Dennis Food Service, CMO and veteran marketing professional, Luke LaBree, shares creative, practical, and actionable strategies for marketing your business on a shoestring budget.
Episode 74: Do the Free Stuff First
April 17, 2024Welcome to Episode 74 of the Dennis Knows Food podcast! In this special three-part installment, we’re excited to present Luke LaBree’s keynote address, “Do the Free Stuff First.”
15 Ways to Generate More Business, Traffic from Travelers & Tourists in New England
March 19, 2024Hereâs how to generate more traffic and revenue this summer by attracting hungry travelers and weary tourists with your website and social media content.
Guide to Restaurant Social Media Marketing in 2021
July 12, 2021A good restaurant social media marketing strategy can help bring customers to your venue. This is because social media is an important tool people use to make purchasing decisions. This is especially true when it comes to choosing where to eatâ …
Seven Restaurant Marketing Strategies to Implement In 2021
July 1, 2021Own or operate a restaurant, c-store or food service business? Check out these seven marketing ideas for your restaurant to attract and retain customers in 2021.
Restaurant Menu Strategies for 2021
December 7, 2020As we move forward in the “new normal” menu strategies new and old will converge into the right mix of price points, value, menu items, and differentiation that will appeal to consumers.
At-Home Consumers Craving Restaurant Food, Free Delivery, Meal Deals
December 7, 2020Locked-down consumers may be craving professionally made meals and restaurant food, but good food isnât the only thing they like about restaurants, free delivery and meal deals are also in the mix.
Grow Your Foodservice Business with Content Marketing
November 19, 2020Content is as important to your digital presence and marketing efforts as the food you serve is to your dining room. It shows who you are, what you do and what you’re capable of â but most importantly â it can impact a visitor’s decision to return.
What Motivates Customers in the Age of COVID?
October 16, 2020Recent research that establishes “diner personas” can help foodservice operators understand and meet guest expectations.
The Future of Foodservice: Here’s What to Expect
August 11, 2020Think salad bars and hot delis are gone for good? Not so fast, says Corinne Shindelar, the founder and former CEO and president of Independent Natural Food Retailers Association.
5 Restaurant Menu Analysis Tips to Increase Your Restaurantâs Profitability
August 11, 2020A menu is something that says a lot about your restaurant and its specialization, and also plays a significant role in your restaurantâs profitability. Hence, doing a comprehensive restaurant menu analysis is crucial for your restaurantâs success.
Market Opportunity: Millennials and Their Kids
December 5, 2019According to the NPD Group, Millennials with children increased their restaurant visits by 5% percent in 2018 over the prior year, at a time when the total restaurant industry experienced flat traffic growth…
Modern Menu Strategy, in One Word: Focus
December 5, 2019To maximize profitability in a highly competitive marketplace patronized by highly diverse customers, operators should regularly evaluate their menus, item by item, to ensure every offering is still worthy of its place on the menu…
Holiday Staffing Tips for Restaurant Operators
November 12, 2019For many restaurants, the next few weeks will likely be one of the busiest times of the year. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yearâs Eve operators can rake in the revenue. But with more business, and more people coming through the door, the biggest challenge is always staffing…
5 Ways to Enhance Your Customer’s Takeout Dining Experience
April 5, 2019A growing number of today’s restaurant patrons would rather order delivery or takeout than dine in. In fact, the booming market for food that leaves an operatorâs walls will surpass $300 billion in sales by 2023. Nevertheless, on-demand foodservice has its challenges…
Restaurant Marketing Ideas for the 12 Days of Christmas
November 6, 2018Christmas marketing isnât limited to just the immediate holiday but includes your winter menu changes, catering services, increased promotions of cookies, cakes, pies, pastries and side dishes for holiday meals, holiday party bookings and gift card sales. You have a great opportunity to attract new customers, show your chefâs skills in preparing holiday favorites and exotic foods from other countries and cultures, and host special tasting events that attract convivial crowds.
5 Free Ways to Get Customers Talking about Your Foodservice Brand
October 24, 2018Most fast-casual operators believe that competency creates conversation. That being “good” equals word of mouth. But it often does not, because almost every competitor is at least good. If you want customers to tell others about your restaurants â and you do â you must be different in addition to being excellent.
10 Tips for Managing Seasonal Restaurant & Foodservice Menus
October 17, 2018Seasonal ingredients and menu items have become more popular along with the local food movement, which goes right to the heart of the kind of sustainability commitment that todayâs customers are looking for.
4 Ways to Appeal to Your Target Market
September 28, 2018To identify a target market, operators often look to specific generations. Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z customers all have different food and dining attitudes, habits, and preferences. What weâre finding now is that many macro trends are shared across generations. They might just manifest in different ways in terms of specific needs and operational executions, but the trends are very applicable across almost all demographics. Once operators have a grasp on overarching themes, they can develop their menus, strategize, and market more effectively. Continue reading…
Episode 50 – Looking Like a Pro on Camera, with Brad LaBree
September 10, 2018If you get nervous even thinking about talking on camera this episode is for you! Video and cameras are an increasing part of our daily lives, and a great tool for getting in front of customers. But, what happens when you clam up on camera, and the words just won’t come out? The future of marketing is video, and the power to compete is in the palm of your hand. So, let’s get over the nerves and get you recording with a few tips and strategies for foodservice operators looking to do more with video.
Episode 49 – Restaurant Marketing Deep-Dive, Larry Geaghan & Lisa Sturgeon
August 30, 2018In this episode you’re going to hear how a foodservice operation has been harnessing the power of their team to market business and broadcast their brand to the world using social media.
Episode 48 – News from the IFDA & Tips for a Smooth-Running Kitchen
August 21, 2018In this weekâs episode weâre sharing some stats from a new report published by the IFDA and weâve got a few tips to help keep your kitchen running smooth. Plus, your business with Dennis supports other Maine and New England companies. You’ll hear more about how the foodservice industry contributes to our economy in this episode!
Episode 47 – The Learning Never Stops, Foodservice Tech Trends, Plus – Kelly & Kelli on School Food Programs
August 1, 2018The school of life is the greatest education of all, and in it the learning never stops. Life in foodservice is no exception. As we go about our daily duties, itâs important to stop every so often and assess whatâs coming on the horizon. For example, one of the next big foodservice disruptions will absolutely be… find out what it is, along with 5 recent foodservice tech trends and more in this episode!
Episode 46 – Cold Coffee, Hot Pizza and New Edible Emoji!
July 23, 2018Just how popular is cold brew coffee? We’ve got the stats. What makes cold brew different? We’ll help you understand the steep. What’s the biggest hurdle for foodservice operators? We’ll tell you and share the solution in this episode! If youâve been pondering how to prepare better pizzas with quality ingredients, how to expand your menu with new flavors and combinations — and most importantly – how to produce more profit from your pies you need to tune into this episode!
8 Ideas for Restaurant Pictures to Post on Your Social Media Sites
July 13, 2018Pictures can be a great way to engage your customers on social media and get them even more involved in your restaurant. Try out a few of these ideas and see how your customers respond!