The restaurant industry is starting to adopt mobile advertising much faster than other industries, as stated in a recent report by mobile advertising and data platform Millenial Media.

The report, entitled Scorecard for Mobile Advertising Reach and Targeting, or S.M.A.R.T., delivers accurate and data-based findings based on key trends in mobile advertising platforms.

According to the report, the retail and restaurant industry was the third largest industry in the advertising platform in the first two quarters of 2012. Restaurant and retail brands have consistently been present in the top 10 of mobile advertising, with a stable spend and mobile activity from quarter to quarter.

The growth of retail and restaurant brands advertising in mobile platforms can be best shown in the first six months of the year; the spending of the retail and restaurant advertiser grew at an average of 11% a month. The growth is attributed to quick-service restaurants and casual dining chains—along with retail chains and clothing companies.

As it currently standards, retail and restaurant brands represent 16% of advertisements in mobile platforms. Quick-service restaurants, which are owned usually by franchisees, noticeably take full advantage of targeting abilities and location-based functionalities of mobile platforms to reach their target audience.

Another trend by retail and restaurant advertisers is the use of post-click campaign actions, which include store locator, view map, and m-commerce. Store locator was the most popular, accounting for 44% of the entire post-click campaign mix.

All three post-click campaign actions are directed at a single goal: to drive customers into their retail websites or actual stores. Certainly, one of the strongest points of using mobile advertising is its capability to target location-based customers and guests. As for location-based targeting, 60% of those who used them were restaurants, specifically fine dining, fast casual and quick-service restaurant brands. This just goes to show that whatever type of dining experience you offer, mobile advertising is not lacking in advantages.

For instance:

The chef’s competition “La Cuisine by SIAL” is set up to make it a light-hearted contest.  Each chef is given a basket of mystery ingredients and has to use all of them to create their ‘dish’, making for some interesting stage time.

The Olive D’Or contest attracts plenty of impressive olive oil producers and vendors to the show.  The guys at Hasdrubal were kind enough to give me a lesson in European geography as it related to olive oil.  Their products are from Tunisia, which has a rich history in the industry, and their offerings include certified organic oils.  The team at Acropolis convince to me to have an olive oil and balsamic ‘shot’ with them, to illustrate the impressive flavour of their Greek products.  They made their point well – the taste was both light and rich.

I was very pleased to see “The Butcher’s Son” there, having recently heard about them from the owner at Dyne restaurant (and eaten a wonderful meal there which included the butcher’s products).  The PEI beef they work with, from Dolan Foods, is truly menu-worthy.

To go with the beef, it was as toss-up between trying the pepper hot-smoked salmon from Les Fumets Sylvestre, or maybe smoked dried ostrich for a little twist.  Then there were the breads…

I washed it all down with a “Marble Pop”, a fun new beverage from Japan.  It’s a soft drink that comes in a variety of fruit flavours, in a really unusual bottle.

Then there was more:

Citadelle’s pure Canadian maple syrup was a sweet treat.  The team at Citadel promised that if I use their product I’ll win the Vermont vs Canada taste test next time.  I’ll keep you posted.

I sat down with the team at Hodgson Mill.  They have a huge array of gluten-free products that are bound to be of interest with the current trend toward gluten-free items on restaurant menus.

Speaking of gluten-free, Dufflet Pastries beckoned me as I neared the booth – not the people, the pastries themselves.  The staff at the booth told me about their ‘newest thing’, gluten-free pastries.  Dufflet has always been about freshness, producing  wonderful treats with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.  I was impressed that they could create gluten-free products that still met their standards for taste and customer appeal.

ChocoMaker products were visibly tempting, with options for chocolate fountains and other fondue, dipping and serving selections.  The white Vanilla Fountain Formula and the Chocobacon Fondue Kit both piqued my curiosity.  The Vanilla Fountain adds a lot of visual interest and the Chocobacon is actually chocolate dipped bacon.  Since “everything is better with bacon” and “chocolate makes you happy”, the combination should make everyone ecstatic.

And even more:

The people at the Krinos booth was really enthusiastic about yogurt.  I learned about how Greek yogurt is different from other yogurts (straining process) and was impressed by the ingredient list, which is short and natural.

Troni Equipments Canada demonstrated their pasta makers.  I want one.  I can’t image a restaurant that serves pasta not needing one of their own.

I was already familiar with Carmi Flavours, but was amazed at the full variety of ready-to-use flavours (over 200).

Serrano Imports had great tasting meats included an amazing chorizo.

I could go on and on.  For a full exhibitors click here.

