Day 180 – The Puzzle – What Won? ABC News or This Restaurants NEWS!

TV, Cable, and the NEWS are dead!

People ask, “Where do America’s Best Restaurants and the ABR Roadshow air every week?”  

That topic, on which our show airs, is also one of the top searches by restaurant owners who land on our website.  

WHY do people still think TV and Cable have an audience?  

#1 – No one watches regular TV anymore.

#2 – No one gets their news from TV NEWS anymore.

#3 – No one is excited about the NEWS anymore.

Our lives are now centered around our phones.  The internet, social media, email, messenger, and text have taken over our attention, leaving our TV set in the dust.

Given the dominance of digital platforms in our lives, the results of these two posts are not surprising to me.  

The post above has 10X fewer results than the one below. The video below shows the restaurant becoming a news station and also delivering a more exciting story: America’s Best Restaurants is COMING to town!!!

CLICK HERE for a passion-filled podcast on this topic!

Day 178 – The Puzzle – This Restaurants Database Accounted For $181,000 In Sales In September…ALONE!

This made my day, but we are a LONG way away from putting a flag on the moon claiming victory.

For the past 10+ years I’ve been preaching the about the value of building a large customer database, and this pizza restaurant LISTENED!

And, based on their first full month on DRYVER, they are smelling what I’ve been cooking.  

This is a restaurant that’s worked with our company for 3 years and we recently took his VIP program database and his TOAST loyalty program and converted it all into our DRYVER restaurant marketing platform.  To say the early returns are big, would be an understatement.  As you can see from the screenshot above, it’s off to a big start!  In episode 751 of my podcast we dig into the launch and my theory behind building a database for restaurants.  

CLICK HERE to listen and find out the rest of the story!

FYI, our DRYVER integration through Toast is still under the Repeat Returns brand.  

Day 177 – The Puzzle – Details Matter & These Shoes Have DETAILS FOR DAYS!

Something we could all do better in life and business is to get to know those around us better.  

Details matter, and it’s a great way to connect with your friends, family, and CUSTOMERS!  

In 2020, on a trip to New Jersey to visit a client of ours, the owner told me one of his hacks to deliver WOW moments like this was to log details from conversations into that customer’s Open Table account.  He told me a fantastic story about how, on a recent night, he WOWED a customer when he approached the table and asked him a really specific question, one he logged from a prior visit.  

 “How’s your son enjoying Harvard Law School?” he asked.

The customer looked up in complete amazement. “You remembered that,  WOW! “

In the restaurant business, the touch of the table seems to disappear more and more every year.  Conversations like that are rare, which is a shame.  

And what’s crazy is that information is more accessible to get now than ever.  If you happen to be the restaurant owner having table touches, customers are more willing than ever to have an engaging conversation.  And, pretty much ANY piece of info is easily found online.  

And this takes me to the shoes you see in this post.  

Two months ago, a friend from Belgium posted about a new hobby: painting shoes.  When I saw her creating magic, I had to have a pair.  

This past Thursday, the shoes arrived, and to say I was blown away would be an understatement.  

Not only was the paint quality and artwork out of this world, but the depth of thought behind the theme was MIND BLOWING!

To understand what I’m talking about, you must tune into episode 750 of my podcast.  

CLICK HERE to listen.

Day 176 – The Puzzle – HOW I’D BUILD AND LEVERAGE A DATABASE TO BOOST MY RESTAURANT’S SALES #restaurantmarketing

Restaurant owners, are you ready to drive sales to your restaurant with the click of a button? Check DRYVERhttps://getdryver.com/
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In this video, I’ll show you how building and leveraging a customer database can transform your restaurant’s sales. We’ll cover why relying on ‘hope and pray’ marketing isn’t enough, and how gathering key customer information—like names, emails, and birthdays—can lead to predictable, repeat visits. I’ll break down the proven ‘Attract, Build, Retain’ methodology, share practical tips for growing your database, and explain how a compelling offer can make all the difference.

