Revinate Launches Comprehensive Social Media Solution for Restaurants

San Francisco, CA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Revinate, the next generation of guest satisfaction, today announced the availability of its much anticipated restaurant solution. This innovative new solution for restaurants leverages Revinate’s experience as the leading social media solution for thousands of hotels worldwide.  Now, restaurant brands, management companies, owners and operators can benefit from the powerful online reputation platform that global hotel companies such as Hyatt Hotels, Sofitel and Kempinski rely on daily to engage guests and manage guest satisfaction.

Revinate’s restaurant solution provides a single dashboard to manage all online reviews, mobile check-ins and social media mentions, and includes sophisticated trending and sentiment analysis. With Revinate, restaurateurs can now monitor feedback for their restaurants across millions of sites in real time, and then easily engage with customers on top review sites and social networks – the locations where most diners now select restaurants and make reservations. This new service, available for an affordable monthly fee, is designed to be easy enough for any employee to use, regardless of technical ability.

“I can’t think of any software service that is more valuable for an individual restaurant or chain today. I spent 20+ plus years in the restaurant industry in operational roles and I only wish this software was available for me when I was struggling to figure out where our restaurants were strong and where we needed to invest resources. With Revinate, you can easily pinpoint operational problems and fix them before they become serious and costly issues,” says Clark S. Kincaid, Ph.D, Associate Professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

Orient-Express’s Jeff Webster, Public Relations and Digital Media Manager, North America, says, “Online review sites and social media are critically important to our business, which makes sense given the passion people have towards food and the research consumers do to discover new restaurants. Revinate saves us an incredible amount of time, aggregating all reviews and review scores into a single location so we can quickly assess guest satisfaction and understand how we’re measuring up against our competitors. We can then focus more energy on building brand visibility, engaging with customers and driving new business.”

A long-time hotel client, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants has also been using Revinate’s restaurant solution to manage their restaurants’ online reputation. Jeff Brown, Area Director of Restaurant Operations, says, “Revinate has become a critical tool for us to monitor and track our online reviews. Restaurants are incredibly susceptible to a loss in revenue as a result of bad online reviews so it’s incredibly important to know what people are saying in real time. Revinate allows us to stay in-tune to what people are saying, and allows us to easily act, for example, by publicly responding to reviews or opening tickets to assign responsibility should issues arise that can be remedied.”

“Our restaurant solution was designed in close collaboration with restaurant managers from hospitality companies who have long trusted Revinate,” says Jay Ashton, co-founder and CEO of Revinate. “With thousands of hotels relying on Revinate every day, it’s a natural progression for us to also help restaurants use public reviews and social media to grow their businesses, and we’re thrilled to be launching our innovative restaurant solution today.”

Restaurants interested in learning more can visit http://www.revinate.com/for-restaurants or email info@revinate.com.

About Revinate:

With online guest-generated travel reviews increasing in both number and importance, hotel and restaurant owners and operators have a simple choice: either ignore the cacophony of social media and hope for the best or proactively track and manage what is being said online in a way that deepens customer relationships, strengthens brands and boosts revenue. Revinate’s powerful technology monitors all of the important social media venues – including Twitter, Facebook and TripAdvisor – and provides instant alerts whenever your property or brand is mentioned. Based in San Francisco, Revinate counts the world’s leading hospitality brands as clients. To learn more, please visit www.revinate.com.

Contact:

Michelle Wohl
Vice President of Marketing
@revinate
http://blog.revinate.com
415.290.3707

Expion, a social media management company, has been working for over a year with three of the ten largest Applebee’s franchisees, managing and monitoring hundreds of local restaurant Facebook pages. From Expion’s one social media management system (SMMS), The Rose Group, Apple American Group LLC and Apple Gold Group are able to analyze, publish, govern and share postings in real time across their many locations, allowing them to take advantage of true local advocacy and community interest.

“When companies localize social media efforts, they see an increase in consumer engagement of nearly 10 to 50 times,” said Peter Heffring, CEO, Expion. “Expion’s SMMS platform is the perfect solution for franchisees like Applebee’s with numerous locations and busy restaurant managers, allowing them to create localized customer engagement quickly and efficiently.”

In addition to the many local store locations, Expion is currently being used by Applebee’s corporate to manage and monitor its corporate brand page and all of its 243 company-owned restaurants. “With Expion’s SMMS, we’re engaging guests where they live and work, generating increased brand awareness in their neighborhoods,” said Scott Gulbransen, director of social media & digital content, Applebee’s Services, Inc. “We’re also better able to collaborate on new initiatives, promotions and menu items, strengthening the connection between corporate and our franchisees.”

