As a restaurateur, then, you may want to stay on the lookout for opportunities to celebrate and cultivate your relationship with your community. Not only is this a great chance to show your appreciation and support for the people who support you, but, by demonstrating your values and principles, you can help set yourself apart from other restaurants\u2014something Deloitte has identified as a way restaurants can differentiate themselves and build a more loyal following.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a closer look at some things restaurants can do to get involved in their communities.<\/p>\n
Who Is Your Community\u2014and How Do You Fit In?<\/h2>\n
What is \u201cthe community\u201d? Who<\/em> is that?<\/p>\n The idea of engaging with the community sounds nice, but remember that communities are made of people\u2014so your outreach should be designed to connect with people, too. Generic \u201ccommunity outreach\u201d efforts can potentially seem inhuman and disingenuous if they\u2019re disconnected from what the people in your<\/em> community actually want or need.<\/p>\n Think about who you\u2019re trying to reach. You can start by thinking about the demographics of your existing customers. What do you think they would respond to? Then branch out to your broader area. What are the demographics there? Is it a suburban environment with a lot of families? A more densely populated space with a lot of office workers?<\/p>\n Considering the makeup of your community can help you decide what kind of outreach you want to try.<\/p><\/div>\n As you start to get a clearer picture of who the community is, you may find it easier to come up with ideas for how to engage with them.<\/p>\n While it can be important to think about your target demographics, there\u2019s another key factor you should definitely<\/em> consider: your own values and priorities. Don\u2019t just try to anticipate what you think people might notice\u2014do what feels right for you. Ideally, you\u2019ll be able to express your values in a way that will also resonate with the community.<\/p>\n\n\t As you begin to understand who<\/em> you\u2019re trying to connect with, you can also start to zero in on the strategies you may want to use to actually go out and do that. And while your imagination is the only limit on how you might go about this, here are five ideas to get you started.<\/p>\n When it comes to making a positive impact on the local community, there\u2019s perhaps no more direct way to do this than by giving to charitable causes. This could take many forms, from organizing food drives or charity dinners to donating food to food banks and participating in community-minded events, like community cleanup days.<\/p>\n While restaurant owners may take the lead on this, they can also encourage their staff to get involved too\u2014for instance, by offering a couple of paid community service days each year, where staff members can take the day off in order to volunteer to help a cause of their choice.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother way a restaurant can get involved,\u201d says Ashley Godfrey<\/a>, Escoffier Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management Instructor, \u201cis by sponsoring a \u2018community night\u2019 where the percentage of sales goes to a local club, organization, or school group. This brings in consistent patrons for the restaurant, on maybe a slow night, and can also foster goodwill with the community with a tangible impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Restaurant owners and staff members have many options when it comes to giving back to the community.<\/p><\/div>\n For restaurateurs looking for some additional inspiration, Chef Tammie Barnhill<\/a>, Chef Instructor at Escoffier\u2019s Austin campus and founder of the 4U Crew, a club that offers students an opportunity to give back to others through outreach and baked good donations, offers a few more ideas for how restaurants can give back:<\/p>\n Activities like these not only provide highly tangible aid to the community, they also allow you to form bonds with people and groups that are aligned with your values, and to demonstrate that those values are at the heart of your business.<\/p>\n\n\t A great place to begin is to explore opportunities for creating partnerships with other local businesses. For example, you might try to focus on sourcing local ingredients. This can be a unique selling point for your restaurant, giving you the opportunity to work fresh, seasonal ingredients into your cooking, while also potentially reducing your food costs<\/a> and helping to support local farmers and artisans at the same time.<\/p>\n You might also find ways to feature other food businesses\u2019 products on your menu\u2014like nearby bakeries to provide fresh bread and other baked goods, breweries to provide great local brews, and so on. You could take this a step further and allow another business to do a pop-up in your space\u2014a unique way to potentially turn a slow night into an opportunity to increase exposure for your business and to support up-and-coming fellow entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n Forming partnerships with local farmers can be a great way to support other small businesses.