You’ll also learn the best ways to communicate with your customers through email, text, and Facebook Messenger without overwhelming them, and how to tailor your messages to maximize engagement. These strategies are essential for independent restaurant owners who want to take control of their marketing and build a loyal customer base.
If you’re new here, I’m Matt Plapp, CEO of Restaurant Marketing That Works. For the last 15 years, I’ve been helping restaurants improve their marketing and drive sales using proven, effective strategies—so stick around, and let’s start growing your restaurant together.
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Restaurant owners, are you looking to drive more sales and level up your restaurant’s marketing with massive attention? Then click the link to check out all the awesome resources and services offered on Restaurant Marketing That Works!
https://restaurantmarketingthatworks.com/

#restaurantmarketing #databasemarketing #restaurantowner

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Day 175 – The Puzzle – My Vivid Vision Conversation With David Scott Peters

Achieving Restaurant Success with Clear Vision and Strong Team Alignment: Matt Plapp’s Insights

In this exciting Restaurant Prosperity Formula podcast interview, host David Scott Peters and Matt Plapp dive deeper into the concept of a Vivid Vision and how it has helped Matt transform America’s Best Restaurants into a thriving business. In this discussion, Matt emphasizes the importance of team alignment, creating a clear roadmap for success, and holding yourself accountable to the goals you set. Let’s explore these invaluable insights and how you can apply them to your restaurant.

The Power of Reflection and Course Correction:

One key point Matt highlights in the second part of the interview is the necessity of constant reflection and course correction. When Matt first wrote out his Vivid Vision, he didn’t realize how closely his company would follow the roadmap he had laid out. He attributes much of his success to the clarity that comes with writing out goals.

“We probably got closer to that first vision than I thought, but I don’t think we would have gotten there without putting it in writing,” Matt shares. “The Vivid Vision gave me and my team clarity on where we were going and what we were trying to achieve.”

But success wasn’t instantaneous. Even with a clear vision, Matt explains that there were challenging days—days when things didn’t go according to plan. Instead of becoming discouraged, Matt used these moments as opportunities to reflect and refocus.

“You’re going to have bad days—that’s part of the journey,” Matt admits. “The key is not to get stuck in that negativity. Use it as fuel to adjust your strategy and keep pushing forward. Sometimes I literally say out loud, ‘Bring it on,’ because I know I can handle whatever comes my way.”

Building a Strong Team with a Shared Vision:

One of the most powerful aspects of having a Vivid Vision is the ability to align your team around a common goal. Matt emphasizes that his company’s success is largely a result of the people who have supported and contributed to the vision over the years.

“The Vivid Vision is not just for me as the CEO,” Matt explains. “It’s for the entire team. If I don’t let my team know where we’re going and why, then we’re never going to get there.”

Matt makes it a point to ensure that every new hire is introduced to the company’s Vivid Vision from day one. Whether it’s during interviews or team meetings, he continually reinforces the vision so that everyone knows what they’re working towards. This practice has not only fostered alignment within the team but also increased employee engagement and ownership.

“People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Matt says. “When you share your vision with your team, it gives them purpose and direction. They’re not just showing up for a paycheck—they’re part of a journey.”

Vivid Vision in Action: A Real-World Example

One particularly fascinating moment in the interview is when Matt reflects on a specific goal from his Vivid Vision that seemed almost like a coincidence—but it wasn’t. In his first Vivid Vision, Matt wrote that his team would be in Las Vegas to celebrate the completion of their goals. Fast forward to December 2023, and Matt found himself in Las Vegas for a meeting related to his company’s acquisition of Repeat Returns.

“I didn’t even realize it at first, but someone pointed out that this trip to Las Vegas was written in our Vivid Vision from years ago,” Matt recalls. “It just shows how powerful it is to put your goals in writing. You may not realize it, but you’re constantly working towards them.”

This story is a testament to the power of visualization and goal-setting. By putting his goals into words and reflecting on them regularly, Matt was able to stay on track and bring his vision to life, often in unexpected ways.

Accountability and Adaptation: Keys to Reaching Your Vision

While setting a vision is critical, Matt also stresses the importance of accountability and flexibility. Even with a clear roadmap, things will change, and business owners need to be able to adapt when necessary. For Matt, regular check-ins with his team and constant reflection on the Vivid Vision are essential to keeping things on track.

