Middle East Caterer - December 2008 - Media Relations

Getting good reviews in the press will always be good business no matter what type of restaurant you run or own. It gives a third party validation on your food and service as well reaching a large proportion of your target market. Getting to the attention of those writing the reviews can seem daunting with so many restaurants competing for coverage. But it needn’t be if you take the following steps. Start will making sure that you are ready to be reviewed. This will mean making sure that the staff are all thoroughly trained, customer feedback is good and the restaurant is running smoothly. Ensure that any maintenance that needs doing gets done and you thoroughly check the restaurant for “blemishes” eg old and creased menus are thrown out and replace – the same applies to chipped or cracked plates etc. Furthermore if you don’t have press quality photos get a good photographer to take a comprehensive set of shots. These will include shots of the food, staff, exterior shots and photos of the restaurant empty as well as full. A lot of newspapers and magazines not to mention annual restaurant guides can afford to send a photographer - so it will increase your chances of getting reviewed if you have good quality photos.

The next stage is to create a press pack which will contain all the information that a journalist or restaurant reviewer will need. It should be in PDF format so that it can be easily emailed (photos should be low resolution to keep the size down). The contents of a press pack are fairly standard and must contain the menu, photos and general information such address; phone number; website address; number of coverts; concept; style of cuisine; brief biography of key staff (chefs / manager); opening hours. When writing the Press Pack leave out marketing speak – as it should be more factual rather than sound to much like a sales pitch.

It’s a good idea to create a target media list and with so many foreign visitors coming to the region it’s advisable to include travel guides and magazines in the USA, Europe and Russia not to mention inflight magazines of all the airlines who fly to the region. Companies such as The Restaurant Ingredient will translate Press Releases and Press Packs for these target markets and have a fully comprehensive international media database. Furthermore you must not overlook the lucrative online market. There are plenty of websites that list restaurants as well as reviews – ensure that you are listed with at least the main ones.

You may also find it beneficial to draw up a PR calendar as this will help you plan your PR campaign throughout the year. In this calendar include local and international festivals as well as specific promotions that you can do in your restaurant. Such a calendar will ensure that you are prepared and get the very most out your PR efforts.

Once you get a decent review that article can also bring you business in the months ahead. Quotes from good reviews should always be used in other marketing material especially if they are from a good quality and well known publication. List them on your website and highlight a sentence or 2 in fliers, leaflets and on your A Board.

Competitions and promotions are another way of getting exposure in the Press without necessarily paying any money in advertising. The majority of newspapers and magazines like to include competitions and promotions as it brings extra value to their readership – therefore they won’t charge any advertising fees. However many will have a minimum monetary prize value. You will be able to include a photo and about 150 to 200 words to describe your restaurant making it an ideal promotional tool. Make sure that you stress to the publication that you want a list of the contact details of the people that entered the competition (to be added to your database to be sent regular newsletters and details of promotions).

Make sure that you keep an eye on the local and national press for stories that you can “piggy back” on. A local charity campaigning for funds is a good example – you may be able to donate a prize of a meal for 4 etc or even hold a special event where a proportion of your profits go to charity. This will ensure coverage and also create goodwill in the local community.

One last tip - keep photos of the top reviewers at the restaurant reception so all the staff will recognise them should they turn up unannounced! You should be able to get a photo from newspaper / magazine websites.

Guy Holmes, Captivate Restaurants