, I don’t expect to cook. I am going out to get something that is beyond my own capabilities. I’m looking for an experience. And your menu is a part of that experience. In fact, the entire experience comes together to form a brand in my mind. A special happy moment that is of a higher level. The food, companionship, service, food and atmosphere all come together to form a time that will be remembered. And the menu is a huge part of that experience.

When chefs cook and plate their food, they are looking for something special. The plate needs to go out just right and be consistent each time. Beyond that, the guest needs to be excited and satisfied with the entire experience from the moment they are greeted at the door to the time they first see the menu, to the time the food is delivered. If any one of those moments is a misstep, there is a hole in the brand that the guest will fill with criticism. Some of that criticism can emerge as a negative review. And here’s the thing, “positive reviews can encourage an influx of business, while negative ones can significantly impact a restaurant’s reputation and revenue. One research study found that a single negative review can drive away 22% of customers, while three can push the number to 59%.” This is more true of independent restaurant operators because they don’t have a high level of trust and notoriety. They simply are unknown, and people do not like to risk their dinner.

Your Menu is a Tool

HotOperator Design-Engineered

Okay, back to the menu. Take a good look at it and think to yourself: “Does your restaurant menu represent your food?” Thinking further, will this menu make my guests think more highly of my food? If there is any doubt at all, get it serviced. And don’t do what you’ve always done hoping for a different result. 

When you think of your menu as a tool for your ‘salespeople’ to use to sell food, you’ll see your menu as a brochure that represents your brand. You’ll more fully understand that your guests will have a much better idea and experience with your food when your menu is design-engineered properly. 

The Higher The Menu, The Lower The Quality of the Menu?

It’s funny, some of the most horrible menus are from so-called high end restaurants. Almost all of them are a complete disaster. Flimsy slips of paper that come off of a copy machine and flopped on the table without any explanation or introduction. 

A Restaurant Menu You Can Print

This is like your guests start making Béarnaise sauce over filet mignon on their own? It’s a difficult dish, but it doesn’t look that hard when you see it on a plate. How hard can it be, right? It’s just a tarragon-flavored French sauce made from clarified butter, vinegar, shallots, egg yolks and herbs. Simple enough. You can see where this is going. It’s about knowing what you’re good at and leaving the really tough stuff to professionals. You know, like your menu.

Simple Elegance in a Menu is like Béarnaise in a kitchen

Looks easy when it’s done properly. But it’s a bitch to get right when you’re working on it. Staring at the ingredients and getting everything together just right so it doesn’t scramble and make you start over is much more difficult in the process than it is to plate it up.  A great menu is similar. Take a blank piece of paper and make something that’s upscale, beautiful and will make your guests think more highly of your food. 

As an industry, we can do much, much better.

Google Design you can print on your own

Get the right agent to help you. Someone with an experienced staff with menu design and engineering skills. Then, listen to them. It’s easy to think: “But I can save money doing it all myself. Plus, I change my menu nearly every week, sometimes multiple times in a week.” But a great design firm can set the menu up so you can still have a beautiful menu, and change it every week. Hell, every day, if you want to.

Here’s my advice, and I hope you will take this advice: get a professional to work on your menu. Someone with skills and experience. A real high level ‘chef’ in design and writing.

Once Completed, Your Restaurant Menu Will Represent Your Food and Lift your brand.

To get a free consultation, call (920) 420-2076, or click the link!

The post Does Your Restaurant Menu Represent Your Food? appeared first on HotOperator.

 Here are 7 things you should do to support higher prices in your restaurant.

1 – Understand Value and Price in Foodservice

Prices are supported by product or service function. In the restaurant business, that takes into account a number of factors. But ‘value’ is not about lower prices. It’s about price and function being close together, where price is slightly more important in the decision than function. But they have got to be close together to create value that a consumer will continue to purchase. In other words, your burger as a product has to function well enough to create value. And this value is a variable.

What to do? Consider if your burger is worth the price. Is it consistent, enough to fill a plate and different enough to get someone to want one more than once.

