Category: Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR

Friday Five: 36 Hours in Raleigh

Tracy LathanBlog, Free Advice, In Our Community, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR,

As you may recall, last March the NY Times ran an outstanding piece highlighting our beloved City of Oaks titled, 36 Hours in Raleigh. N.C. The article featured some the local restaurants, shops and museums that have helped put Raleigh on the map in recent years.

I’ve lived in Raleigh for almost twenty years now (wow time flies), so needless to say I have seen how much our great city has changed for the better. The growth has been steady, strong and smart. I have always lived and worked close to downtown, so keeping up with what new restaurants and businesses are opening and thriving has become a personal passion for me.

A few weeks ago, my college roommate came to visit for the weekend. When she left Raleigh in 2001, there were only a handful of good restaurant options and downtown certainly was not the destination it is today. My husband graciously offered to take the kids out of town for the weekend, so I had the chance to serve as tour guide and show my dear friend how things have changed in a “36 Hours in Raleigh” of our own. So, for today’s Friday Five, here are a few of the spots we visited along the way.

Friday Night – 8:00 p.m.

For dinner on Friday night I chose one of my favorite spots downtown, Poole’s Diner. Time after time Poole’s does not disappoint. My husband and dine here often and always prefer sitting at the bar, which helps trying to get a seat on a busy weekend night. The vibe, cocktails and menu are consistently good. We choose a few menu items to share and it was perfection.

We also had the most wonderful chocolate dessert at Poole’s made with Videri chocolate from the local chocolate factory in the Raleigh Depot. Videri is BYOB and has a great patio, so it’s a perfect spot to enjoy one last glass of wine and some delicious chocolate before heading home. They also offer factory tours and serve up Stumptown coffee if you are in the neighborhood have a chance to stop by in the morning. The owners, Sam and Starr Ratto, have really created something special.

Saturday Afternoon – 2:00 p.m.

We spent the afternoon on Saturday shopping, and since we both have young children, we had to stop in one of my favorite children’s boutiques in Five Points, Progeny Shoppe. Store owner, Lauren Hood, has created a curated collection of modern, hip clothing, accessories and toys for little ones. The store is delightful and it’s almost impossible to walk out empty handed!

Saturday Night – 6:30 pm

 For dinner Saturday night I decided on another favorite of mine, Bida Manda. We started with a moscow mule and shared the lettuce wrap appetizer. The service is always fantastic, and the décor creates a warm atmosphere that draws you in off the street. A creature of habit, I always get the Pad Tai and am never disappointed.

Sunday Morning – 8:00 a.m.

I couldn’t think of a better way to end our weekend than with breakfast at Joule. Joule has quickly become my hands down favorite spot for leisurely weekend brunch, or for a quick breakfast during the week. I love the coffee, the hipster vibe, the vibrant décor and the community table. Obsessed with the grits and sourdough toast with avocado…what a great addition to downtown!

These are only a few of the spots we visited during our weekend tour – there were so many more we didn’t have time for. I was proud to see what Raleigh has become through her eyes. What also became clear along the way is that Raleigh has achieved the best of both world’s…home to an amazingly talented group of chefs, small business owners and entrepreneurs, Raleigh has maintained a local, organic, laid back feel. Nothing fancy, just good people, good times and really good food.

 

Read More

WHAT DOES A PR AGENCY DO? PDQ Blogger Campaign

Tracy LathanBlog, Case Studies, Public Relations, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , 2 Comments on WHAT DOES A PR AGENCY DO? PDQ Blogger Campaign

Client: PDQ (People Dedicated to Quality)

Situational Analysis

PDQ, which stands for People Dedicated to Quality, is a fast-casual restaurant that specializes in hand-battered chicken tenders and offers a full menu of fresh, made-to-order items, including daily cut fries, hand-spun milkshakes and fresh salads. Founded in Tampa, Florida in 2011, PDQ opened its first North Carolina location at the end of 2012 and now has five locations in the Triangle. As PDQ quickly expanded in the area, managers wanted to introduce moms and families to the restaurant and build awareness of the company’s brand.

PDQ turned to Clairemont Communications to introduce influential moms to one of the newest fast-casual dining options and raise awareness about the restaurant’s dedication to freshness and quality. With no microwaves or freezers in the restaurant, Clairemont wanted to educate moms that there are healthier options available when they need to feed their families on the go. Clairemont created an event that directly targeted PDQ’s key audience of moms and in turn created loyal PDQ brand ambassadors.

Planning

Based on our primary and secondary research, Clairemont established the following objectives to achieve brand awareness for PDQ:

  1. Increase awareness of PDQ by securing at least five bloggers to attend the event.
  2. Secure 15 social media mentions.

