Internal marketing is the process of promoting your brand and products within your organization. In a restaurant, the internal communication between owners and employees is an important factor that contributes to the success of a restaurant. Restaurant operators who implement internal marketing programs recognize that their most valuable marketing media are the people who work for them.
Communicating brand and product knowledge to your employees doesn’t have to be boring. Here are some tips on strategies you can implement and execute to promote internal marketing within your restaurant:
Encourage individualism
For years the trend was to script everything a staff member said to guests and have them dress in branded uniforms to fit the “brand look.” Today, some of the most popular and successful restaurants encourage their staff to dress in a way that showcases their individuality. This encourages staff to be themselves and allows them to create meaningful and authentic relationships with regular and new customers.
Discount programs for staff
A great incentive for current employees to visit the restaurant on their days off is to offer meal discounts. If an employee wants to bring friends or family, the meal discount also extends to them. In addition, regular guests love seeing and interacting with staff when they are off the clock.
Create a fun environment
Employees who enjoy their work excel at work. If employees are having fun, they’re going to work harder, stay longer and help promote your restaurant to guests in a positive way. Be an employer they want to promote by creating a fun, efficient and well-run working environment.
Boost your staff events
Company events help with team building, validate your employees, and boost company morale. There is often a gap between management and employees. To help fill this gap, look for certain ways that the team can connect outside of the restaurant environment. Summer parties, wine/beer tours, fitness groups or educational sessions are great examples of team bonding. These activities in the workplace enable better communication, better relationships and ultimately increase productivity.
Set up regular tastings with suppliers
Tastings are one of the most effective tools for suppliers to help build their own brand awareness and ensure that employees are keeping their brand top of mind when suggesting alcoholic drinks. Beer, liquor and wine reps are always happy to conduct private tastings for restaurants that represent their brand. This is a great tactic to provide product knowledge to your employees in a fun way.
Bring on the sale contests
Adding an element of healthy competition can help generate engagement and potentially increase sales. Connect with suppliers and come up with a contest that promotes a great prize. The incentive will encourage staff members to be eager to win. By creating a contest like this, not only will your sales increase but the contest will also create internal excitement with the team. A win-win tactic.
Hold pre-shift meetings
A part of the internal marketing management process that gets overlooked is the pre-shift meeting. Take a few minutes before each shift to brief your staff about any promotions and features for the day. While working in a restaurant can be fun and rewarding, it can also at times be a thankless job. Give some praise to your staff by highlighting their achievements. You can also have a chef or bartender to put together a dish or drink that staff are encouraged to promote or feature for the night. During the shift meeting, have staff try it and romance it to each other.
PrintIrish Nachos Featuring Guinness Beer Battered Shrimp & Waffle Cut Fries
A unique spin on a Nacho platter with an Irish flare. Irish Nachos made with golden crispy waffle fries and topped with melted cheese and crispy Guinness Beer Battered Shrimp… this dish tops the charts as a perfectly shareable crowd pleaser.
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 454 g Guinness Beer Battered Shrimp
- 454 g waffle cut french fries
- 227 g sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 500 ml Pico de Gallo
- 250 ml sliced pickled jalapenos
- 227 g sour cream
- 57 g scallions, sliced (optional)
- 57 g crispy bacon, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the waffle cut french fries. Deep-fry according to the package instructions until golden brown and crispy throughout.
- Separate the waffle fries into four equal servings onto an over safe plate or dish. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese and bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melty and gooey.
- While the cheese melts in the oven, deep-fry the Guinness Beer Battered Shrimp until golden brown and cooked throughout. Once the cheese is fully melted, top the individual servings of ‘nachos’ with Pico de Gallo, pickled jalapenos and sour cream. Top each serving with equal amounts of Guinness Beer Battered Shrimp and if desired garnish with sliced scallions and chopped crispy bacon.
Notes
Dublin-Guinness Battered Cod Sandwich
Meet the distinctively delicious Dublin-Guinness Battered Cod Sandwich! The chefs created this recipe to add some Irish flare to your menu. A tasty traditional sandwich made with High Liner’s crispy new Guinness Beer Battered Cod Fillets layered with pickled cucumbers, frizzled onions, stout glazed bacon and melted Gouda cheese all within a golden delicious toasted brioche bun.