I recently met some friends for a Wendy-ful evening at the 6th Street Pub and Grill, 4923 Dundas Street West in Toronto.  It was a good choice:

From Restaurant Take-over to a growing business, 6^th Street Pub and Grill is a success story.

I remember when this pub was under another name.  It was dark and dingy.  Now, it is bright and clean, with a contemporary new look.

With the help of designer Cheryl Torrenueva and Chef Andrea Nicholson, this local pub has found its place.  Business has been steadily increasing since the renovation.  Owner Mick and the staff are very happy with the look, food and feel of the new restaurant.  With wood tables and fun coloured seating, fabulous wood flooring, great lighting, the 6th Street Pub and Grill  is here to stay in this great neighbourhood where it resides.

The food was really good.  From the Deep Fried Pickles to the Diablos to the Green Chili Cheese Burger –fresh with great flavours and good, quality ingredients.

A very nice and friendly establishment. Try it…I think you are going to like it!

Have A Wendy-ful Day

Reblogged from Our Toronto Life:

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I dare you to disagree with this statement: Ossington and Dundas (Little Italy/Portugal Village) is a hot bed of delicious eats. Because it's true! A few restaurants that Cy and I have tried in that area include: The Saint, Salt Wine Bar and Pizzeria Libretto (all really good).

Recently, we tried Rock Lobster. Our friends have been raving about this seafood restaurant because it is both amazing and affordable.

Read more… 295 more words

1. Hotel blogs serve as resource tools for travel information.

Before planning their trips, travelers and tourists would research information on their chosen destination.  More than anything, your blog should be at the top of the search engine results as people search for useful information when planning their trip. By providing information on upcoming festivals and the best spots near your hotel, the guest will understand the relevance of your hotel to their trip.

2. Hotel blogs are for building trust.

While your hotel website provides information on the amenities, rates, and facilities, the blog serves an altogether different avenue—earning the trust of potential guests. Being a primarily social media site, the hotel blog serves as the warm, inviting side of your hotel. The only way word about your blog will go around and will get shared by people online is if you write about something that everyone can relate to—not another stranger’s wedding that not a lot of people would likely care about.

3. Hotels blogs broaden your target market.

Your integrated marketing plan ideally has all the elements needed in order to have a killer leads. Your hotel blog, on the other hand, is for expanding your network and reaching out to people who might know other people interested in your blog. Knowing your blog is merely the first step to the ultimate goal: to lead them to your website. The only way you can get them to take that step is by expanding your content.

The ubiquity of QR codes—in shops, restaurants, billboards, and print ads—tells us one thing: that they’re probably going to be around for a while. Quick Response Codes, or QR Codes, are a new trend in advertising that allows an offline consumer to be diverted to an online platform. By scanning the 2D barcode with their mobile devices, they will be led to a website, a landing page, or a Facebook promotion page.

If you decide to include QR codes in your advertising campaign, there’s one thing it must have: added value.  You can either offer code users special deals, or give them a chance to win a special prize.

Some hotels use these QR codes to help their guests schedule their plan for the day. QR codes can be set up to open the hotel’s blog listing the latest attractions and events around the area.

The number of uses for these QR codes is literally boundless and it’s up to your hotel to adopt the same tactics used by other hotels, or to come up with your own. Here are a few to start with:

Surprise freebies. For the past six months, Four Seasons Austins has been giving away appetizers or a glass of wine from QR codes placed in cocktail napkins in the hotel bar. This is also a great way to boost your guests’ loyalty.

Postcards app. Hyatt recently rolled out a group of QR codes in their drink coasters. After scanning, guests can download an app, the Canvas Art of Living, which will allow them to send a postcard via e-mail, SMS, or Facebook,

Art tours. James Hotel in New York knows that most of their guests are there for the art, so it went out of its way to include QR codes that will allow guests to navigate the best pieces of art in the city.

Further to our post “New Bill May Ban Restaurant Owners From Taking Tips Of Waiters” of last June, we have received a variety of comments and stories confirming that this is a serious problem for the industry.

As someone who worked as a server, I was familiar with a tip sharing system wherein: the server gave a percentage to the kitchen staff (who do a lot of work and have no opportunity to receive tips directly), the bartender (who makes your job easier by being quick on the draw for servers) and sometimes the manager (if he or she is supporting the wait staff by restocking items and dealing with unusual client demands).  I would certainly have been surprised if hands-off management or the owner of the business had expected a portion of my tips.  Worse yet, if they had expected a percentage of sales, which I am hearing is common practice.  I remember shifts where the tips weren’t that great, or clients would even short the bill, leaving very little left at the end of the night.  How horrible it would be after spending hours on your feet, smiling no matter what, only to walk out with less than you came in with.

