Old-school marketing tactics are costing your restaurant MONEY! #restaurantmarketing

Newspapers, magazines, billboards—they used to work, but times have changed. There is no way to track who’s seeing them, no chance to retarget those who forgot, and no control over offer abuse. If you’re relying on these outdated tactics, you’re leaving money on the table. It’s time to level up your marketing and grow in the digital age!

Click the link below and check out ‘Restaurant Marketing That Works’ to learn about Dryver, America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow, and other awesome resources to help you grow your restaurant’s marketing.
https://restaurantmarketingthatworks.com/

#shorts

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Day 153 – The Puzzle – It’s Time

As I thought about where I was at this point in my life, I couldn’t help but think I lucky I was.

I am healthy in mind, body, and spirit.  

I have an amazing wife.  A best friend for the past 29 years.

I have great kids and family who all support me and deal with my nuances.  

I have a team of 70 or so who follow my every whim in business, a team of “employees” who are ready to go to battle to help me fulfill my vision.  

So with that, I need to get my shit together. I need to figure out how I can give back to every one of these people what they need from me.  Today, I embark on a new journey, one where I look even deeper in the mirror to understand where I need to spend my time and effort. 

I have a weekly to-do list that I need to pay more attention to, but it only includes something for some.  I will put the finishing touches on it and publish it this week so that the WORLD can hold me accountable.

Day 152 – The Puzzle – Are You Eating What You’re Selling?

This weekend, I watched a documentary about the band Nickelback, which was eye-opening.  We all see the final product, but we rarely see what it took to get there.  The five to ten years of grinding it out in dive bars, playing to drunks, and traveling in a cramped mini-van hooked up to a Uhaul.  Most bands, athletes, movie stars, and ENTREPRENEURS have stories behind them that would shock us all. 

And to go along with those success stories are also the failures.  The people who didn’t take it seriously enough.  Who didn’t grind it out long enough!  Who quit too soon, or who didn’t go deep enough into what it takes to create something special.  

Then, as I sat on my back deck this morning to work on my to-do list, this song came on by Seal.  As I listened to it on REPEAT for maybe 30 minutes, I thought about the hours, days, weeks, and months Seal and his team probably spent listening to every note to make that song what it is. 

Then I thought…

OH SHIT MATT, ARE YOU?!

It hit me: have I stuck in the kitchen too much? Should I be looking at our product more deeply?  The answer to that question is always YES!

I realized I was the restaurant owner not paying attention to the basics, like the flower pot in front of my store filled with garbage, like below.

I think I am.  Looking around at our company and our products, I realized I’d not gone deep enough.  I’ve not eaten our cooking, or at least every item on the menu.  

So, with that, I’ve redefined what my weeks should look like.  I asked myself, what should I look at every day and every week? What are the KPIs for my efforts to make sure my team helps us get where we need to go?

FYI, click below to see a real-life example of how we all sleepwalk through out businesses some days. 

Day 151 – The Puzzle – Restaurants Email Caused Me To Do A Marketing Deep Dive On Them

This email landed in my inbox this week, and I had an idea.  

I will send this email to the majority of my team, 30 or so, and ask them to do a DEEP DIVE into this restaurant’s marketing.  

Why send it to a large group of my team?

#1 – We don’t all have the answers.  Yes, I am pretty well equipped to do this independently, but my question is, “What else can I learn?”

#2 – It’s not always about telling or showing your team.  You have to allow them to FIND IT.  Many times, what we find in a journey can teach us better than the greatest teacher.

#3 – It’s about the journey.  There’s just something about going on a scavenger hunt that awakens you.  

So, while I’m itching to open this email and start clicking around, you will have to wait.  I plan on publishing my review on Wednesday, followed by my team’s reviews on Thursday.  

Stay tuned. 

But in the meantime, if you’re a restaurant owner, do this on your own.  Take an email that you got from a competitor and CLICK AWAY.  Make a list of what you found that you think needs to be changed.  And then use that to guide your marketing.  

