Nation’s Restaurant News dedicated their April 30th issue to the importance of branding and “hitting the mark with today’s customer”. The articles offered a lot of great information I thought, especially this whole idea of “relevance” and connecting with your customers on an emotional level.

Emotional branding has been around for a while now; a marketing tactic centered on a product’s ability to tug at the heartstrings of the consumer in some meaningful way, i.e.; Harley Davidson is more in the business of selling rebellion, freedom, and independence than it is the motorcycles. Some companies do a good job of communicating the intrinsic attributes of products. Others try hard, but just never fully develop the relevance among their target market. I think local TV news has a hard time creating relevance with their product and brand; “Watch us because we are Dedicated, Determined and Dependable”. First off, no you are not and furthermore I do not relate to anything you are spewing. If it was not for the fact of being scheduled in front of the Letterman Show, who would really watch? Anyways, I am digressing.

To create a relevant brand, restaurants need to understand what is at the core of their existence and secondly, why anyone cares. Restaurants lacking a relevant brand have not done the hard work of inner discovery and/or found peace with whatever that may be. Because, underneath every great brand, is a mission, commitment or vision for the betterment of mankind. (You are free to ponder that last sentence for a moment). Once a brand has purpose and compass, consumers can then decide if their ideals are similar. A match between the two instantly turns a product into a lifestyle.

Speaking of lifestyle, where are all the White people going? Some recent work for a client required me to dig into the 2010 census data. What I found was astonishing. In short, I have to tell all you White brethren out there that our days are numbered here in the ol’ USA. I guess I knew that the Hispanic, Black and Asian populations were coming on strong, but I had no idea how fast this was happening. In Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission, the White population within the 20 county Atlanta region has dropped from 60% to 50% from 2000 to 2010.

What does this mean for new restaurant concepts? In order to position a brand for long term success, a thorough understanding of the lifestyle behaviors of these ethnic groups is imperative. For example, did you know that Hispanics now represent 25% of all restaurant traffic? That represents 9.8 billion visits a year according to NPD Group Research. Did you know that Black consumers dine out more frequently than other consumer group segments, but spend less each trip? Asians are family and communally focused…often dining with several generations of family members.

Lastly, when it comes to brand relevance, do not promise more than you can deliver. I eat a hamburger because I am hungry and not because of the hot blonde in your ad. OK…maybe once…I was vulnerable! Look, sometimes a brand emerges easily and other times you have to dig to find it. In either event, call Urban Eats Consulting Group for expertise along the way.

Channon Powell smells good…real good. As the owner of ChayJ’s New Orleans Candies, Channon hand crafts all her sweet treats and she smells…smells real good, like warm cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. If you have ever passed by a bakery and whiffed the intoxicating aromas…that’s Channon. She is the pied piper of sweets…you will unconsciously follow her and her candy trailer all over town. Urban Eats created the brand refresh, new story line, food trailer acquisition and graphic collateral. Click here to see her trailer graphics.

Ice cream, poor thing, for centuries it’s been churned, scooped, and dipped in all kinds of ways. But blasted with nitrogen? That sounds like some weird science. Well, watch out cream and sugar because Creamology, Atlanta’s newest food truck, is about to put the chill on you. The recipe goes like this: add cream, sugar and any combination of tasty, natural ingredients into a mixer bowl. Turn on mixer and then, this is the good part, blast the contents with a dose of -346 degree liquid nitrogen. Viola! Instant ice cream. You gotta see it to believe it! Urban Eats was engaged to develop concept, story line and brand collateral.

Some concepts are thrust upon us, others occur as though they were destined to be.  Studio No. 7 is what it is.  No hype, no BS…simply a reflection of the moment at hand and the community it serves.  Opening soon in West Midtown on Marietta Street.  Urban Eats was hired for pre-opening logistics, kitchen set-up, menu development, vendor referrals, hiring and general industry expertise.

