Category: Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR

Client Spotlight: Vita Vite in This is Raleigh

Olivia NolesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , ,

We loved seeing our client Lindsay Rice of Vita Vite featured in This Is Raleigh as part of their “interviews with locals” series.

In the interview, Lindsay details her love for Raleigh and how she started Vita Vite, an art gallery, wine bar and event space with two locations in Raleigh, one downtown and one in North Hills.

Lindsay was raised in a family that puts emphasis on time together around the table. This value combined with her background in the arts and love for travel inspired her to start Vita Vite.

Vita Vite has a relaxed, unpretentious environment where customers can sit in comfortable seating sections while enjoying wine, beer and charcuterie. It showcases Southern artists and focuses on wines from predominately small, family-run wineries around the world.

Click here to read the entire interview and to learn more about Vita Vite!

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Good Food for a Good Cause

Kelli FletcherBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , ,

These past few months have been a doozy. We’ve all done our share of coping in one (or more … ) ways. I’ve tried a few different tactics myself. But mostly, per the advice of Mr. Rogers, I keep my eyes peeled “looking for the helpers.”

Once it was a family on my street who walked the dog of their elderly neighbor after she experienced a bad fall shortly after lockdown. I’ve also seen it in an individual on the listserv who offered to collect grocery lists and shop for people who are high-risk. Every day I spot more and more helpers who #wearamask.

This month, it has been our client, PDQ, the fast-casual restaurant beloved for its famous chicken tenders, signature sauces, fries and shakes. To celebrate its grand re-opening, PDQs in the Triangle partnered with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, which has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of people facing hunger in the service area since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

At its kickoff on July 12, PDQ donated a meal for every meal purchased at its Triangle locations in Durham, Raleigh and Wake Forest. Since then – and for one more week at each of these stores – customers have the option to round up their checks to further support the Food Bank.

Image courtesy of PDQ.

So, if you have a longing to DO SOMETHING while also hankering for delicious chicken tenders, wings or a shake that will take you back to simpler times (aka your childhood), swing by the closest PDQ and round up that check to give back locally during this unprecedented time.

We’re proud of the work we do, especially when it not only helps our clients but also the broader community. Want to read more about our clients and the work they’re doing? Check out our Client News section on the blog!

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Zing! First Zambrero Comes to Raleigh

Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , ,

We’re excited to announce one of our newest clients — and we feel like we need a sombrero and a kangaroo all at once to talk about them!

Zambrero, Australia’s largest Mexican franchise, is debuting its second location in America and first in the Southeast at One Glenwood in Raleigh, North Carolina.

What’s so cool about Zambrero (besides just about everything)?

Its “good for you” menu! (with “IQ Salsa”)

Zambrero backs its “good for you” menu with a critical differentiator: the restaurant doesn’t use fryers or grills. Instead, Zambrero cooks its meat using the sous-vide method, the process of vacuum-sealing meats with marinade and spices, submerging in hot water and cooking for up to 18 hours. Sous-vide produces tender, juicy and flavorful meats without the added carcinogens or fats of standard cooking methods.

Zambrero features fresh ingredients, superfood options and customizable dishes, such as burritos, bowls, tacos, nachos, dos capas and quesadillas. The menu includes proprietary sauces, hand-made guacamole and its famous Pepita Salsa — known as “the IQ Salsa” in Australia due to its protein-packed recipe. Guests can also enjoy a range of beers, Cayman Jack Margaritas, Honest Honey Green Tea, Vitamin Water, Bai and other non-alcoholic beverages.

Its Mission to Fight World Hunger.

A mission-driven concept, Zambrero offers a healthy superfood menu along with its Plate 4 Plate initiative in partnership with Rise Against Hunger. With each burrito, bowl or bottle of water purchased, Zambrero donates a meal to someone in need.

For several years, Zambrero has partnered with Rise Against Hunger to provide more than 34 million meals to countries in need with the goal to donate 1 billion meals by 2025. Founded in Canberra, Australia, Zambrero has quickly burgeoned to approximately 200 locations across Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and now the United States.

So What’s the Date?

Zambrero plans to open its doors in January 2020 at its location at 1 Glenwood Avenue, #105, Raleigh, NC 27603. This will be the first of 60-75 locations that Phoenix Restaurants, LLC plans to develop throughout the Carolinas, including locations in University Hill in Durham and Parkside Town Commons in Cary planned to open in spring or summer 2020.

We love a good grand opening for everything from wine bars to master-planned real estate communities! Check ’em out!

Photos courtesy of Zambrero

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Plan a Magical Event: Lessons from Disney

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , ,

Growing up in Orlando, I was raised in the shadow of the Magic Kingdom. Everywhere we went, there were signs of Disney’s influence. The company had a huge, white-gloved hand in all major city events, including the naming of our semi-beloved basketball team. Looking back, it seemed impossible to think there was a time that Disney wasn’t a cultural phenomenon or undisputed king of American theme parks.

But there was. Disney has made mistakes, including one of the most arguably terrible PR catastrophes. The 2019 summer marked the 64th anniversary of the opening of the original Disneyland in California – the day that became known internally as “Black Sunday.” You already know how this story ends, because … Disney. Instead, let’s take a look at some of the missteps Disney made that day and learn how you can avoid these faux pas to ensure success in your events.

Unfinished Ambiance

Believe it or not, this magical kingdom wasn’t fully prepared for its worldly debut. Even as the first guests poured into the park, crews of workers were still painting walls and finishing the gardens. The park was an active construction site as guests walked through the front gates.

Avoid being unprepared for party guests by building in ample time for your team to finalize preparations. Create a detailed run of show that includes pre-event prep time, a checklist with responsible parties and deliverables, a contingency plan for each item and a crisis plan for unexpected challenges. This list will help you circumvent those last-minute stressful situations.