2 – Getting More Butts in Seats

A wise man once said: Getting more customers is actually pretty easy: just lower prices. Making more money for each item you sell is pretty easy, too. Just take a price increase. But the real genius in marketing is to do both at the same time. It takes real skill and strategy, not just tactics. So much of the restaurant business today is tactical. There is not enough strategy, especially with independent operators.

Tactical thinking also includes missing brand awareness strategies. Brands are evolutionary, not revolutionary. Which means they must be updated slowly if at all (unless you have a lot of money to spend on advertising). And it’s not just about design, it’s also about voice, structure and guest impressions. Especially for a smaller operation. If you would like, I have a brand deck I can send you. Just reach out and I’ll email it to you.

Sadly, most independents don’t understand brand awareness. They don’t realize their brand probably hasn’t had enough support to be top of mind with guests. My advice, leave it alone unless you’re changing your operation completely.

What to do? Get my deck on brand development. It’s free and insightful.

3 – Get A Better Menu

Of course I would say that, but every operator I speak with lately wonders how to get more people into their restaurant. And when I look at their menu, it’s more of a memo than a menu. A better menu tells the guest what you think of them, not just the food. And, it’s strategic. A restaurant menu needs to tell your servers what you want to sell, and offer your guests the same information.

A great menu will do that. And, it will encourage your guests to dine with you more often.

Here’s the thing, of course everything you sell is good, right? If it wasn’t good it wouldn’t be on the menu. But some things are better than others at getting people into your restaurant. And still others can do that and make you more money. Those are the menu items you want your menu and your staff to be promoting.

What to do? Get a professionally design-engineered menu and teach your staff how to use the menu properly.

4 – Offer a Quality Guarantee.

It is essential to put your higher prices into perspective for your guests. Explain to them that quality food is more important than changing a product to save half a buck, or worse making the product smaller.  

Instead, put it on your menu: “OUR QUALITY GUARANTEE! We will not sacrifice quality or portion size to lower prices! You’ve come to expect great quality from us and that’s our commitment to you!”

What to do: Make an announcement on your menu.

5 – Train Your Staff. 

When anyone who works for you hears anyone say anything about the prices being too high, have them look the guest in the eye and say: “We had a choice. We could either lower the quality of our food, make the portions smaller, or take a modest price increase. We figure it is our duty to you to make sure the quality of our food never changes, so we chose to take a small price increase.”

What to do? Train your staff (boy, it’s like nobody is listening).

6 – Use Social Media.

Most operators don’t use social media well, and certainly not often enough. But when you do use social media, it’s not just about your specials menu, or the latest food item. It’s also about communicating with your guests. So make a few posts that communicate why you’re costing a little more.

Here’s an example: Make a social post on social media about the size of potato chips in the bag at a grocery store. Everyone can relate to this. Ask: “Did you ever notice that the amount of chips in the bag gets smaller but the price stays the same? Potato chip companies do it all the time. At Holly’s, we think that’s cheating customers. We would never do that. We’ll be honest with you. The prices of the quality food we offer has gone up, so we’ve had to take a small price increase. Thank you for understanding, and sorry about the potato chips you just bought.”

What to do? Post on social media about the quality of your food.

7 – Use Mental Anchoring

Have some comparisons on your menu that show your guests how little they are actually spending in your restaurant. Here are a few ideas, but if you want something just for your business, reach out.

Sell a car on your menu – no, seriously, sell a brand new car or truck. Your 15.99 burger suddenly looks cheap compared to a $120,000.00 Ford Pickup.

Compare your food to local homes – just list the average price for a new home. Again, it’s just for comparison.

Put a 1,000 wing party on your menu – if you’re selling wings at $1.25 each, that comes to, wait, let me get my calculator, oh, yeah $1,250.00. Again, your burger looks cheap by comparison.

Offer a steak combination – even if you’re not a steak joint. The most expensive product on a menu is nearly always the slowest seller. Look at Texas Roadhouse as an example. They have expensive steaks, but their best seller is the Sirloin, which is their cheapest. So, take your most expensive item on your menu, add another expensive item together with it, and add the two prices together minus the sides.

What to do? Mental Anchor your menu. If you need help with that, reach out here.

