Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Hi,

As you can see from my profile I'm a chef myself and during my career we did a couple openings of restaurants.

The best way to do it is with a PR activity for the opening, either a grand cocktail with snacks representing the menu or a formal sit down dinner with supper good food/drink and entertainment, free of charge.

You invite the most influential people and press that need to represent your target group and you make sure through your contacts that the press writes about it.

After this the best way of getting to know is word of mouth.

So make sure your product is GOOD.

Opening a restaurant this way is the most used and most effective way.

I would also go to local travel agents of the upper class and have your restaurant recomended through them. This "costs" something like free meals or the likes (barter is still used a lot in the hotel/restaurant industry)

Then try to get a journalist to write a feature in a local magazine about food. The restaurant-to be good-should be mentioned in the first 6 months in each monthly writing about food and drink and entertainment.

Then come the smaller issues and the newspapers.

Advertising is very expensive but if you have a budget go for it and only in the good food and drink magazines.

You can have a e-newsletter or opening letter send to target groups too, but I find that tacky for an upscale restaurant.

So for me: PR, PR, Pr, constantly working the press and inviting top guests untill the word of mouth takes over!!

I hope this helps ,

W

For business travelers the key to good business is the hotel concierge.. I would drop off information packs to all of the high end hotels in your area.

I love these kinds of events... and I agree with woutkok and rbauman... it's all about Public Relations...
you send invitations to your target segment (government, embassies, few reporters from new papers..etc)... invite food critics because they are free publicity... throw a free cocktail reception... serve your best dishes... play nice music... and before everyone leaves take some pictures... and hand in 20% discount coupons... so you'll make sure they'll come back... "hopefully"
Next Day... just place a little article with some photos in your local new papers... and I think that you'll be fine...
Oh yeah.. a final note... you can also have people place their business cards in a bowl... you can say "put your card to win a free meal for 2"... like a raffle draw... this way you'll have an intial list of clients that you might want to invite or inform for specail events...or you can just add them to your VIP list.
Hope this helps...Good Luck!!

Tie up with the local media. Has to be a widely read newpaper of the area.

Give the opening night to the media house who will invite the creme de la creme for this party.

DO something to the interiors... maybe create the biggest ever possible round table that fits in your restaurant.

Or with the media company throw it open for a charity night (find a real good cause), where seats will be purchased by high profile people. Head table can be auctioned to the highest bidder.

I am sure the media house will find it worthwhile to keep writing about this event