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 6 Guinness Battered Cod Portions (#10008896)
- 6 slices smoked Gouda cheese, cut thick
- 6 brioche buns
- 118 ml pickled cucumbers
- 59 ml crispy frizzled onions
Stout Glazed Bacon:
- 12 slices thick cut smoked bacon
- 59 ml maple syrup
- 59 ml Guinness beer
- 59 ml grain mustard
Malt Vinegar Aioli:
- 15 ml dijon mustard
- 15 ml malt vinegar
- 30 ml heavy mayonnaise
- 5 ml kosher salt
- 4 ml black pepper
Instructions
For the Stout Glazed Bacon:
- Cook bacon in the oven at 300°F for approximately 15 minutes, or until bacon is crispy.
- Add the maple syrup to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add beer and simmer until the volume has reduced by half.
- Remove from heat and whisk in mustard, reserve glaze for service.
For the Malt Vinegar Aioli:
- In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients until they combine cohesively and reserve under refrigeration.
- Cook the Guinness Cod portions according to the package instructions.
Assembly:
- To serve, place bacon in a sauté pan with the glaze and simmer until glaze is thick. Melt cheese over the cooked haddock, top with bacon and place on a lightly toasted brioche bun with malt vinegar aioli, pickled cucumbers and crispy onions. Drizzle with remaining glaze and serve.
Notes
Stout Battered Fish Tacos
Try this delicious new Stout Battered Fish Taco recipe. Make your Taco Tuesdays a little more interesting with a Mexican classic dish with an Irish flare using our High Liner’s Guinness Beer Battered Cod Tenders. Delicious and the perfect size and shape, as a restaurant menu add-on. Guaranteed to fulfill all your Taco, entrée and appetizer needs.
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
- 24 soft flour or corn tortillas, lightly toasted and warmed
- 650 g red cabbage, thinly shredded
- 650 g green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 10 g kosher sale
- 2 limes
- 650 g prepared Pico de Gallo
Pickled Onions:
- 450 g red onion, sliced thin into julienne
- 180 ml red wine vinegar
- 10 g white sugar
- 5 g kosher salt
Malt Vinegar Aioli:
- 15 ml dijon mustard
- 15 ml malt vinegar
- 30 ml heavy mayonnaise
- 5 ml kosher salt
- 4 ml black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat fryer to 350 degrees.
- Combine cabbage in a large bowl with kosher salt and the lime juice. Rub the cabbage, salt and lime juice together in your hands for 30 seconds and set aside.
- Prepare the pickled onions by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl and let stand. While the onions macerate, prepare the malt vinegar aioli in a small mixing bowl. Simply stir all of the malt vinegar aioli ingredients until a homogeneous aioli is achieved.
- Cook the Guinness Battered Cod Tenders according to the package instructions insuring they are cooked fully throughout.
- Build individual tacos beginning with a bed of approximately 50 grams of cabbage mixture. Top with a single Guinness Cod Tender and garnish with the pickled onions, Pico de Gallo and malt vinegar aioli to finish.
Notes
Winning at foodservice takes a lineup of all-star players. Yes, the food is important and always will be, but we aren’t just talking about the food. You need a team effort to succeed — to provide quality, consistency and service. Winning at takeout needs adaptable players. Is your takeout team ready?
The right coaches bring out the best in players. Why? Because they have played those positions. They understand the wins and losses, the risks, obstacles and struggles. Use foodservice coaches, from nationally recognized and trusted brands, to be your guides to build your best takeout menu and strategy.
Offensive line coach – on land
Chef James Keppy is the corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods Canada.
“Operators … need to focus on items that they are known for, that travel well and that customers will come back to, again and again!”
Chef James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods Canada
“Most corporate chefs are usually consulting with operators to introduce new menu items and increase check averages. Today, all of us are helping operators streamline menus and offering value-added products for quicker service times. We are matching the best products to hot hold for delivery, while keeping quality high.”
“Operators are already adapting to a takeout world, but they need to focus on items that they are known for, that travel well and that customers will come back to, again and again!”
“The menus should be getting smaller and ingredients need to have multiple applications wherever possible.”
- TIP: Consider family-sized options
Wings and pizza are king, but the innovation will be in the complete family dinner. Consider selling popular menu items family style — servings for two, four or six instead of a family ordering four different entrées.
Takeout is blurring the lines between grocery and retail with finish-at-home meal kits. Get the order for tonight’s meal and offer up a “Finish at Home” package for tomorrow… like a smokehouse kit with cooked ribs with signature sauce, baked mac and cheese, slaw and Mexican street corn.
