There's a divine little buffet over in McCracken County whose future I'm terribly distraught about... but I may have to thank them because the marketing side of my brain has kicked in full swing...
Earlier this year when I heard this little restaurant had reopened I was absolutely thrilled! Immediately my noggin was awash with memories of going there as a kid. They had a seafood buffet on the weekend and I remembered very vividly how much I liked going there. We would pick up Grandma Comer on the way and after a big meal at Massac Kountry Kitchen we would stop at K-Mart and pick out a toy, little did I know at the time - this was 'the life of Reilly'.
Evan and I checked it out with my folks and my brother one night in the Spring of this year and we were pretty happy with it. My folks, who are oyster connoisseurs thought the oysters lacked just a bit and sent a note to the restaurant with some advice regarding the oysters and the next time I was there I texted as soon as I got in the jeep to let her know the oyster situation had improved...
This grew to be a fine little buffet and one of mine and Evan's regular stops this year, as well as that of my folks and MANY other Metropolis people... In the last couple of months though, things have shifted... the restaurant seems to be losing it's footing and it's consistency...
It's been a "saga" .. really, that we've watched unfold on Facebook... Changing of the menu, changing a seafood night to a pizza night, dropping the seafood all together, adding the seafood back, adding all you can eat crab legs for an exorbitant price, dropping the price during a discussion with customers on Facebook that sporadically boomed every little bit with advice from people, 70% of whom have no idea what they're talking about and are only following the page to try and win a free buffet!
As I was on the phone with Mom this morning I told her that I had been thinking about it and may write a marketing piece... she suggested I hurry because yesterday evening they posted this...
Ok I know everyone has heard the rumor that we are closing the doors... Unfortunately we are struggling really bad and have talked seriously about closing down but we have made the decision to close this weekend bc of the financial situation but next weekend we will open back up and try again! Sorry guys I know that it's disappointing and it's short notice for the regulars that are there every weekend and we do appreciate all of are customers! Just be patient with us and keep supporting us and we will do our best to keep the doors open!
So now for a little "Here's what I'd do..."
I'd be closed this weekend and plan an "Ooops We Goofed Grand Re-Starting" for Oct. 18 - one week from today...
Why? Well, because you goofed and sometimes "Truth in Advertising" is the best path out of that...
Here's my overview of the goof ...
Upon the initial opening - you served a seafood buffet and it was delicious, Friday and Saturday... You were cram packed! We were astounded every time we came in at the crowd AND at the other Metropolis people we saw there on a regular basis, nearly 25 minutes from home...
Then the chatter began to be open "more nights"... That was the very first mistake that was made. I feel the rest of the gaffs have been the shrapnel of trying to fix what was broken when y'all were busy fixing something that wasn't broken...
Is everyone following? I digress...
When one has a consistent thing that is working, it's only natural to want to add more of it ... just like that little girl on the AT&T commercial says... "When you like something, you want MOOOORE of it.."
So the restaurant likes the crowd and the revenue and they say let's add another night... but no, especially in this neck of the woods - bad idea for a couple of reasons ...
(A.) Our economy isn't positioned for it right now... most people do not have the financial capacity to eat out 2 or more nights a week, while even just a decade or 15 years ago, that was not uncommon at all...
(B.) The additional plans and projects were doomed to cause you to lose focus of the real money maker/success that you already had in place... If you have Friday and Saturday packed, then FOCUS on keeping Friday and Saturday packed... then focus on getting a line out the door on Friday and Saturday... then focus on building on to the building so that you can accomidate more guests on Friday and Saturday... then focus on building the line out the door again... You didn't need any more nights or different foods! Seafood is a niche... some people are "anti-seafood" and they're not your customers - so don't worry about them ... any idiot can throw a meatloaf in the oven... , but the ones who are seafood LOVERS can become regulars...
So I would immediately drop everything but Friday and Saturday seafood and I would make it perfect... Act as if Gordon Ramsey is coming to check out your place or Robert Irvine... That food needs to be consistent and so fantastic that y'all can't believe you did it yourselves...
Now, a few suggestions for the schematics of your operations... and hear me out...
1. Move your cashier stand to the end of the buffet line
Why? Because everyone knows that fellow who works your register and he knows your regulars by face... So he always turns around to greet people and chat with them, completely wasting the opportunity for an upsell... You're going to have room because in step two I'm going to suggest you move the breads... Put him at the end of the buffet (almost where your pie table is "now") so that when he's greeting and chatting with them he can offer them upsells - perhaps a 1/4 of crab legs or possibly All You Can Eat crab legs (which seemed to be a very popular idea on your Facebook page) or maybe a slice of pie wrapped up to go at the end of the meal. He can then give them the ticket and they can be seated...
2. Take the corn bread and rolls off of the buffet, they don't stay hot enough... Instead, make a "warmer area" in the kitchen - the server comes to the table for the drink order and asks the guests if they want rolls, cornbread or both. The server then grabs the drink and the corresponding bread order and brings it to the table while the guests are at the buffet...
3. While you're messing with the bread, create a signature butter... Look something up on Pinterest... Have a contest among your employees... You could even come up with three and let your customers choose the best one at your "Ooops We Goofed Grand Re-Starting"
4. Don't serve "tea lemons" for fish... That goes for every restaurant on the face of the earth... Fish needs a big, beautifully fantastic wedge of lemon or six or eight ... not a tinsy little half-a-ring that goes on a tea glass...
5. A bit about desserts and pie upsell...
Your desserts might be better displayed elsewhere. The area they're in is huge and the last few times we've been in, the selection has been sparse.
If it's not fantastic or at least really good, don't serve it...
Some of the pies are just 'okay', but the peanut butter pie is really, really good... So as the meal is wrapping up, maybe the server picks up the check and looks it over as she's chatting with the guests and asks if they'd like her to wrap up a couple of slices of pie for a tv snack later... NOT, "we have peanut butter pie, would you like some 'to go" - but "We're known for our peanut butter pie... Would you like me to wrap a couple of pieces up for a bedtime snack? That'll sure sound good after dinner settles..." To accompany this you MUST have signage at each table and at the register "carry out your dessert! 2 pieces of pie for $3" (or whatever) Here's the thing, you've already sold the buffet - so you're just adding a couple of bucks on to help with the profit margin - you're not trying to make the bank on carry out pie slices...
More to come on this ... Part 2 will contain some marketing, public relations and promotions thoughts... and later this weekend I'm going to try and find the time to sit down and tell you how unbelievably tired I am of hearing "I Got 'Em! Come on Paducah!" on the morning news and why...
Have a Grand and Groovy Day!
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