“Every week, we reflect on our vision in team meetings,” Matt says. “It’s a way to keep everyone accountable and to make sure we’re all aligned on where we’re going.”

Accountability doesn’t stop with the team, though. Matt believes that as a business owner, you need to hold yourself accountable to your goals as well. This means regularly revisiting your vision and being honest about what’s working and what isn’t.

“Sometimes you have to course-correct, and that’s okay,” Matt advises. “The important thing is that you stay committed to the overall vision, even if the path changes along the way

Day 173 – The Puzzle – Restaurant Birthday Marketing Is A Gold Mine!

Yesterday, I got the email above through our DRYVER Platform for one of our clients, Super Smokers.

Now, before you text me Happy Birthday, it’s not really my BDay 🙂  I sign up for clients’ programs as they launch and put a date about a month out so I can see what we are doing for them right away versus waiting.  

When I saw this email, I was excited; the graphics really got my attention.  What you can’t see above is that this image is a GIF with movement.  The smoke you see coming up from the left is actual smoke in motion.  It’s so freaking cool!  There’s also movement with the text boxes; it’s an attention-getter.  

Today, I want to talk about Birthday marketing, but first, I must set the stage

What we are building with the DRYVER Restaurant Marketing Platform is a 3-prong attack:

1st – High-level intuitive marketing software that takes customers on a journey based on where they are in the marketing funnel; in this case, it would be my birthday.  I want to create the industry’s first customer management software that ensures your restaurant’s customers are actively marketed to, so we can DRIVE sales every week. 

2nd –  Customer Acquisition – We must help you create a constant stream of customers joining your marketing programs, like this restaurant’s Birthday program.  If you don’t have acquisition marketing daily, you’re letting a Ferrari sit there and run out of gas.  Most restaurants use their POS or online ordering as a crutch to fuel the growth of things like their Loyalty program.  The problem is that you run out of customers, and the momentum dies.  You must leverage paid Facebook and Instagram ads and in-store marketing to fill the fuel tank. 

3rd – Expert advice!  DRYVER will not be a “set it and forget it” marketing program like so many technology companies have become.  You will have someone on our team giving you expert advice and helping you build marketing programs that DRIVE SALES!

Now, onto my Birthday marketing idea

How many people live within 5 miles of your restaurant?  I wanted to do a little experiment on this for my team.  I googled the population of the three cities around me, thinking if I owned a casual dining restaurant in Florence, Kentucky, what would my potential “Birthday Reach” be daily?  

Florence = 32,618

Erlanger = 19,756

Burlington = 18,264

Union = 7,592

The total population came to 78,230 people.  Now, I know it’s not going to be exact, but assuming we split this up by 365 days, that means 214 people have a birthday EVERY DAY!

Birthdays are great for restaurants.  Casual dining concepts will benefit more than most.  So imagine if a restaurant in Florence, Kentucky, did the following for three years in a row

1st – Asked EVERY customer who walked into their restaurant to join their birthday program excitedly!

2nd – Had a system like DRYVER to use in step #1 🙂

3rd – Took the system “like DRYVER” and connected it to their website, online ordering, and restaurant point of sale.  

4th – Ran paid ads, $10 per day, targeting consumers with a birthday that month. 

5th – Used organic social media to celebrate customers on their birthdays.  Pull out your smartphone and film a video or take a picture of you giving them their gift.  Then, drop a link in the post description so viewers can join.

6th – Lastly, pick up the phone and call every customer in your system (like DRYVER) to wish them a happy birthday.  Plus, to remind them that you’d love to see their smiling face in the restaurant, taking advantage of their FREE birthday gift. 

What if, over those three years, you got 5% of the birthdays to visit?  That would be 11 people per day.  

Scratch that, what if you got 1% ?  

If ONLY two people came into your restaurant daily for their birthday, based on the stats in our system, they’d bring with them three other customers, and you’d have a $50-75 check average.  

