Month: August 2009

  • Culture of Thrift

    Last week, I talked to a top industry executive who had just had a business lunch at an upscale Asian restaurant in Chicago. His comment was interesting: “It was good, but by the time I paid $12 for the valet parking, my lunch cost me $50.”

  • Circle the Date for MEG

    As part of the board of the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group (MEG), I get to help plan its two conferences a year. We just finalized the agenda for the upcoming fall conference at the Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas, October 14 through October 16, and it looks great. For those of you…

  • I Rest My Case

    August 13, 2009 I just went back and looked at Jack in the Box’s viral campaign from earlier this year thanks to Christa’s comment yesterday. All I can say is: I rest my case… What’s not to love? I visited http://www.hangintherejack.com about Jack’s being hit by a bus and his subsequent recovery. I know it may…

  • Am I the Only One Who Loves Jack?

    Am I the only one that loves Jack in the Box commercials?

  • Is it the Tip or the Total?

    I just read Dave’s Dispatch about the impact of tipping on guest traffic at full service restaurants, suggesting that traffic is declining because guests are avoiding tipping. I think it goes to the broader question of VALUE.

  • Heads Up Marketing

    Last week while running errands, I visited Steak ‘n Shake for the first time in months, inextricably drawn by the promise of an ice-cold chocolate milkshake on a hot summer’s day. While pulling up to pay, I noticed a sign on the drive-thru window that offered fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.