Using Tasting Events as Advertising

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Permalink Reply by Howard Appell on February 26, 2008 at 2:45pm

Nate:
The response to participating in tasting events is not immediate. The more events you participate in the more well known your restaurant becomes. In the advertising for the event the literature should be listing the restaurants that are serving and your name will become familiar with the people who run in the tasting crowd. I have covered dozens of tastings for my newspaper and you get to know the "players" by seeing them all the time. It's all about perception. If you look successful people will believe you are.

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Permalink Reply by Tony on February 26, 2008 at 5:01pm

Nate,
Having done many "Tasting Events" I can't really say that it ever increased my business at all. Mostly I do tastings because "I" want to do them. With "Restaurant Week" for example, I get slammed because of the price but afterwards I can't say that I have many if any new customers. I agree with Howard's statement that the response is not immediate which is the reason a lot of restaurantuers are not eager to do them.

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Permalink Reply by Tony on February 28, 2008 at 7:06am

Responding to Jeffrey Summers comment, when we "Plan an event" we don't just hope they will come. We promote it to our customers and we sell a certain amount of seats. If we meet the seating the event goes on if not, then we cancel. What's the point in preparing a multi-course tasting for say, 50 guests if only 10 are coming. Then it becomes a real waste of time and money.

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Permalink Reply by Nate Auchter on April 23, 2008 at 8:22am

I guess I was speaking more of the gala type events, where guests arrive and are able to sample a "Taste" from many different restaurants. The "Grazing" events if you will.

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Permalink Reply by Sausan on September 30, 2008 at 10:42pm

OK.... This may be a dumb question...

What is a "tasting event" and how does one get in on one?

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Permalink Reply by Howard Appell on October 1, 2008 at 4:57am

Susan, a tasting event is like an evening for The Taste of the Nation where restaurants are given a table to prepare a dish and people pay to get in to eat the tastings of 20 or so different restaurants for charity. In my twelve years of covering them they are high priced singles events but for a good cause. The restaurants get good exposure the charity makes money and everyone is happy.

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Permalink Reply by Sausan on October 1, 2008 at 10:42am

Thanks for this information. How does one get connected to one of these? Is there somewhere I can find that information out?

My partner passed away, and I'm trying to get out there to try to get connected the best way I can. Any help would be appreciated. If you have to, send me a message privately so that I don't disrupt this discussion.

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Permalink Reply by Howard Appell on October 1, 2008 at 11:41am

Sausan, get in touch with some local offices of the Heart Assoc. or some other charity or Organization and find out their schedule of events. Try Culinary Schools in the area too.
Wine distributors are also well represented at these events try them too. Have fun.

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Permalink Reply by Sausan on October 1, 2008 at 11:54am

Ahhhh.... :-)
Much thanks for this information.

BTW...I've been running the restaurant since 1999, but it's an ethnic type restaurant. I feel like I'm out of the loop. Thanks for making it possible for me to get into the loop.

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Permalink Reply by Howard Appell on October 1, 2008 at 12:02pm

Why don't you volunteer your restaurant to be one of the tastees. It's good PR.

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