We offered two seating times – a late lunch and an early dinner – to better increase our chances of coordinating with their schedules. Since PDQ is a family restaurant, we also decided to open the event to the bloggers and their families so they would get the true experience.

Because the Clairemont team knew that the bloggers would be live tweeting and posting pictures on Instagram, we created a document with the attendees’ handles so we could make sure PDQ’s social media team tagged them and responded accordingly. Additionally, we worked to identify which bloggers had allergy concerns and coordinated with PDQ to develop a document that detailed menu items’ ingredients to answer any allergen or dietary concerns.

Execution

To maximize engagement in-person and through social media, Clairemont focused its efforts for the mom blogger event in the following areas:

  • Creating the Dining Experience for Moms: To get the full experience, we directed them to the counter to order directly from the menu. As most of them had never been to PDQ, we encouraged them to ask the staff questions. This allowed employees to demonstrate their knowledge of the brand and its menu, while showcasing their excitement for PDQ. It also allowed the bloggers to experience how easily menu items can be customized as part of a regular PDQ visit and not just at a special event.
  • Engaging the Kids: With two moms on the Clairemont team, we know that the key to happy moms is happy kids! The children of the mom bloggers were treated as VIPs at the event. They were given behind-the-scenes Fresh Tours of the kitchen where they were invited to make their own shakes and to try the “potato punch down” that PDQ uses to make fries.
  • Onsite Support: Two members from the Clairemont team staffed each of the sessions to engage with the bloggers, distribute information and take pictures to be shared on PDQ’s social media channels.

Evaluation

The PDQ executive team attributes this event to helping put the brand on the map in the Triangle region, and Clairemont successfully exceeded our objectives within our budget as follows:

  1. Secured attendance of 14 bloggers, exceeding our goal of five, which ultimately resulted in 10 blog posts. In aggregate, these 10 blog sites receive approximately 212,865 unique site visitors per month.
  2. Secured 21 social media mentions, exceeding our goal of 15 posts, which were visible to more than 42,000 combined followers.

Additionally, the bloggers provided feedback, stating that this was one of the best-planned and executed blogger events they had attended. They were impressed by the food, service, the allergy information and the special way their children were treated. Overall, Clairemont effectively engaged a group of vocal, visible bloggers, many of whom have become regular customers and PDQ brand advocates.

 

Read More

What Does a PR Agency Do? T.MAC Restaurant Opening

Sarah HattmanBlog, Case Studies, Public Relations, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , ,

Client: T.MAC

Situational Analysis: The original T.MAC was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979. More than 30 years later the company has grown to include 30 restaurants – 25 of which are in Georgia. With the majority of its restaurants located in its home state, it is no surprise that T.MAC is well known there. However, T.MAC executives realized the company’s brand recognition wasn’t as strong outside of Georgia.

Until 2014, T.MAC was known as Taco Mac. In the restaurant’s early days, the founders had enough money to revamp the kitchen or change the sign outside the building that was once home to a taco stand. Ultimately, the kitchen remodel won and Taco Mac was born. The problem is that Taco Mac is known for its signature wings, not tacos. In fact, there is only one taco on its menu. T.MAC dropped the “aco” before it opened its first Triangle restaurant in Cary, but its team of executives knew they needed to do more to establish brand recognition in the months leading up to its opening, and they hired Clairemont Communications.

Planning: Based on extensive primary and secondary research, Clairemont established the objectives as follows:

  1. Develop local community relationships with T.MAC ahead of the opening, engaging at least 40 community influencers.
  2. Introduce media to T.MAC, securing at least 10 local print news stories and 25 blog and social media posts.
  3. Arrange meetings with local high schools and facilitate at least two sponsorships.
  4. Select two local non-profit organizations and donate a portion of opening week proceeds to those organizations.

Execution: In order to effectively meet the primary objectives, Clairemont focused its efforts on the following areas:

  • Local High School Sponsorships: By building relationships with local schools,  T.MAC was able to introduce itself to Cary families as part of the community and position itself as a place to hang out with teammates, friends and family. With a fall opening of the restaurant, high school football sponsorships provided opportunities to show T.MAC’s community involvement and give Cary families a reason to check out the restaurant.
  • Clairemont Social: Clairemont hosted a T.MAC social at The Clairemont House. The purpose was to give our network of contacts and influencers the opportunity to learn more about T.MAC, sample food from the menu and taste its local beer offerings and meet the T.MAC team. We hosted approximately 60 guests including media and local personalities, local business owners, hospitality professionals, leaders in the community, bloggers and foodies.
  • Media Preview Lunch: We invited targeted media to a special preview lunch at the restaurant two days prior to the opening. This allowed media to preview the restaurant and meet on-one-one with key members of the T.MAC team.
  • VIP Preview: Clairemont compiled a list of city officials, dignitaries, local media and local university administration for T.MAC to invite to special VIP dinner the evening before T.MAC opened to the public. T.MAC hosted 125 VIP’s who were able to sample the menu and beer selection for the complete T.MAC “experience.”
  • Check Presentation Event: Before T.MAC’s opening, Clairemont arranged and recommended two local non-profit organizations for T.MAC to support with money raised during the restaurant’s opening week. Less than a month after its opening, T.MAC donated $2,000 to both Life Experiences and JDFR each of the organizations. Clairemont arranged at check presentation ceremony and invited media to attend the event highlighting T.MAC as business that supports the community it serves.