User Generated Content and how it can BOOST your restaurant sales! #restaurantmarketing

Your customers are already creating some of the best marketing for you—you’re just not using it! Their pictures, reviews, and stories are pure gold. Start reposting and showing them off, and you’ll see your community (and restaurant) grow!
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Own a restaurant and ready to boost your sales? Hit the link below to check out Restaurant Marketing that Works!⬇️
https://restaurantmarketingthatworks.com/
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Tune in to my daily podcast, ‘Restaurant Marketing Secrets! for ⬇️
https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/686f7962-44af-40e0-9559-7c93e4e096de
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#shorts #restaurantmarketing #restaurantsales

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Day 150 – The Puzzle – Weekly Vivid Vision Update…OUR TEAM

This past week, one of our salespeople quit, and in the exit interview as I was talking with him, I realized two things:

1st – He only got the next job with what he learned from me, my dad, and his 15 months at America’s Best Restaurants.  

2nd – I screwed him!  My lack of leadership in the sales department and laid-back management style will likely lead to his failure at his new gig unless he finds a gas pedal that’s eluded him for seven of the past eight months.  

After he left my office, a lot went through my mind.  

First was, “Matt, you should have fired him 3-6 months ago based on performance.

Second, his failures at ABR are 100% YOUR fault, Matt; he’s not been managed or trained to the level he should have been. 

Third, while he only got that new job due to his experience with us, his success could have been 10 times better if I’d done more for him. 

Fourth and final, “Matt, get off your ass and do what you know is right.  Become the manager every employee and leader in your company MUST have to succeed outside of the office and at their next job.”

I know what you’re thinking: that sounds strange. Someone is talking about an employee’s “Next job.”  Well, let’s face it, most of our employees will end up somewhere else in the next 5-30 years, probably many more places.  Would I love it if we could keep everyone for the rest of my career? Yes, but that’s not realistic.  I look at it this way: if I treat them that way, they’ll also be the best they can be while I have them.

And on top of that, how freaking cool would it be to look back in 30 years and see many former employees living their best lives, knowing we helped them achieve that, no matter where they are employed.  

So, with that, it’s time to expect more.  Expect MORE out of me as a manager.  Expect more from my people (see yesterday’s blog post, Day 149).

More importantly, it’s time for me to stop letting other people’s speedometers get in my way.  Because when I allow people to move slower, it only hurts them and their future. 

To make a long story short….GET READY TO GET UNCOMFORTABLE!

How This Pizza Place is Revolutionizing Distribution and Expanding Reach #PizzaExpo

Billy Jack’s Pizza Pub is taking a different strategy to get their pizza into the hands of their consumers! With a wholesale distribution department, they’re able to get their pizza in grocery stores and reach an entirely new audience that might not have come into the restaurant beforehand!
This is what I love about restaurant trade shows like the Pizza Expo. You get to meet hundreds of different restaurant owners, hear their stories, and learn about what they’re doing to grow their brands!
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Are you an independent restaurant owner ready to drive more sales? Click the link below to check out Restaurant Marketing that Works!⬇️
https://restaurantmarketingthatworks.com/

Tune in to my daily podcast, ‘Restaurant Marketing Secrets.’!⬇️
https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/686f7962-44af-40e0-9559-7c93e4e096de

Check out the America’s Best Restaurants episode at Billy Jack’s Pizza Pub⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8L0bkWe1VA&t=70s

#shorts #pizzashop #restaurantmarketing

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Day 149 – The Puzzle – How Fast Are Your Going?

While driving home yesterday, I watched some people go much faster and much slower than me.  

Then I looked down at my speedometer and realized my car’s 12 cylinders could propel this car up to 208 mph.  And the great thing about this particular car is that it rides excellently at speeds above 150, just like at 40mph.  But, like in life, there’s a time and place for certain speeds.  And you can’t always go 208mph and expect not to encounter problems.  But the opposite is also true; if you poke along at 40mph, many issues can pop up. 

Then my mind went to another place: how fast can MY ENGINE go, and am I pushing myself enough?

I know I can do more, and every day, I look in the mirror and ask myself how and why.   

But, honestly, I’m not that worried about Matt Plapp.  I can honestly say I GET IT, and I know how to turn it on more when needed and take a step back and chill.  What I’m worried about are my friends, clients, and employees.  I see way too many people coasting along at 40mph. 

You see, the difference between 40 and 80mph in life isn’t crazy.  Once you run at 80mph, you get used to it, and 40mph seems like you’re sleeping.  And then, when you take it to 120mph, 80mph also seems much more effortless.  

Over the past five years, I’ve noticed the levels I can go to, and I’ve noticed the levels others can achieve, too. 

