Marketing Overview / ServSafe

Steve ran the class again while Richard covered wine in the other section of management. First part of the class was dedicated to talking about culinary news. The peanut plants that were run out of business recently because of salmonella issues were, believe it or not, organic. Being "organic" is not a measure of cleanliness, it seems. It points to a problem in the system -- it is the companies wishing to be certified organic who pay for the inspection and certification. It is in the interest of payer and payee to certify every one under the sun regardless of quality or cleanliness. The USDA organic green and white logo is a bit of a fraud.

ServSafe was a laugh riot as usual -- Monday we're taking the test and then this will be done. To recap quickly, food flow safety -- keep the cold cold and the hot hot. Thaw in the fridge, not the counter top. On a buffet, a sneeze guard must be 14" or more above the food and 7" or more extending in front of the food. Fascinating stuff.

The second half of the class was dedicated to a PowerPoint presentation all about marketing. Bottom line is passion -- someone somewhere when creating the concept must have a passion for the product. From there, marketing can focus on finding new customers, getting current customers to come back, and getting current customers to spend more. The first part is where the big expenses come in.

The "Four Walls" theory of marketing is this: If you can successfully pull off four products within the four walls of your restaurant, it's guaranteed to succeed. The four products are food, service, ambiance and sizzle, aka hook & pizzaz. Which sounds a lot like pizza to me.

Marketing is all about studying the moments of truth: initial contact, whether by the web or phone. The greeting at the door, the view from the floor. There is definitely not a shortage of things that a well-paid restaurant consultant couldn't pull apart in detail.