<\/p><\/div>\n You could even look beyond food businesses for opportunities to create local partnerships. For example, if your restaurant runs a loyalty program<\/a>, you might be able to ask other local shops and businesses to offer discounts to your loyalty members\u2014creating the possibility of collaborative promotions and cross-marketing, which could benefit everybody involved.<\/p>\n Another way your restaurant can build bridges is by supporting the creative community in your area. Consider inviting local artists to hang work in your space. Not only can this contribute to your restaurant\u2019s ambiance<\/a>, but, if you change the work regularly, your restaurant could build a reputation as a place where people can be exposed to interesting new artwork, which might give customers an additional reason to keep coming back.<\/p>\n You could also try inviting local musicians to perform in your restaurant. Do you serve brunch on weekends? Try turning it into a jazz brunch. Do you have one night that\u2019s consistently slow? Consider making that your live music night.<\/p>\n Embracing the local creative community can potentially turn your restaurant into a cultural hub, not just a place where people can get a meal.<\/p>\n Inviting musicians to perform in your restaurant can make your space a cultural hub.<\/p><\/div>\n Restaurants can also give back on the individual level by embracing a growing trend of flexible menu pricing.<\/p>\n Some restaurants choose to adopt a \u201cpay it forward\u201d approach here, where guests can purchase meals to be made available to others who might not be able to afford it. While this idea is great in principle, it can sometimes run into problems\u2014for example, if no pre-paid meals are available, someone in need may end up going hungry. Beyond that, some individuals may be reluctant to simply accept a meal that someone else has paid for.<\/p>\n \u201cA better idea,\u201d says Chef Vicki Berger<\/a>, Chef Instructor in Escoffier\u2019s Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management program, \u201cmay be to have a few \u2018pay what you can afford\u2019 or pay by donation meals on your menu.\u201d In this model, guests choose how much to pay for certain menu items; some may choose to pay $20 or $30 for a dish, while others pay only a fraction of that price.<\/p>\n Offering pay-what-you-can options can enable anyone in the community to come to your restaurant.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cMany restaurants operate on razor thin profit margins, so giving away free meals just isn’t an option for many,\u201d says Chef Berger. \u201cHowever, by getting the community involved through \u2018paying it forward\u2019 or dining via donation, the restaurant can help serve the needy in their community while still maintaining profitability.\u201d<\/p>\n Lastly, restaurants also have an opportunity to show that they care for their community by hosting events or offering deals and discounts that are tailored to their needs.<\/p>\n \u201cOne way a restaurant can get involved in the community would be to host events or meetups at their location,\u201d says Godfrey, Escoffier Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management Instructor. \u201cThis benefits everyone because it can draw in potential customers to your business, while also serving as the spot of engagement for community members. Some examples could be hosting trivia or karaoke nights, having a weekly or monthly run club meetup at your business, or being the host location for a local community or charity fundraising event.\u201d<\/p>\n It all depends on which segments of your community you\u2019re most interested in connecting with. Want to appeal to local business owners? Consider offering your space at a discount for businesses to hold events. Interested in pulling in sports fans? Try hosting watch parties for the big game.<\/p>\n Offering event space at a discount could be a good way to show support for other local businesses.<\/p><\/div>\n The same logic can apply to any discounts you choose to offer. If there are a lot of students in your area, you might choose to offer a student discount; the same could be true for seniors, teachers, and so on. Use what you discovered about the demographics in your area to tailor your strategy to the community\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re doing community outreach right, then\u2014ideally\u2014your reputation will spread organically, by word-of-mouth. But there\u2019s more you can do. By engaging with the community, restaurateurs can both help to get the word out and ensure that they\u2019re sending the right message.<\/p>\n Social media can be a great opportunity<\/a> to showcase your engagements with the community\u2014whether you\u2019re advertising a collaboration with a local artisan or sharing photos from your most recent community service day.<\/p>\n When you show your followers you care, you can both humanize your business and demonstrate your commitment to being a positive force in the community. The more you do this, the more it becomes a part of your brand image\u2014which can be a compelling reason for like-minded customers to want to support you. However, be mindful that you\u2019re not creating the impression that you\u2019re just doing all this for the publicity\u2014which could be a turn-off for some customers. Instead, focus on the importance of altruism, celebrating others, and being genuine.