|
Any seasoned restaurant owner knows the key to catalyzing their business’s success: public relations. Although some owners value a quiet, subdued aesthetic to their establishment, without the magic of public relations, a cozy nook may become unknown and under appreciated and thus hinder business growth. The costs of consulting a public relations firm are higher than simply self-promoting – but which method reaps the most benefit? In a recent interview, five restaurant owners dished out the truth.
Tony Canova opened his restaurant, The Blackinton Inn, in October of 2003 and immediately started self-promoting. “We tried radio, billboards, newspapers and television…we kind of experimented and found out that T.V. and local papers worked the best,” he said. Canova’s efforts were well received by the community, yet the restaurant owner still spent between $1500 and $2000 a month on advertising. But Canova doesn’t doubt that PR firms could work for restaurants other than his own. “Our restaurant was built in 1850 and it’s not exactly a place where I’d want people stampeding into.” Canova’s business has boomed since the restaurant’s opening, but there is no doubt that Canova’s diligent self- promotion was a crucial ingredient to his restaurant’s success.
Contrarily, Jim Solomon, head chef and owner of The Fireplace, has used PR firms and private publicists for the past 5½ years. Having been exhausted by the costs of such practices, he has just begun to get his own hands dirty in the world of PR. “When I was getting ready to open in September of 2001, I had no idea of the importance of a PR company. A publicist can get you hits, and convince you that these hits will lead to traffic.” But as all business owners know, profits must exceed costs. “I found it to be too expensive. I was paying $2000 a month for their services, and that meant I would have to pull in about $35,000 in revenue to be able to pay them after other restaurant expenses,” he said. This and other concerns plagued Solomon, such as the fear that his business could be lost among the sea of other businesses promoted by a large PR firm. Although Solomon had great experiences with large communication companies, he has ultimately decided to fly solo. “Currently I am chef, owner, and publicist. It’s a lot of hats to wear. But I don’t intend to wear this hat forever.”
Ronnie Catanese, owner of the Rat Pack Café, has worked oppositely having begun his business promoting alone. Currently, he uses a PR firm to handle his publicity. When asked which method he prefers, he responded, “I guess sometimes you get lucky when you don’t use an agency since you get to talk one on one with reporters. But having an agency makes it easier since they are more connected and they know what the media are looking for.” Catanese has used large firm promotion for the last 9 months, and although he has had a good relationship with the firm, he has yet to see any results. He plans to give the firm more time to cultivate improvements, but cannot deny one simple truth: “Of course there is a cost involved with using a firm - but there is time involved when doing it by yourself… and really, who has that time?”
Experienced restaurateur, Steve DiFillipo seems to have the time. He’s owned dining establishments in the Boston area for over 22 years including his newest venture, Avila. DiFillipo is well known, so having a PR firm only hinders his personal media relationships. “I’ve met so many people in the media and I’ve hired people over the years but they kind of get in the way. If a PR person calls one of my friends at the Boston Herald, it’s an insult to them since they’d rather talk to me than a total stranger.” Over the years, DiFillipo has constructed a highly renowned name in the dining industry, and as a result has a mailing list that is comparable to that of a large PR firm. Email newsletters about upcoming events and openings are one method that he has found effective. But nonetheless, DiFillipo has advice for first time restaurant owners. “If you’re opening a small restaurant where money really matters, then do it [public relations] by yourself. It may be easier to use an agency, but it’s very costly.”
Lastly, Patrick Lee, owner of Grafton Street, Temple Bar, and Redline, is an ardent fan of large firm PR. He frankly states, “If you’re busy running your restaurant, you need a professional to do your marketing.” Yet Lee admits that there are some aspects of marketing that restaurant owners can handle themselves, such as website design and print advertising. He’s had an overall good experience using large PR firms, although he soundly admits that it is difficult to quantify results. Lee also knows how to keep a PR firm on their toes. “If you don’t feel like you’re getting enough attention, look elsewhere,” he remarked. For beginning restaurateurs, Lee offers some valuable advice: “If you find yourself choosing between a publicist and a stove, you should probably get the stove.”
It’s clear that there’s no easy solution to fast and effective public relations, but what is certain is that a successful restaurateur must evaluate their needs and costs before consulting a large firm or traveling solo on the unbeaten path.
|
General Business 
