“Typically, if you’re unemployed, you’re not getting up at six and not going through the drive-thru,” said Jeffrey Bernstein, an analyst at Barclays Capital. “There is a direct correlation between unemployment and breakfast sales.” (From QSR Web.)

Hate to say this, but marketing doesn’t overcome this type of trend. You can’t modify this behavior.

If your breakfast sales have been hurt, find something that is working and make it better.

If only you could make your store a destination spot. If only you could get people into your store (during a season you’d really like to capitalize on) to see all of your merchandise. Oh, and it’d be great if you could get people to thank you for the privilege of being in your store.

Wait a minute. . .you can (from ACE Hardware in East Atlanta Village – great LSM-ers, btw):

We heard reports of UPS & FedEx packages disappearing from porches – often only moments after being delivered. The speculation is that the thieves are following the delivery trucks.

So, as a service to our neighbors, Village Hardware will receive and hold your packages for you until you can pick them up. Have your packages delivered to your name, c/o Village Hardware, 1231 Glenwood Ave, Atlanta, GA 30316. When you are expecting a delivery, just give us a call and we’ll see if it’s arrived.

And the response?

Wow! That’s awesome of you guys!

That is awesome customer service!!

No kidding. Jason, that’s fantastic.
And, you know, when you go pick up your package, buy some stuff!

(Don’t forget, this is a customer telling others to buy stuff.)

OK, so you’re not a hardware store. Change the idea to fit your restaurant (or book store, or nail salon, or whatever). Ideas forthcoming in another post.

You might already be tweeting for your restaurant. If not, think about adding Twitter to your overall LSM strategy. Many restaurants are finding that tweeting customers is worthwhile because it’s an easy way to get short messages out quickly. Many of your customers are probably already using it to gather information. Notice I say “your customers” – using Twitter isn’t a method to gain more customers, but to increase the frequency with which existing customers visit your restaurant.

I’m not going to tell you how to sign up for Twitter (nor will I tell you the grass is green – it’s obvious), but I am going to give you some ideas on how to use it to reach your customers in intimate and engaging ways. Here’s a list of ideas.

• Tweets don’t always have to be business-related: Do you like to get sales messages all the time? Neither does anyone else. Keep your tweets relevant but throw in a personal touch. Show there’s actually a person behind your messages.
• Remember who you’re talking to: Tie your tweets to the community. Is it the mayor’s birthday? Did one of your loyal customers have a baby? What was the score of last night’s high school football game?
• Keep tweets timely: Is the local sports team that just won a big tournament in the restaurant? Tweet it with your congrats. The next time you’re at the local craft fair or other event, use Twitter to tell folks where they can find you and what you’re offering.
• Offer Twitter-only promotions: When it IS time to make business-related posts, make them of value. Offer a free appetizer, upgrade a sandwich to a combo, use Twitter-only codes to make your tweets feel special. Some restaurants even have “Twitter Tuesdays” or Thursdays and offer weekly specials to Twitter followers. Others offer daily or semi-weekly secret specials, tweeted at a different time every day. Gain more followers by offering a prize for retweeting (RT) a recruitment message from you.
• Become a true Twitter leader: There are a few good examples of restaurants using Twitter in out-of-the-box ways. A coffee shop in Seattle (and not Starbucks!) started taking to-go and drive-through orders via Twitter, at a customer’s request. A taco truck tweets their location every day so customers can find them. Other restaurants hold “tweetups” so local tweeters can meet each other face-to-face.
• Get involved in the Twitter food community: Most regions have tweeters who are food critics or enthusiasts. Know who these users are and follow them. You might also want to follow your competitors to see how they’re using Twitter. This is another good source for ideas.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, engage your audience: I can’t put enough emphasis on this. Twitter was created for sharing information. Your conversation should be two-sided. Ask your followers questions. “What else would you like to see on our menu?” or “What’s your favorite menu item?” Sure, these are a little boring, but you might learn a lot from them. And you don’t have to keep the conversation business-related. Watch what your followers are talking about and join them. RT their posts, if they are relevant to the rest of your audience. Just participate.