If you need help coming up with ideas on how to increase sales in your restaurant(s), build a better menu, or develop a restaurant marketing plan, give us a call! Mark Laux can be found here: http://www.hotoperator.com/contact-us/

The post Are you getting complaints about your restaurant menu prices? appeared first on HotOperator.

FF Chicken + HotOperator Together

FF Chicken is a new, Flame-Grilled chicken franchise that specializes in Free-Range chicken. It’s also free from hormones and antibiotics. Their All-Natural Chicken is marinated in their signature Peri Peri sauce. This new franchise chooses HotOperator for new Digital, Carryout and Catering menus. It also recently selected HotOperator for their continued marketing programs.

What is Peri Peri Sauce?

Peri Peri sauce is a blend of African Bird’s Eye Chili, Lemon, Garlic, and a secret blend of herbs and spices. The sauce is very popular in South Africa and Asia, and is gaining popularity in the United States. This is mostly due to military service people returning from being stationed in those regions of the world. 

The flavor is mildly wild, a little spicy, and very flavorful.

​Why FF Chicken Decided to Work With HotOperator

The owner of the FF Chicken franchise, Fahim Munawar said he had tried to work with a distributor. But he simply could not get the professional look he wanted. He also stated: “I want my franchise to grow and be impressive. The only way to make that happen is to work with an agency that is independent of trying to sell me food.”

HotOperator specializes in not just developing a menu design. They also helping their clients organize the menu process. This includes which items to 86, and which items to add to the menu to help grow the business. This advice is not based on selling select products to the restaurant operator. Instead, it’s based on an objective viewpoint to promote the restaurant brand.

A Professional Look for the FF Chicken Menu System

The creative team for HotOperator focused on creating a look that would express their brand, and at the same time, sell items with the highest plate contribution. HotOperator wanted the look to be both brand focused, and because the restaurant is a QSR chain, to help consumers make decisions as quickly as possible.

The designs the creative team came up with best represent the FF Chicken brand. They also use Product Positioning, Menu Highlighting, Mental Anchoring and Strategic Pricing to help make the FF Chicken franchise as profitable as possible without pushing away guests.

It All Starts With The Menu

HotOperator is a full service restaurant and foodservice marketing company. Their relationship normally starts with a menu makeover and continues with brand marketing, logo development, new product development, social media, radio, television, film and public relations.

FF Chicken chooses HotOperator for complete marketing campaign

Fahim decided to place his entire franchise marketing in the hands of HotOperator. He said: “HotOperator has done such excellent work so far, I decided to work with them on my entire program.” The work includes social media for Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn to generate more traffic for their restaurants along with more franchise locations.

For more information, HotOperator can be reached through their website here.

To inquire about an FF Chicken franchise, reach them on their website here.

The post FF Chicken chooses HotOperator for new Digital, Carryout and Catering menus appeared first on HotOperator.

A Menu You Can Change With Professional Graphics

A lot of distributors claim to be menu design experts, but are they really? A lot of robotic, build your own menu design websites claim to offer a great menu at a lower cost. But at what price in lost opportunities for your business?

Here are seven rules to follow when looking for a real and objective restaurant menu design expert.

There are a lot of companies that claim to be menu design experts. But are they really? Here are seven things to look for in a restaurant menu design expert (and what to look out for). Finding the perfect menu for your restaurant can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Reason One: Your restaurant menu is the immediate point of contact with your guests.

It’s the centerpiece of your business. It’s also the single most important marketing tool you have for your restaurant. Which is why you need a true restaurant menu design expert to work on your menu. And it needs to include Product Positioning, Highlighting, Mental Anchoring and Strategic Pricing.

Reason Two: Objectivity is key to your overall success in the restaurant business.

A menu designed by a distributor will not be done objectively. The distributor is only offering the menu design service to get and keep your business. So they will tell you anything to get that business, but they are not experienced restaurant menu design experts. Make sure you are working with someone who’s only interest is your success, not their own.

Reason Three: Your menu matrix needs to be completed by a real menu design engineering expert.

