Guts and creativity are required to survive the slow times in the food and beverage world. You know sales will slow when the weather gets cold. This is the perfect time to focus on your most loyal customers and focus on bringing in first-time guests.
Brewery and winery taprooms utilize programming such as classes, bands, PaintNite & trivia but a surprising trend in food and beverage is new programming at restaurants, hotels, airports and other atypical hospitality venues. When you set out to add some programming to bring guests in there are a few things to consider.
Think collaborations and classes. Craft programming that reflects your values and is culturally relevant to your guests. Focus on fun, inspirational and educational programming. A great place to start when you want to create interesting events is to partner with local small businesses. From florists, artists and bakers to artisan makers these entrepreneurs could use a location to sell their wares.
Your local florist might partner for a flower arranging or succulent planting class that includes a pint in the price of the class.
Find experts who will help highlight your offerings. I teach an artisan spent grain breadmaking class called Grainbakers at small and independent breweries near San Francisco. Each class brings in about 40 guests on a slow night which increases revenue and helps retain employees. The brewery owner gives a tour which is a wonderful opportunity for first-time guests to learn about their unique story.
Consider your per-person costs. Many third-party companies that offer trivia have a per-player fee but building up a strong Tuesday night following might be worth it.
Marketing is KEY. Events must be posted a month out, and then weekly until the event and then the day before. Posting the day of is a recipe for failure. Millennials, for example, then make their plans at least a week in advance. Make sure you're posting your event to your Facebook page, Instagram, your website calendar, and the local town newspaper activity guide (often free) and search for special interest groups that are looking for entertainment such as 'Girls Pint Out' or women's networking groups.
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Caitlin Jewell is a Principal at Crafted-Destinations. Caitlin is a designer and brand creator with over 20 years of experience creating retail spaces, places, and experiences. She has worked as the brand manager for numerous food and beverage, retail, and entertainment venues across the country. Drawing on the combined expertise from founding several consumer companies, building retail brands up from scratch, and managing operations of F&B/entertainment venues, Caitlin is focused on making strong connections between hospitality and business success. She is driven by the opportunities to bring brands to life through compelling experiential design that is based on storytelling and making meaningful connections between people. Her Breadmaking edutainment classes for breweries can be found at Grainbakers.com
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