Overcrowding

Opening day was supposed to only be for a select few friends and family – approximately 15,000 total. Disney welcomed almost double that number thanks to counterfeit tickets and lack of security detail along the perimeters.

Thankfully today, sites like Eventbright, Eventzilla and Evite exist to assist with invites and RSVPs to make it easy to organize and track attendees. For more private affairs, make sure to have a list of guests’ names at the door at the time of entry, and plan to have security stationed at any other possible entry points to avoid crashers.

Shortage of Supplies

The influx of guests brought with it another issue – a shortage of food and drinks. Even the public water fountains weren’t fully up-and-running, leaving guests wandering around both parched and hungry.

Keep an updated list of RSVPs and round up the number to anticipate a few extras. No one likes to come up empty when they go to get a drink – or bite. So skillfully stock your stations with food and beverages by calculating amounts needed using these tips. Not only will this keep your guests around, but it will also keep them happy!

As you know, in the end, Disney lived to tell the tale – and continues to do so. In fact, we can all share our Disney story, because despite the unfinished ambiance, overcrowding and shortage of supplies, Disney endured. If you haven’t arrived at your “happiest place on earth” yet, that’s ok. You might just be at your opening day. Take note of the challenges that arise and properly address them for a permanent fix. Then, continue on your mission to create magic for your clients – and others!

Want to read about a successful opening? Check out the celebration the Clairemont team planned and executed for our client, Vita Vite, when it opened its North Hills location.

Will Hornbeck is a rising senior at Wake Forest University. He thinks the best ride at Disney is the Carousel of Progress.

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Transfer Co. Food Hall’s Final Tenants

Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , ,

We’re excited to work with client Transfer Co. Food Hall — and not just because we’re foodies (although the tidbits we’ve tasted are showstoppers, people). Founder Jason Queen crafted Transfer Co. Food Hall as a hub for collaboration, innovation and the transfer of knowledge — in part what inspired its name. It’s long-awaited curation of tenants features everything from fresh seafood to burritos, Asian cuisine and North Carolina’s own bagels.

And now, Transfer is rounding out its tenant list!

Transfer Co. Food Hall, an historically inspired culinary destination in downtown Raleigh, will open its doors with expanded hours on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, followed by a month of celebratory activities leading up to a late-summer grand opening. In addition to its current roster of chefs and restaurateurs, Transfer Co. Food Hall will debut its latest tenants with plans to open in full by end of summer of 2019. Tenants include Mama Crow’s, Alimentari by Left Bank, an expanded Burial Beer can shop, a ballroom/event space and a coworking hall.

“Since inception, we designed Transfer Co. to encourage tenants and guests alike to share knowledge, maximize collaboration and spark innovation,” said Jason Queen, founder, Transfer Co. Food Hall. “New tenants, new event spaces, a coworking hub and new culinary concepts are some of the final cornerstones to this downtown vision, and we can’t wait to share them with you!”

Alimentari at Left Bank

Alimentari at Left Bank stems from a creative collaboration between Josh DeCarolis, acclaimed chef of Durham’s Mothers and Sons, and Saxapahaw’s nationally renowned Left Bank Butchery. In addition to serving a farm-fresh menu of Italian specialties and fresh pasta by the pound, this collaboration will offer the only local whole-animal butchery and charcuterie shop in downtown Raleigh. All animals will be sourced from Cane Creek and Braeburn Farms, both recognized across the country for their restorative land management and heritage breeds. The menu will focus on tigelle’s – Northern Italian style small flatbreads stuffed with a variety of Left Bank Butchery’s meats and charcuterie, fresh local cheeses and vegetables. Alimentari at Left Bank plans to open in late summer of 2019.

Mama Crow’s

Drawing on their own culinary background, the partners in Transfer Co., including Jeanne and Jason Queen, join creative forces with Executive Chef David Mitchell to debut Mama Crow’s. Named after a great-grandmother, Mama Crow’s will feature a menu of fresh, locally sourced salads, fresh, top-quality burgers, house-made cheeses and hand-cut fries. Chef Mitchell will apply his rich experience from Raleigh hotspots — including Trophy Brewing, State of Beer and The Oak — to craft a locally inspired and healthy-minded haven at Transfer Co.

Burial Beer Gets Bigger!

Burial Beer in Transfer Co. will also expand its current 670 square-foot space to 2,000 square feet linking the connection between the food hall and Longleaf Swine BBQ. Behind Burial, Transfer Co. will open a rentable 3,000-square-foot ballroom/event space that is now accepting bookings. The space is designed to accommodate gatherings from a five-person luncheon to a 350-person concert — all with full catering access to the food hall and the site’s 14 distinct restaurants. The event space will also offer a rotating calendar of live music, pop-ups, artisan markets and community activities.

Ballrooms, Event Spaces and a Coworking Hub

In addition, Transfer’s final footprint includes a 50+ desk coworking hall with three levels of membership designed to encourage collaboration and innovation across all levels of startups within and outside of the food industry.

The Transfer tenant roster features top foodie masterminds from across North Carolina, touting culinary awards like Food & Wine’s Best Croissants in America and Draft Magazine’s #1 choice. Check out the complete list of mouth-watering talent!

Transfer Co. will host a series of celebratory activities through the months of May and June, including guest chef appearances, pop-ups and musical performances. To stay updated on the event schedule, follow Transfer Co. at www.instagram.com/transfercofoodhall and www.facebook.com/TransferCoFoodHall.

Expanded Hours Starting May 7, 2019:
Tues. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Wed. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Thurs. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Fri. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sat. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sun. 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

While dining our way across America, we’ve had the privilege to work with some phenomenal restaurants, chefs and culinary clients. How ’bout that time we took a chef to cook at the James Beard House in NYC?

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