There are a lot of people in the foodservice industry who will call themselves experts. But are they really? When selecting a menu design engineering company to partner with, make sure they are only focused on your business, and not their own. Many companies have other interests at heart. They are either direct employees of a distributor, or they are a consultant who is being paid by a distributor. The problem for you is, they are interested in moving cases, and getting as much of your purchase business as possible. In some cases this will be in alignment with your interests. In other instances, it won’t.

Reason Four: Your brand needs to be expressed through your restaurant menu.

Which means you not only need a menu design expert, you also need a brand marketing expert. Again, a lot of companies will make that claim, but are they really? Look at their motivation. WIth HotOperator and our expert team, our interest is in making sure your business is successful. Not at the expense of your purchase decisions, but because we are hired directly by you.

Reason Five: If someone is offering you a free or less expensive menu design engineering service, you can bet you’re paying for it somewhere. This might be in the quality of the final menu, the items they recommend you sell more of, or the process they use. But any way you look at it, you want a true restaurant menu design expert.

Reason Six: Objectivity is critical to your success.

And you simply cannot get honest, trustworthy advice from someone you’re buying food and supplies from. Keep in mind, they want to sell very specific products to your restaurant. That’s why most distributors will do nearly anything they can to get you to buy those items.

Reason Seven: A well engineered restaurant menu is worth a lot of money to your restaurant business over time.

Saving money on your menu is not the best way to take advantage of future success. You simply cannot save your way to success in the restaurant industry. Designing a menu on your own, using an online robot, or worse, having a distributor ‘help’ you with your menu is a sure way to leave a lot of money on your tables, and in the pockets of your guests.

HotOperator has been engineering and designing restaurant menus since 1992. They are, in fact, experts. You can trust them to be objective, professional and responsive. They will offer you advice about marketing trends, new products and brand marketing. And they will do that with one, single goal in mind: to make your restaurant a success.

Contact HotOperator® here!

The post Seven Rules To Finding A Real Restaurant Menu Design Expert appeared first on HotOperator.

Social media for restaurants is much more valuable than most restaurant operators realize. Most operators struggle with keeping up with their social media marketing. They get busy with other things, and it can be difficult to know what to do and how to do it. Here are the HotOperator restaurant social media 7 keys to success.

Key #1: Connect Instagram and Facebook

There are a lot of social media platforms out there, and it can be difficult to know which to put your energy (and money) behind. The nice thing about Facebook is, it’s still very powerful, and it connects with Instagram, so it can be used as a single platform. Keep in mind that what posts on Facebook doesn’t always work that well on Instagram. So, you’ll need to alter the posts a little from one to the next. But what you post on Facebook will work on Instagram, and they can be posted together at one time.

Also, on Facebook and Instagram, with the reels, you can post your TikTok videos on Instagram and Facebook to get more eyes on your creations. Keep things photo driven, use videos to grab attention, and most importantly, get professional help with your design, photography and video production so your viewers think highly of you.

Key #2: Establishing A Clear Voice.

Every brand is made up of a  ‘personality’, and what we do at HotOperator is interview our clients about what their brand represents. It’s a fun process that includes establishing the personal character of the place or places your restaurant represents. Here is what we look for in our social media personality, and keep in mind, this reaches every platform we post on, and it also is the driver behind our reputation on review sites.

• If you had to pick a gender, which best fits your brand?
• How old is the person that best represents your brand?
• If your restaurant(s) came to life, what movie star would be picked for the lead role?

Once established, you should be able to picture that person talking in your social media posts and review responses. And anyone who is working on your social media marketing will need to do their best to speak that voice. 

Key #3: Define Your Social Media Look

Social media, all social media, is a visual place. It’s fashion trending and depends on photos and videos to make an impact. To that end, it is essential for your business to have a look that is an extension of your business.

This is much more difficult than it sounds. It’s not just about shooting a photo of some food and putting a logo in the corner. It’s about  coming up with a branded look that is appealing and will carry your message to the largest number of potential customers.

Key #4: Interact With People

One of the most powerful keys to success for your social media program is to interact with people in your network. They need to feel like they belong, like you’re listening to them, and that you care about them. 

The key to a successful social media program is to have it be a conversation. It’s not just about posting a photo now and again. I guarantee you, your occasional posts are being ignored. Getting your social media program to go from good to great is about getting your guests and potential guests to talk to you on your sites.