Evaluation: The creative, tiered campaign exceeded expectations by engaging more than 75 target community influencers at the social at The Clairemont House, friends and family night and the VIP preview. We exceeded our goal media coverage and secured 10 traditional media placements 38 social media and blog posts, introducing T.MAC to the area. We also exceeded our goal and secured sponsorships with three local high schools. Clairemont met its goal and arranged for T.MAC to donate money to two local non-profit organizations that support the community.

We anticipate that we’ll continue to work on our goal of trying all of the beers that T.MAC has on tap for at least a few more months! In the meantime, we hope you enjoyed this Tasty Tuesday post, and stay tuned for more restaurant PR case studies that showcase the work Clairemont is doing with a variety of types of food service organizations.

Pilsner Glass

 

Read More

The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 17 – #foodie

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , ,

When you think of your dream job, you may imagine laughter and happiness. I’m sure you would imagine having fun and flexibility to your work schedule and amazing colleagues to call your own. I have the pleasure of calling that my work environment. Each day, I have gotten the remarkable opportunity to work on multiple accounts and learn from the best in PR at Clairemont Communications.

Today I took a stab at what’s happening in the heart of downtown Raleigh. There are numerous exciting things to do downtown, but who would have known that there are a ton mouthwatering food festivals as well? Although I am a little bit of a foodie myself, today I got to take a deep dive into some of the excitement happening for a client interested in partaking in the fun.

Thank goodness for the Internet. Search engines are our friends, and my favorite find for this project is the food truck rodeo. More than 50 food trucks rally on Fayetteville Street to give area residents the opportunity to let their taste buds explore. Eleven blocks are filled with smells ranging from pizza to pork chops. Since the event is free and open to the public, there is ample opportunity to splurge on all of your favorites. Dates vary throughout the summer.

More into natural food? The Farm to Fork Picnic celebrates local food and local farms. Sponsors kick in to match farmers and chefs together for this large picnic of hand-crafted fresh spins on dishes. The inspiration for this event was the decline of farmers in North Carolina and the loss of farms in our state. Without farmers to work the crop there was no way to get it to our tables. Farm to Fork is a time to raise money for the training of new farmers. The proceeds go to the development of these training programs and Breeze Farms. Tickets go super fast, so be on the lookout early May!

What are your favorite foodie events in the Triangle?

Editor’s Note: Clairemont enthusiastically welcomes Jasmin Sessoms to our team! Follow this former beauty queen’s journey as she documents her first 30 days in a Raleigh PR agency.

Read More

Clients Who Care: T.MAC

Sarah HattmanBlog, Case Studies, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , , , ,

In the spirit of holiday giving, “Clients Who Care” is a blog series that recognizes some of the recent acts of kindness and caring demonstrated by Clairemont clients. We hope these stories inspire you to be charitable this holiday season and throughout 2015. Happy Holidays!

In the months leading up to T.MAC opening its doors in Cary on October 5, 2014, I became familiar with several key numbers related to the casual, neighborhood restaurant. One hundred beers on draft, 40 local craft beers, 75 HDTVs, 7,150 square feet and seating for 183 guests were all part of frequent conversations. However, in my opinion, the most impressive number was revealed on Giving Tuesday almost two months after the restaurant opened its doors to guests.

The number is 8,000. It’s the amount of money T.MAC raised for two Triangle-based non-profit organizations during a campaign that ran in conjunction with the restaurant’s opening. Life Experiences in Cary and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) of the Triangle were both presented with a check for $4,000. In case you’re wondering, JDRF plans to use the money to support its annual walk held in October and Life Experiences says the money will help with its day-to-day operational expenses.

I feel it’s important to point out that these sizable donations are about more than getting news coverage during what some consider to be the “giving season.” The people behind T.MAC believe it is just as important to a be good community partner as it is to offer a fun and enjoyable dining experience to guests — a message I feel was demonstrated when the restaurant donated $8,000 two organizations that do so much for the local community.

At a time of year when many of us are reflecting on 2014, I cannot help but to look ahead and wonder what T.MAC’s impressive numbers will be in 2015 as it continues to give back to the community it serves.

 

 

 

 

Read More