My biggest disappointment is watching as people accept 40mph.  They turn it on occasionally but never really take it to that 80-120 level.  And god forbid you show them 160-200, they lose their shit.  That’s when they get stressed out. Trust me, I see it daily with people around me. My speed makes people uncomfortable. 

My disappointment in these people isn’t that it affects me. It’s that they are losing out on life.  They are limiting themselves.  As you learn to climb the ladders with effort over a long period, you get more and more opportunities.  

Yes, you can make more money. 

But you also get more time.  You also learn how to do more with less and become way more efficient.  

Last but not least, you become happier because you realize that you’re unlocking the potential that no one around you is.  You know that you’re a much bigger badass at something than you were before.  And THAT is what pushes you to even higher levels.  

That’s why the quote below is on the back of my MP key chains.

P.S. if you want us to mail you a MP keychain email me at matt@mattplapp.com

The Art of Restaurant Storytelling: Lessons from @CaliBBQMedia

The OG of restaurant storytelling is hands down @ShawnPWalchef
of @CaliBBQRestaurant Everything he does to grow his business and improve his restaurant is chronicled on his social media. Why? Because people want to know your story! Your restaurant isn’t just another chain; you have a unique story that people want to connect with on a deeper level. Shawn figured this out early on and has done an amazing job of bringing his followers along on his journey. For serious inspiration on what YOUR business’s social media could be, follow @CaliBBQRestaurant @CaliBBQMedia and @ShawnPWalchef
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Ready to ignite your restaurant’s marketing? Click the link below to check out my daily podcast and blog, designed to help independent restaurant owners drive more sales!
https://restaurantmarketingthatworks.com/

#shorts #restaurantmarketing #calibbqmedia

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Day 148 – The Puzzle – Will Your Restaurant Be Left Behind

Where does America’s Best Restaurants ABR Roadshow Air?

YOU’RE WELCOME for it not being cable TV!

Ok, let me start with this.  Cable and Network TV is DEAD!

In 2010 I had a monthly live event in Northern Kentucky titled “The Yellow Pages Are Dead,” and I got so much shit from people I knew in the industry.  The worst part was business owners agreed with me but were still asking me why they should be on Facebook and the internet vs buying their same Yellow Pages ad.

Now, flash forward to 2024, and every week, my team will have conversations with restaurant owners about “Where our show airs.”  They’ll ask, what channel?  And when we inform them of the good news, that the ABR Roadshow, our DIGITAL only “TV show” that airs on the #2 platform for video consumption in 2024, FACEBOOK, some don’t get it.  

They say, so it’s not on Cable TV?  

We ask them, “How often do you watch TV?”  

The answer is always “I don’t.”

Ok, do your customers do?  And then we will give them stats, like the graph above that CLEARLY shows TV has dropped like a boulder thrown into a lake.  And the funny part is, this graph isn’t considering AGE.  It’s simply showing raw #’s.  If you factor in the age, it would be 70% LOWER than YouTube and Social Media. 

Everyone watching TV is the oldest of your customer base.  And in the restaurant business, not the ones you need to grab.  I am very close to my parents.  They are in their 70s, and as they have gotten older, MONEY has become way more of a factor in their mindset than ever.  And on top of that, they are creatures of habit.  They go to the same restaurants every week.  And last but not least, their dining party is likelier to be the two of them than a large group.

So now that I have stated the obvious by talking about your older customers, let’s get even more apparent. 

Here we go, the statement that is going to break the internet.

YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!!!!

Holy shit, news flash, right?

But in all seriousness, we hear this all the time.  And to be quite honest, I look at most restaurants’ online presence, especially their social media pages, it’s like NONE OF YOU GET IT!

EVERYONE 18-64 is easily reached on their cell phone, not their couch.

So, back to The ABR Roadshow and America’s Best Restaurants.  In 2018, when I created the idea, I saw this coming from a mile away. My favorite show on Cable about local restaurants was losing its audience. On top of that, there was 100,000 X more opportunity to reach local diners on Facebook than a national cable show. 

DID YOU KNOW that today’s best cable shows are reaching a few hundred people in your restaurant region?  Meanwhile, episodes like you see below are garnering 30-40,000 LOCAL views and affecting restaurants where they need it, IN THEIR BACKYARDS!  Heck, this episode is a week old and already at 8,300 views.  

So, as I said above…TV IS DEAD, and we all have to wake up to the future. It’s more than likely what you’re reading this blog post on 🙂