Stephen Stone

Let’s face it –  last year was a challenge for the restaurant space. Whispers of an industry recession persisted throughout much of 2017 and same-store sales growth halted for many prominent brands. You’ve probably spent most of this new year wondering what your brand can do to thrive in 2018, and the best place to start is by identifying the trends that will dominate the industry landscape in the next 11+ months.

A panel of restaurant marketing experts who specialize in fields from customer data analysis to guest engagement program design recently offered their opinions on what will be the biggest restaurant marketing trends in 2018. Here are a few that you should be mindful of: […]

Restaurants are expanding the revenue potential from gift card sales by adding retail sales channels, promotional incentives, e-gift, mobile, and bulk sales.

One of the biggest hurdles in implementing or updating a gift card program is optimizing best practices for gift card accounting. This is because some of these new growth channels have both discounts and extra fees associated with them. Accounting practices can make the difference between a highly successful revenue generating program and one that has a negative impact on both a company and individual careers.

Let’s take a look at one of two crucial issues of gift card accounting: how to fund a discount. In the post, we’ll discuss how to track breakage. […]

Whenever I Google “pizza delivery near me,” I’m overwhelmed by the number of options I have at my disposal. That’s why it’s important for any restaurant – but particularly those in highly competitive spaces – to think about what they’re offering customers that sets them apart from the competition.

When restaurant owners think about how their customers decide between them and their competitors, they often think that people’s decisions are made primarily based on food and customer experience. While that’s still true, there’s a crucial third element that consumers use to choose among their options — how restaurants use technology to facilitate guest engagement. […]

If you go on a first date but aren’t able to establish a connection, it’s usually no big deal. After all, there are plenty of other fish in the sea! But when you operate a restaurant and you’re not compatible with your guests, that’s a different story. Those are the fish in the sea — and your business is only as strong as your compatibility with your customers.

From grocery stores and restaurants to alternative meal sources like Blue Apron, guests have a vast number of options when it’s time to eat, and the list is growing all the time. And with that many options guests will quickly lose interest in a restaurant if they encounter anything that disrupts a convenient and pleasant dining experience.

The problem for restaurants is that in many cases they are disrupting their customers’ experiences — creating friction in what otherwise should be a smooth and easy interaction — without realizing it. […]