Peering through the chaos I found intelligence. Grab a handful of dust and throw it into the air. At first a scattered mess, swirling about, weak against the elements. In time, coalescent in a mightier altered state. There is a point in every entrepreneur’s life when they have to let go of the great idea. Allow it to stand alone, carry its weight and define existence in the world. Strike a match and hold it to the coal. Will the flame carry on or expire into a relentless wind? At best a moment of anticipation…in wet weather, severe panic.

So is it, the life of an entrepreneur with a bold idea. You have to be ready to brave the wind, rain and cold that will come from the pontificators and critics. Why would any bar operator invest in a season cable subscription to the World Wrestling Federation? Football and baseball that is where it is at man! But there’s no swirling dervish in that play.

A championship poker player drives along the strip in Vegas and has clarity of thought. Vegas needs Vegan! What, the city of sin, martinis and rising flesh wants to eat healthy? That is one risky bet my friend. She has already raised $250,000 in seed money. Apparently, gambling is just a vice anymore…it is a lifestyle.

Ice cream is like chemistry, Creole can be sweet. Pot pies are good in a box, Jamaican patties with a beat. Why oh why Sam I am wouldn’t you cook up some green eggs and ham!

Look people, what I am trying to say here is that life happens, really happens out on the skinny branches of the tree. The restaurant biz is no different. If you are going to blow a half million dollars on a food and beverage concept, make sure that the idea makes you at least slightly uncomfortable. Your idea should stir the weather, invoke cautionary heeds from loved ones and need a good bit of explaining. And, if you take nothing else away from these 441 words, please remember this, a concept should also tell a great story. That is the difference between risk and foolishness.

A good story engages, captivates and takes the reader on fantastic journey. No matter that individually the plot, subject matter or cast of characters makes no sense. Together, and in the end, if magic is present, then you have succeeded in creating an epic, game changing idea. Otherwise you are just dust in the wind. So, go out and fly your flag high and stand tall against your foe my restaurant brethren. For the spoils of war belong to the victors!

The 2012 National Restaurant Industry Forecast was recently released and, as always, offered some interesting insight into consumer dining behaviors and trends.  For most of the nation’s restaurant owners, the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a chance of rain.  However, if you happen to live in North Dakota, put on a pair of cheap sunglasses because you my friend have a bright future.  North Dakota?  I scratched my head too; their growth has something to do with being a mineral rich state in a period of record high energy prices.  The Peace Garden State, as it is official nicknamed, is on schedule for a 4.1% increase in 2012 restaurant sales…matched only by Texas.

For the rest of us, we will have to get by with a modest growth projection of 3.2%.  The mediocre recovery is due, in large part, to low consumer confidence, (the 2012 numbers are actually lower than those of 2011). Not a good sign for an industry that lives and dies by the mood of its populace. Seems we have a national political system that is in a perpetual state of gridlock, a banking system that needs an Econ. 101 refresher course and a corporate America stubbornly attached to a hiring policy of; less is more.  No wonder we’re all depressed.

In bad weather, human beings tend to hunker down and stay close to familiar places, taking shelter from the elements; unnecessary spending, fear of the unknown, joblessness.  But alas, we still have to eat.  And it is because of this instinctive act that all is not lost for the food and beverage industry.  While the traditional eating establishments will be navigating the clouds in their coffee for 2012, some of the other industry segments, those not so sexy, are poised for solid growth.  Educational food sales, office and industrial food service, recreational, retail and health care food service sectors will all be having a good 2012.  As consumers ride out the economic uncertainty, they will be trading down their pricey restaurant routines for meals purchased at the office cafeterias, campus food courts or the bowling alley grill.

This is nothing new, by the way.  This consumer trade down tactic has been going on since the economy tanked in ’08.  As customers spend closer to home, work and school, sales increase proportionately for the industries servicing those sectors.  Sales at catering, grocery/retail and food service management companies, according to the NRA report, could grow as much as 4% to 5% in 2012.

