Amanda Brandon's Blog (12)

Here's my quick list of how to capture some Mother's Day traffic for your restaurant:

1. This Saturday - Head to the ball fields. Arm yourself with a little lemonade and about 200 flyers. Talk up that brunch and get Mother's Day brunch plans in the minds of the soccer, t-ball and baseball parents. 

2. Hit the neighborhood. Visit your neighboring businesses to hand out some sweet desserts, a few menus/flyers and spread the word. Try salons, day spas, dry cleaners and…

I live in a neighborhood with a twice daily visit from the ice cream man. I know he’s coming because my lab and German shepherd go crazy when they hear that familiar tune – Pop Goes the Weasel.

The idea of an ice cream truck is appealing when you combine 90 degrees, lots of kids and cheap treats. However, it’s rather annoying to the parents at home with eager kids and to the neighbors who could care less about your sweet treats and catchy…

Comic Sans font. You do not want this font anywhere near your menu. It’s reserved specifically for elementary school teacher newsletters. And there’s a documentary against it.

Paryrus font. This font is the stereotype of stereotypes for Greek restaurants. (There’s even a …

With menu items like "Supa Dupa Fly Ho with cheese," Fat Ho Burgers hit the national stage this past week. In a Google News search, I found 23 very relevant news sources carrying a story on this tiny Waco, Texas burger joint. 

A news clip from the local Fox affiliate has gone viral as the owner explains how she arrived at the name. The 23-year-old Lakita Evans told KWTX.com…

According to a CNNMoney.com article, consumers have had just about enough of the deals emails – even if the deals are great. That's why I've put together an open letter to deals junkies for restaurants to use in their marketing. Enjoy!

Dear Deal Junkies,

The rest of the world is concerned with your health. Here’s why:

• Your friends don’t want to eat with you because you only want…

It was a warm March afternoon, and I was late for a test in my senior year of college. Luckily, the class was a journalism class. My professor understood that I'd just launched my career.

And, it all started with a simple letter to a producer at a big Hollywood studio.

 …

As I wrote in my post last week, restaurants are the original social networking site. So, why is it that only 25 percent of us are on Facebook,…

As I wrote in my post last week, restaurants are the original social networking site. So, why is it that only 25 percent of us are on Facebook, Twitter or…

I've seen several television ads for Coleman Camping's campaign for the "Original Social Networking Site" over the past couple of months. These spots talk about how they were the original social networking site provider with lanterns, tents, etc.

I dare say they have a good point, but it’s wrong. Restaurants…

Here's a newsflash for servers. Your job is to do more than make drinks and take orders. You are here to "serve" your guests. They don't just come to your restaurant to eat - they come for the experience.…

I met a man this weekend, and he's a bartender. He had skills. Really good skills.

If my husband were reading this right now, he might be looking at me with a concerned face, but never fear. This bartender was perfect in a completely unromantic way.…

Yesterday, I got to thinking about how all sorts of companies do a "user-experience" test with their websites.

What if you did the same thing with our menu in our restaurants? Sure, we can use mystery shoppers, but you actually seeing guests order from your menu can teach you so much about your…