Tips to Start Your Restaurant

There was a woman in Wisconsin that made the best soups in town. Her whole family encouraged her to open a restaurant, which she eventually did. They all chipped in to get her a nice location and design the small place like their living room. She had dozens of great recipes and various family members served as cooks, waiters and her accountant. Soon she was open for business and the crowds came pouring in. Folks, that was just a fairy tale. Sure, she did make amazing soup, but nobody came. Why? Because she failed to advertise.

The large sign in front and her reputation seemed to be enough. True, it was a relatively small town, but not everyone knew her cuisine skills. They decided to pass out flyers in front of the restaurant, but that didn’t turn the tide either. With money running out, one of her sons finally placed a small ad in the local newspaper and that brought in a trickle of customers. But it was so expensive, they had to stop after a few weeks. Today, that place is filled with a bookstore. The moral? A restaurant without advertising is a recipe for failure.

I should know. I’ve been an advertising consultant for over 25 years and had hundreds of restaurant accounts. Many were small, family-run ventures with limited resources and capital. They began with a dream and ended in a nightmare; underestimating expenses, over-estimating income and customers. Advertising was on the bottom of the list. Or else they decided that it could be cheap or even free. I sold Yellow Page ads and they didn’t understand the power of the directory. Most thought it too costly although they knew how well used it was. So they might opt for something small and hard to find, which proved to be a real waste of money.

Today, with the Internet as a primary research tool, I find it odd that more don’t have a presence. Whether it’s a website or an ad on a prominent site, they still don’t get it yet. People need to find them. They search by location and food type. They might be interested in other factors, like credit cards and reservations. But ultimately, the price is a concern. One way for them to choose is by seeing a menu, which gives them lots of good information. But how does one post a menu without spending a fortune for a full-page in a directory? Luckily, the Internet has several sites where one can place a menu.

If you don’t have a website, consider taking advantage of a website where you get that free menu placement and get the exposure you deserve. My personal choice is menuelephant.com, the site you’ll never forget. It’s free and has a great map and search program. And what’s better than free advertising for your restaurant?

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He authored a book about his directory years, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com and he is currently the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information site and http://www.menuelephant.com which posts restaurant menus on the “site you’ll never forget.”