Of course I wanted to know what was happening with the bill, so when I chanced to meet Michael Prue, MPP, BEACHES-East YORK, I made a point of opening a dialogue on this.  We learned that the bill, while generally meeting approval, had been set back by political process.  Now, the bill is once again making its way through the system, having been re-introduced as Bill 49 (previously bill 114)  The Protecting Employees’ Tips Act on Wednesday, April 10^th.  The second reading debate was to take place on Thursday, May 16^th, but yesterday we heard from Mr. Prue’s office that the date has been pushed out slightly.  Their note advised:

“We just wanted to update you on Bill 49 – The Protecting Employee Tips Act.  It was originally going to be debated on May 16^th; however the government will be presenting the budget on May 2nd. As a result, all Private Members Bills will be pushed back. The second reading debate for Bill 49 has been pushed back to May 30^th. We thank you for both bringing your concerns and showing your support to us.  It is very important that this Bill gets the attention it deserves, so we invite you to come out to Queen’s Park on May 30^th and show your support. We will keep you updated if any changes occur.”

If you would like to see this bill passed in to law, it would help to pack the gallery with supporters on that date.  If you have experience with an abuse of the system, Mr Prue’s office (and this blogger), would be interested in hearing how tipping out to owners and managers has impacted you as workers.  If you or anyone you know has been affected by an abusive tip-out policy, we want to hear from you.

I would also be interested in hearing how other provinces have dealt with the issue of tip-out demands by employers.  Any information would be much appreciated.

In the annual Business Travel Summit held last week, the message by senior travel executives from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), Best Western International, and Concur was positive and clear: business travel in Canada is recovering. This year, the growth of business and meeting planning, as well as the demand for hotel and air travel is growing at a rapid rate.

In the GBTA 2013 Industry Pulse Report, GBTA estimates that hotel stays have grown by around 4%, as the budget for business travel increased by around 3%. On top of this, travelers are on the road more often.

Best Western, on the other hand, reports that demand for corporate travel is up by 2%, and for the past two years the rates for business travel has also gone up. Business meeting and planning has gone up by 15% compared to last year.

When booking a hotel or a flight, social media channels and mobile sites are becoming increasingly significant in terms of information resources. As business travelers conduct their research, they look to mobile sites for information, looking at different choices in the Internet to compare and evaluate where they plan to stay. They use the hotel’s site to look at room types, read reviews, and check out the images of the hotel. In fact, Vision 2000 reports that 30% of corporate travelers use mobile booking options. Corporate travelers who book in Canada use information from a variety of source: direct booking sites, online tools, and GDS sites to name a few.

As purchasers are increasingly inclined to be swayed by online references when making travel decisions, social media and review sites are of key importance. In fact, business travelers are more likely to share their itineraries in the TripIt tool in LinkedIn than in more public sites like TripAdvisor.

Another interesting fact about business travelers in Canada: more than half of them are women, who are concerned for their safety. This means that hotels in Canada should have clear, client-friendly policies that help inform their business travel guests of the steps taken to ensure safety and security in the hotel.

The 8th annual tourism online marketing conference.

116 hotels switched hands in the past year—that’s a 17.2% increase compared to 2011. 66 of these transactions took place in Eastern Canada, with a total of $605 million, while 50 were from Western Canada at $573 million.  When comparing on a price-per-room basis, those in Western Canada paid an average price that’s 28% higher than the national average.  This is because of the resource markets in the area.

The provincial level shows prolific growth in terms of volume and number of trades.  Ontario leads by volume and trades, with $460 million.  Next is Alberta with $391 million.  Third is Quebec with $135 million.

The statistics at the local level are quite prolific as well, with Toronto leading at $289 million, then Edmonton at $121 million, and finally Montreal at $112 million.  Other cities that made the list of best hotel investments for the year 2012 included Vancouver, Fort McMurray and Grand Prairie.

It’s also interesting to note which hotels experienced the most significant growth in property value last year.  This is led by Calgary at 7%, then Edmonton at 5.7%, then Regina and Saskatoon at 5.5% for both. Downtown Toronto (5.2%) and Winnipeg (4.2%) also experience improvements hotel value growth.  Calgary will probably still remain as the area with the most significant improvement in hotel value in 2013, with an estimated 7.9%.  However, Downtown Toronto is expected to shoot right up to 6.7%.  Edmonton (5.9%), Regina and Saskatoon (5.4%), and Downtown Vancouver (5.4%) will also probably remain places where hotels have the best growth value.

The reason for the improvement in these areas is the strength of office and retail investment markets, which in turn affect the lodging industry.