The other pick to win this year is anything and everything local.  According to the NRA report;

“With all the challenges facing the country, where are consumers looking for solutions?  They are turning to their local businesses.  Nearly two-thirds of adults (63 percent) said they think businesses in their community are doing the most to get the economy moving again.”

Locavorism, it is not just for Indies and hippies anymore.  If the regional and national chains don’t pick up on this trend and make some real change to the way they position their brands in local markets, they can expect continued sales declines.  Authentic, true and intimate, that is what local business delivers. If I am a consumer with limited funds, am I going to spend at a place where I feel genuinely connected or somewhere where I am just a statistic?  I will take a side of warm and fuzzy with my burger please!

It just so happens that Urban Eats Consulting Group specializes in developing food and beverage brands that promote community, foster relationships and generally kick ass. Contact us anytime.

We are all busy these days, on the go like never before. Being as mobile as we are, who has time for a good lunch? Such a dilemma is ours. Thankfully Mighty Meatballs is here to save the day. This brotherly team, armed with grandma’s recipes, brings a whole new meaning to the term power ball. There’s no gamble here, as these cross-culturally infused meatball sliders are instant winners. Urban Eats Consulting Group provided brand positioning, visual brand direction and permitting services.

Challenge: Take an existing sports bar and create a fresh brand story for the new owner without losing the current customer base. Solution: Identify all those aspects of the current operation that appeal to the customer base and make them even better! Introduce value added design features, products and services that enhance the customer’s experience while simultaneously creating a unique brand niche for the new concept. Simmer all ingredients until done and viola! Oceans Sports Bar and Seafood Grill, a Vegas style sports room takes the traditional sports bar to a new level. Urban Eats Consulting Group created the new brand story and implemented supporting brand collateral, menu ideation and interior design revisions.  Click here to see interior design photos.

As a kid, I rummaged around attics and closets. Old ones in particular were the best; full of forgotten stuff and remnants from the past…seasoned by time. These nooks of vintage clutter offered escape and solace, a safe space to dream. They connected you to someone, something authentic; a life well lived. Instantly, you belonged and you felt secure knowing that, as cynical as the world was, this place provided respite. Where are they, these safe harbors, now that we are all grown up?

Bars used to be like that I thought. In their heyday, before there was a national chain on every corner, bars were gritty, eclectic and intimate. Every neighborhood had their own, each as different as the ethnic populace it housed. American bars, squared-jawed joints of Genesee Ale and Chesterfield Kings, teak wood chairs, black and white TV’s. You went there to shed the mask, to be part of a community that was familiar and real.

I guess you would call them dive bars today; disheveled and dusty, off the beaten path and forgotten by the masses.

There was a place in Detroit, called the Cloverleaf. Red, pillow tucked upholstery, wood-paneled walls, amber pendants in the corners, bingo on Friday night, looked just like a fraternity house living room. The food was basic and good; greasy New York-style pizza, big juicy burgers, hand cut French fries, and sour pickles. Friday was the fish night. This was the place where life was celebrated, where the locals hung out to commiserate, talk a little politics and watch the lottery draw. First dates, divorces, league championships all unfolded here.

Every town has a local joint. They are the cornerstones of great communities. Bankers and bums side by side in a nonjudgmental setting, it does not get much better than that.

When contrived concepts are created, the human element is tossed out the window. Trends in the Food and Beverage world all point to success for restaurants that offer transparency, variety, experiences, community and all things local. Bottom line, it’s good to be different, fly your own flag and be damn proud of it. Bars and restaurants should really be about giving people an opportunity to express themselves in ways that leave them happy. Cubicles make people sad and agitated; too many cubes in the world.

Announcing a new shared kitchen facility located in Lawrenceville, GA. 24/7 Shared Kitchen is a Department of Agriculture approved shared kitchen space for rent. Perfect for bakers, specialty food producers and dessert production. Reasonable rates are available by the hour or with a monthly membership. Convenient to GA Hwy 120 and 316. If you are interested, please send an email to todd@urbaneats.net  or call 404-484-4588. Hurry, space will go fast!