Maple Leaf offers pulled meats, shaved steak, fully cooked ribs, wings and chicken sandwiches — perfect for takeout menus.
Remember to return to the comfort foods, because they also happen to travel well!
“Wings will always hold well for travel, especially breaded wings, but so do pulled pork and beef, BBQ ribs, mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, lasagne and chili. These items can quickly become a regular order in a family’s dinner rotation.”
Offensive line coach – at sea
Chef Philman George is the corporate chef for High Liner Foodservice. High Liner Foodservice is on a mission to remind Canadians how healthy, versatile and tasty seafood is.
“My goal is to place craveable seafood on your menu and help you generate more profit. I work closely with operators to help them succeed and reach their full potential with seafood offerings.”
Chef Philman George, corporate chef for High Liner Foodservice
“My goal is to place craveable seafood on your menu and help you generate more profit. I work closely with operators to help them succeed and reach their full potential with seafood offerings.”
- TIP: Maximizing your online presence is key. Whether through social media, reviews on Yelp, or third-party delivery apps, it’s vital that your restaurant be seen in as many digital avenues as possible.
- TIP: You eat with your eyes first! Take pride in capturing drool-worthy, Instagrammable photos of your menu items. Most delivery service apps offer photography sessions and most of them are free. Get as many dishes captured as possible!
- TIP: Be strategic with your takeout menu offerings. Less is more! Design a menu that is easy and quick to execute and delivers an exceptional culinary experience.
When customers order takeout, they want it relatively quickly and they want it to taste as good as it would if they were dining in-house. Be strategic with your takeout offerings to deliver great food without an extremely long wait time. Successful operators have streamlined their takeout offerings to make it simple for the kitchen staff to execute.
“High Liner has many fantastic products that can help the operator save time, money and deliver exceptional seafood takeout. I think the true value to the operator is being able to tap into our High Liner Foodservice dedicated seafood experts, available across Canada. They love seafood and are passionate about helping the operator achieve their seafood goals.”
“We have some fantastic new Guinness beer-battered products which are unique and simple for the operator to execute.”
Special teams coach
Chef Thomas Heitz is the corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada, a company with a large portfolio of brands.
“Create something true to your brand. Don’t try to be everything, figure out what customers come to you for, what you do well. Own it and do it better.”
Chef Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada
“Create something true to your brand. Don’t try to be everything, figure out what customers come to you for, what you do well. Own it and do it better. People do not tolerate mediocre food anymore.”
- TIP: Less is more. Streamline and focus your takeout menu.
An added benefit? If you are doing less, it’s easier to focus on being the best. Your customers are happy and satisfied, you reduce your ingredient count and labour needs and typically save money.
“The key to making that happen is convenience for the kitchen. Speed scratch. Take our Renée’s Roasted Garlic Aioli, add your own herbs or horseradish and you have a unique item you can execute with consistency. But that same Renée’s Roasted Garlic Aioli can used for other applications or again be quickly transformed into another unique ingredient just by adding one or two extras.”
Whether takeout or in-house dining, it is still about the quality of the food. Maintaining quality for takeout means using the right packaging and hopefully, sustainable packaging. Some premium ingredients lose their premium status after 30+ minutes in the wrong packaging.
It’s okay to package takeout menu items deconstructed. Keep cold and hot items separate whenever possible.
- TIP: Test your takeout packaging before you use it with customers.
To test something for takeout: Put it into the container, put aside for 20 minutes or more. Give it to someone, tell them to walk up and down the stairs, maybe even drop the bag, then look and taste.
“Figure out the little things like whether to have the bun buttered or not buttered, using bibb versus iceberg lettuce. Your final menu item will be better for the time and attention to all the details.”
“Service is part of the details. Having your takeout packages sealed and numbered, for example, can provide your customers with peace of mind while ensuring orders are complete and delivering quality.”
“It’s all about collaboration: working as a team in your own establishment and working with vendors and suppliers to succeed. You don’t need to do it on your own. Let us help.”
The final huddle
The best defence against the ups and downs of foodservice is a good offence. A good offence takes practice, training and creativity. It’s worth taking the time to streamline your takeout plays to achieve quality, consistency and service. Grab the opportunity now and your team is sure to execute a smarter, more profitable, winning takeout game.
One, two, three…go, takeout team!