Americans have a love affair with food. From fast-food to the all-American diners, from farm-to-table establishments to ultra-chic fine dining, there is nary a soul who doesn't enjoy a delicious and memorable restaurant or bar experience.
Beyond the national and regional chains, the predominant portion of restaurants and/or pubs in your area are independently owned and operated. A regular perusal of your local media will show you how many new eateries open their doors, others close, and still others evolve and renew themselves. Popular TV shows such as "Bar Rescue" and "Kitchen Nightmares," with industry leaders such as Jon Taffer and Chef Gordon Ramsay, respectively, fix problems such as menu, staffing, bar operations, and more – and always include very clever promotional and marketing campaigns.
These gems can be stand-alone establishments, on ground floors in office buildings, and in strip malls. Some sources recommend trying a new one on a regular basis and scrutinizing every piece of logoed items and apparel being used in each. Note what they do not have, perhaps logoed bar napkins – this is a fantastic "menu" of a potential order.
Lisa Langley, CAS of Tranter Graphics, advises, "If I owned a restaurant/bar, a distributor should patronize my place a few times for research before approaching me. What products am I currently using or giving away? What type of dinnerware are we already using? Who are our customers? Do customers dine in or eat out? What type of promotions have you seen me run in the past few months? Find out where we’re getting our products. If I’m using a printed coaster that was donated to me from by beverage supplier, why am I going to start paying you for it? Spending money on a disposable product is hard for a lot of the smaller restaurants/bars. You need to show them the value. Suggest more than their logo. Phone numbers, addresses and websites should be added to the printed product for reordering (especially for takeout). If they use paper placemats, how about approaching them with sponsors already in their community that can advertise on the placemat and offset their cost. For higher cost items, make it so that customers can take the items home as a souvenir (kid’s cup or a shot glass used for a special drink or dessert). If I had a bar that played live music, digitally printed coasters of the month’s lineup would be great to sell. Fans would take those home."
Scott Thackston of Aprons, Etc. believes that distributors can take advantage of a good opportunity to provide a consultative approach for the owner/manager by asking questions about their needs and branding goals. Two good questions if they currently use another vendor, he suggests, are: “What do you like about your current supplier," and "Is there anything you would change about your current program?”
It is widely known that the bar can be the most profitable area of a restaurant, points out Ron Rosencrans of Pro Rose, so owners/managers are always seeking items that will increase their volume in this venue. If distributors can present unique ideas, games, specials, etc., that will drive customers to the bar and ultimately into the dining area – so most managers will be highly receptive to your presentation. "The key is to come up with unique ideas and programs that work," he emphasizes. "Show them how to put the program together and try to offer your assistance so that you become a necessary part of the program. If successful, you will be their first call when they are looking to bump things up the next time around. Simply walking in with products is probably not a great idea. Be creative and show them something different."
One good idea, says Josette Bosse of Bay State , is suggesting that the eatery/pub hold repeat events. She mentions a local restaurant that holds a popular Trivia Night on Thursdays; all bar customers can play and the top three teams receive a host of promotional items. "If customers have fun and know they have a chance to win cool stuff, they will definitely return and bring others. So, selling fun and useful logoed items for these kinds of events is a great way to obtain repeat business throughout the year."
"If I was an owner/manager," observes John Short Jr. of Kutmaster, "I would want someone to help me better promote my restaurant/bar by providing me with product suggestions and marketing ideas for those suggestions. I would be looking for ideas to get the restaurant/bar’s name out there in some ways other than print ads, using some of the unique products in the industry. This way I can create promotions to drive traffic into the restaurant/bar and increase their sales."
Aivan Villamayor of Visstun-Digispec would like to be informed, on a regular basis, of new products that would add value to the restaurant/bar and help drive revenue. It would also help to establish a rewards program with the new products; this would surely help in continually driving sales and also, for the distributor, avoid that "one-shot" deal.
New for 2015
Speaking of what's new, our sources have a bevy of items launched for 2015. Mike Kalamaras of Howw Manufacturing points out that, on average, the company adds 10 new products each year that relate to bars and restaurants. The items molded at Howw replicate glass items with durable plastic. "The plastic alternative is necessary for safety on patios and outdoor events," he points out. "All barware from Howw is FDA approved and top rack dishwasher safe. We also offer programs in food chains such as Johnny Rockets, and the Darden Restaurant Group. Our items can also be seen in various sport venues as well."