When your guests comment, when they post, and when they like and love what you post, your social media will really take off. Getting them to do that is tricky and takes time. People have to feel like they are being listened to before they will say anything to you or about you on social media.

Key #5: Post (a lot)

It may sound obvious, but it needs to be said: The best way to grow a social account is to post consistently and post often.

If you’re not posting every day, you’re not posting enough. Hell, you can even repeat yourself now and again. When you look at your social media network, keep in mind, you spend a lot more time on your pages than anybody else. So if you post something one week, it’s perfectly okay to post that same thing again the following week.

One thing we do is develop a special feature on any given Tuesday, and then run that each and every Tuesday for the month. Maybe it’s a special on wings, or a drink special, or a featured item. Once it’s established, keep running it so your guests come to expect it, and stop into your restaurant for it.

Key #6: Put Together A Budget

Here’s the deal, Mark Zuckerberg and people like him are smart. Probably smarter than any of us. And they know how to make money. They’ve got shit-tons of it. All social media platforms are advertising media sources. They all depend on people like you spending a couple of hundred dollars each month to reach ‘your’ guests. I put quotation marks on your guests because they are not your guests. They may follow your page, but you’re not going to reach them just because you posted a lovely photo of your food.

The only way to reach a large number of people on social media each month is to pay to reach them. It sucks, but it’s true. Paid posts, advertising, boosts, they work. And if you don’t pay to reach your potential guest you’re not going to be in front of many of them.

If you have a few thousand followers on any given social media site, when you post a photo, you’re likely to get in front of a few dozen people unless you’re giving something away for free. And even then, you’ll maybe get in front of a hundred or so people. But the moment you put $35.00 to $100.00 behind the post, you’re going to get in front of more than a thousand people.

Key #7: Make A Calendar

Social media is a complicated process that requires knowing in advance what you want to talk about. It is essential to have a calendar to work from at least a month in advance. In this way, you will be able to plan events, schedule posts and gather together information and photos as the month progresses.

Keep in mind, the calendar is a guide, and not carved in stone. It’s fine if it changes from time-to-time. But having a calendar at the ready will keep you on track, and help you post every day.

HotOperator can help you develop award winning creative and social media direction for your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok accounts. We work with you to come up with ideas for promotions, creative content, calendars and your social media presence. Want to learn more? Connect with our team!

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With nearly every restaurant we work with on a menu makeover we like to start with a restaurant menu matrix or scatter graph. This is an essential process to go through before making any menu changes. If you don’t use a menu matrix you are only guessing at what is working and what needs to be improved. Most point of sale systems will make a menu matrix for you. But if yours doesn’t, reach out to HotOperator here and I’ll make my Microsoft Excel spreadsheet available that you can simply fill in on your own.

Better yet, have us develop the scatter graph for you. In this way, you will get an objective review of your business. Most restaurant owners and managers think they can do a restaurant menu matrix on their own. And in some ways that’s true. Except it helps to get a fresh view of your restaurant menu matrix, and now is the perfect time.

What Is A Restaurant Menu Matrix

What a menu matrix does is break your menu items down into four categories.

Stars, items with above average profit contribution and above average popularity.

Puzzles, or items with above average profit contribution and below average popularity.

Workhorses, those items on your menu with an above average popularity and below average profit contribution.

Dogs, items that have both lower than average popularity and profit contribution.

When a restaurant menu matrix is looked at by a professional design-engineer, this document can tell you a great deal about which items to cut from the menu, which items to add, and where you can take a price increase.

A professional restaurant menu matrix will often confirm some of your initial expectations. But there are often some surprises. The best part of having HotOperator develop a Restaurant Menu Matrix is we offer ideas. Restaurant business runs on fresh ideas.

About HotOperator

HotOperator is a foodservice marketing agency. We love restaurants. We want them to survive. But we can’t do that unless we work together. Hire us to help you romance your restaurant brand.

Mark and Kelly are a marketing team and managing partners of HotOperator. They have been working in the restaurant business since 1989. Contact them through the HotOperator website, or by calling 800-316-3198, or contact Laux here.

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