<\/p>\n Restaurants can use social media to spread the word about their support for the community.<\/p><\/div>\n For example Boulder\u2019s Blackbelly<\/a> used an Instagram post to announce a fundraiser they hosted on behalf of a number of community nonprofits. The comments focus on the event and the organizations, rather than the restaurant itself; in fact, while the post features the logos of the nonprofit organizations, it doesn\u2019t feature the restaurant\u2019s logo\u2014ensuring the focus remains on the cause instead.<\/p>\n This is a great example of how restaurants can use social media to responsibly promote their support for the community.<\/p>\n As you continue to cultivate a responsible brand image, consider opening up a conversation with your customers (and other members of the community) about how things are going. Find out what they think of the things you\u2019re doing and the way you\u2019re talking about it\u2014and see if there are any changes that they might suggest.<\/p>\n This can help you make sure your activities are aligned with what the community wants, and that they\u2019re getting the message that you\u2019re trying to send. It might also help you discover new ideas for connecting with the community that could allow you to create new, even stronger bonds.<\/p>\n Community engagement is a great way for your restaurant to connect with people on a level that goes beyond the transaction. When you know the people in your community, and they know you, and you all know that you share values and appreciation for one another, your restaurant can go beyond just a place that serves food and become a truly unique pillar of the community\u2014which can enable both restaurants and communities to grow together.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for more ways to hone your abilities as a restaurant owner, culinary school<\/a> could be a great place to do that. Escoffier\u2019s Food Entrepreneurship<\/a> and Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management<\/a> programs can give students the opportunity to enhance their business skills in the context of a comprehensive culinary curriculum.<\/p>\n Online courses<\/a> can make it easier to pursue these opportunities on your own schedule\u2014and financial aid, grants, and scholarships<\/a> are available to those who apply and qualify, which can help make these programs more attainable as well.<\/p>\n\t\n\t Restaurants are often vital parts of their communities. Explore some strategies restaurants can use to give back to the communities that support them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":30055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1296],"tags":[1304,885,1325],"class_list":["post-30049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-entrepreneurship","tag-academic-success","tag-chef-instructor","tag-giving-back"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Couple-buying-pasta-from-a-food-truck-at-an-outdoor-market-768.jpeg\")
![\"Ashley](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ashley-godfrey-chef-instructor.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBuilding Bridges and Giving Back: 5 Ways To Get Involved in Your Community<\/h2>\n
1. Give to Charitable Causes<\/h3>\n
![\"Several](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Several-people-of-different-ages-and-ethnicities-wearing-t-shirts-and-jeans-stand-in-a-wide-open-field-with-their-arms-around-one-another-and-smiling.-768.png\")
\n
![\"Chef](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/chef-Tammie-square-1.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t2. Create Local Partnerships<\/h3>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Handshake-in-the-background-wooden-crate-full-of-vegetables-from-garden-768-1.jpeg\")
3. Support Local Artists and Musicians<\/h3>\n
![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Close-up-of-a-person-playing-an-acoustic-guitar-on-stage-768.jpeg\")
4. Embrace a Pay-What-You-Can Concept<\/h3>\n
![\"Several](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Two-customers-standing-at-a-coffee-bar-drinking-their-coffee-while-and-employee-works-behind-the-bar-768.jpeg\")
5. Offer Community-Focused Events and Deals<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/A-group-of-people-in-upscale-casual-attire-smile-and-laugh-as-they-drink-beer-and-wine-and-enjoy-hors-doeuvres-in-a-bright-airy-event-space.-768.jpeg\")
Don\u2019t Just Act\u2014Engage with Your Community<\/h2>\n
Use Social Media to Spread the Word<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/A-screenshot-of-an-Instagram-post-advertising-tickets-to-a-fundraiser-dinner-benefiting-a-variety-of-community-nonprofits.-768.jpg\")
Ask for Feedback on How You\u2019re Doing<\/h3>\n
Getting Involved in the Community is a Win for Everyone<\/h2>\n
DID YOU ENJOY THAT ARTICLE? CHECK THESE ONES OUT NEXT!<\/h3>\n\n\t\n
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