Bay State has launched several interesting items for this sector. The Light-Up Bottle Opener (K386) is an eye-catcher; it can be toted by servers for opening bottles and of course, looks great when used at the bar by the bartender. A second item, can and bottle coolers (K300/K301) are handy for outdoor dining and events, as more and more restaurants and bars take advantage of warm weather, creating outdoor concerts and special event nights. "These are great for customers who would absolutely want to take one home to use," Bosse says. She also describes the new safety caps (D412) that have a large imprint area and can be placed in open sockets by restaurant tables, etc. Its new bamboo cutting board (K346/K348) which comes in two sizes can feature the eatery/pub logo and is designed to be served with bread placed on the customer's table. Finally, new flashlight keychains (PAL7018/PAL7019) are a fun handout for customers as well, and can create fun interaction between the servers and the customers.
New from Kutmaster are several kitchen items including a chef’s knife, a knife sharpener, ice cream scoop, pizza cutter, potato peeler, cake/pie server, and cheese knife. According to Short, all of these items can be easily decorated with the restaurant or bar’s logo so that when the staff or customers use them, the restaurant or bar’s logo will be easily seen. These items can also be used as giveaways to customers and staff as thank-you gifts. "We are offering an introductory special of EQP less 5% on six of these items for the first quarter," he points out.
Many options are now available in durable aprons, reports Thaxton, including new fashion colors to match restaurant logos and themes and a variety of pocket options to hold needed work tools like pens and pads. "Since aprons are unisex, you avoid the sizing situation created with shirts. Aprons also can easily transfer from an employee that is leaving the restaurant to the new replacement," he adds.
The newest thing from Tranter Graphics, says Langley, is its new digital printing available on all of the company's coasters, coffee sleeves, and white stirrers and piks. "We can print full bleeds that really make a customer’s artwork truly pop. Imagine printing an image of custom food or beverage on a coaster to stimulate customers' senses. Customers at a bar are more likely to take home beautiful digital stirrers than the cheap straws they normally get to mix their drink. Those customers that take home stirrers and use them for when their friends visit have just helped that bar advertise even more."
Visstun-Digispec has launched a new line of container sizes this year. The new sizes, plus the company's high-quality printing capabilities, allow bars/restaurants to brand and market their establishments in new ways, says Villamayor. Adding information to the cups and containers can assist staff with providing details for current promotions or upcoming events.
Branding within the restaurant is extremely effective, notes Rosencrans. If you can entice the diner to order a specific meal or beverage, marketers can achieve a great deal of success with a relatively small budget. Once a diner is on site the establishment really has a captive audience. ProRose has introduced its new Condiment Caddy, which sits on the table or booth and holds all the essentials – napkins, salt/pepper, sweeteners, ketchup, etc. "This item keeps everything neat and organized, and also makes the waitstaff’s job easier by saving them clean-up time between guests and at the end of the night. And the caddy has a large branding area."
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A fun bar promotion item from BIC Graphic, this product is both a phone stand and powerful speaker for your smartphone. Phone stand goes over smart phone speaker and sound is amplified without batteries.
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The party is ready to start and so are you with this 12-ounce plastic tumbler from Bay State.
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| ProRose’s new Condiment Holder is a great way for advertisers to get their message in front of diners. Designed to hold all the necessary condiments needed for their meal, and with a bold imprint area, this product will offer great exposure to the advertiser as it is viewed throughout their meal. |
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This is a unique cup from TK Cups-Sorgs that will allow the bar or restaurant to make an impact. The bottom of the cup is removable and can be filled with berries, mint, or my favorite dry ice, and replaced back on the cup. Holes in the bottom of the cup allow liquid to flow down into the the fruit, dry ice, or mint but keeps the solid items from flowing back up into body of the cup.
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These poplin shirts from Edwards Garment feature roll-up sleeve with inside tab and button closure to wear as a half- or long-sleeve.
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From Enduraline, these lenticular coasters "flip" from one image to an entirely different image – and back again. Three coaster sizes are available.
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| Polish up the appearance of front-of-house employees with custom neckties from Buffalo Bay. Available in 100% silk or polyester, customize with your customer's logo. |
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Bullet's aluminum guitar bottle opener with metal split key ring is available in several colors.
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What could be better than beer and pizza? New from Leed's, this pizza cutter has a pry-off bottle opener integrated into handle.
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Allen/Color Craft line now offers 64-oz. stainless steel growler with European wire flip lid. It is made from food grade 18/8 stainless steel with no plastic liner.
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| Great for bar/restaurant giveways, Webb Company's SPF 15 lip balm has Beeswax, Vitamin E and aloe and comes in a white tube with a white cap and has fun, fruity flavors. Paraben-free, it’s available in 25 flavors and made in the U.S.A. |
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Kutmaster's corkscrew boasts a stylish cube design and is made from stainless steel with a beautiful mirror finish. It features a boot lever, spiral, and knife.
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