You’d have around $35,000 in gross sales and approx $25,000 in incremental profit.  This means you would add $2,000 per month to YOUR PAY CHECK!

And this is only assuming a few people take advantage of it each day.  Imagine if you get what you should get, many more.  Also, imagine if this birthday program was simply one of ten marketing programs running daily.

IMAGINE

Day 172 – The Puzzle – Restaurant Marketing In 2024 & Beyond – The Streets Are Lined With Gold

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The year was 2018, and I’d just published my book “Don’t 86 Your Restaurant Sales.”  It was pretty easy to gain your customers’ data by engaging them in a conversation and using an irresistible offer to drive the first visit. After that, you use their data correctly and build relationships through email, text, messenger, Grassroots, and social media marketing.  

Turns out I was wrong.  

I had no clue how hard it would be to convince you, restaurant owners, what marketing had become in 2018. 

I’ll be honest: In 2018, I was naive. 

I’d been watching the transition of marketing happen since 2002. Since 2008, I’ve had a front-row seat, building my marketing company and watching consumers’ attention shift from mass media to smartphones.  

My marketing career started in 1998 as the internet was beginning to blossom.  

In 1998, you watched a Bengals game and sat through the commercials.  

By 2008, you were on your phone typing things like “is watching the Bengals beat the Steelers” during a timeout. 

By the time this book came out in 2018, you and your Facebook friends had become the media. Your Facebook posts and tweets had become the actual news. You posted video clips of plays and broke down what did or didn’t happen.

 Now, let’s take this a step further.  This is just covering social media.

In 1998, restaurants had limited access to and knowledge of how to market independently.  So I can understand why you were not doing it back then.  But by 2018, you all had access to email, texting, a website, social media, video marketing, and better grassroots marketing tools than ever before.  

By 2018, you could film a video on your phone, post it to numerous sites, and become a reality show FOR FREE.

By 2018, you could gain customer data as simply as someone commenting on a Facebook post and triggering a conversation in Messenger to acquire their contact information.  

By 2018, you could run a targeted Facebook ad ONLY reaching consumers near your restaurant on their birthday.

By 2018, you could go to the local high school football game, livestream a play, and put a call to action in the video for someone at the game to comment. You’d bring them a gift card to their seat at the game. 

By 2018, you could go door to door in your community, signing small businesses up to win a catered lunch for their employees.  You could have them enter the contest by scanning a QR code and answering a few questions.  This would also trigger a sequence that would email the person who entered with an offer they could forward to all of the employees.  

All of this and MUCH MORE were available in 2018, and here we are in 2024, and 99% of you still need to do it.  

What I thought would be revolutionary in 2018 turned out to be noise.  Noise that restaurants couldn’t grasp or didn’t want to.  I still don’t know why most of you have not taken the “bull by the horns” and dominated your marketing in 2024 like you could.  

So, as I type them, I’m still screaming from the rooftops how easy restaurant marketing is in 2024.  It’s not rocket science, but you’ve got to be willing to invest your time and money into technology, relationships, and marketing.  

In tomorrow’s blog, I will outline what I think is a low-hanging fruit opportunity in restaurant marketing, one that you all should be using as a part of your restaurant marketing mix.  


Day 171 – The Puzzle – Your Restaurants Tech

Tech has to be your friend, especially if you own a restaurant in 2024.  

This past weekend, I saw this front and center at Texas Roadhouse. One of the most significant issues busy sit-down restaurants face is being unable to track down their servers, especially when it comes time to pay the bill. Well, not at Texas Roadhouse. They gave me an easy way to pay my bill without taking the server’s time, and it was seamless. Technology, like pay-at-the-table tablets, will help you leverage your biggest asset, your employees. 

One thing I did find odd, though, was the QR code above. In episode 744 of Restaurant Marketing Secrets, I mention how when you click the menu option on the tablet, it opens a QR code to scan for the menu. In a perfect world, this would be an all-inclusive experience, but I’m sure there’s a reason the menu is not on there.  

But I do love the VIP program that is front and center. I’ve signed up for it before, and it works great, so they get my thumb-up there.