Franchise partner Elizabeth McGee, CFO for The Apple Gold Group which currently owns 86 Applebee’s restaurants, wanted a one-stop solution that would allow all of her restaurants to have their own pages on Facebook, while aligning with company parameters to protect the online brand. “We knew that we wanted all of our individual restaurants to have their own local pages, rather than one corporate Apple Gold page, but we also knew that we couldn’t handle managing that many separate pages,” said McGee. McGee also wanted an easy-to-use system that could be done with current staff, requiring very little effort from busy local restaurant managers. “My goal was a system that required less than ten minutes of my local managers’ time,” she said. “Expion’s scheduling, alerts and pre-packaged content make it incredibly fast and easy to update and monitor our pages.”

Using Expion’s SMMS, The Apple Gold Group’s restaurants have also become much more responsive to customer service issues. Using Expion’s built-in control and notification features, managers are able to get social media update emails as comments are made, photos are posted and links are shared. Responses that might previously have taken days are now done within minutes, allowing The Apple Gold Group to appropriately address guest experiences.

“Without Expion, we would never have become this involved in Facebook,” said McGee. “Expion has allowed us to fully support our restaurants having a local presence to interact at the community level with our guests.”

The Rose Group is an Applebee’s franchisee with 59 restaurants throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Cathi Chuck, director of marketing, needed to find a way to incorporate all of the local restaurant Facebook pages under one umbrella. “As we developed these local pages, we knew there was no feasible way to monitor all of them manually,” explained Chuck. The Rose Group turned to Expion to help manage their social media needs, testing the SMMS platform in five locations in 2010 and eventually rolling out the system to all of its locations in 2011.

Expion worked with The Rose Group to add specific features to the SMMS platform, including a spell-check function that’s saved managers’ time and potential embarrassment. The content library, which includes a catalog of approved posts, provides staff with fresh topics and ideas for posts, and the post scheduler enables staff to plan posts in advance.

Apple American Group, the largest of the Applebee’s franchisees, has 270 restaurants in 11 states, with the Expion platform currently in use at 170 of those locations. For marketing partner Diann Banaszek, Expion helped alleviate fears over allowing that many restaurants to have unique pages. “The thought of hundreds of locations all managing their own Facebook accounts is one that certainly kept me up at night,” said Banaszek. “With Expion, it’s a win-win situation — we retain control over messaging and content while reaping the benefits of engaging customers at the local, community level.”

According to Banaszek, Expion has allowed Apple American’s managers and operators to fully embrace Facebook as a marketing and customer service tool. “Our operators really took to the Expion platform, and were incredibly pleased with how easy it is to use and how responsive Expion’s customer service team is,” she said.

Expion is currently managing over 2500 Facebook pages, both at the brand and local level, for a variety of clients in restaurant, retail and other industries. For more information about Expion’s SMMS platform or to schedule a demo, please visit http://expion.com.

Tweeting about eating may seem like Internet noise to some, but the folks at Louisville-based Yum! Brands’ KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, as well as Papa John’s International, increasingly are talking back.

Reading and reacting to the daily blizzard of tweets, Facebook posts and other social media traffic has increasingly become an integral part of the restaurant industry.

All have staff who read and respond to what people say about the brands online. Most post specials and coupons, too, like the regular Facebook promotions local pizza chain BoomBozz offers to Facebook fans. Just as important, companies say, is to act or talk back to what consumers are saying about their brands.

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When Dean Slover and his business partners were preparing to open RnR Restaurant and Bar, they debated over whether to hire someone to manage the business’ social-media aspect.

Nearly 14 months after the doors opened last March, the continued buzz and steady stream of patrons let Slover know the investment is paying off for his Scottsdale restaurant.

RnR has more than 600 Twitter followers and more than 3,700 fans on its Facebook page. Slover uses the page to post passwords that inform followers of specials, which has helped increase the restaurant’s visibility as customers share these deals with friends.

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You’re an expert chef with a beautiful restaurant, friendly staff and great food. In the past, you’ve successfully managed your customer flow through traditional advertising in local newspapers and you sponsor the local little league. Business is great, but a similar restaurant just opened up a few blocks away, and it’s generating lots of buzz. The restaurant is using social media to its advantage, growing its customer base at an accelerated pace, and you’re starting to lose market share. What’s going on?

The Internet is the great equalizer, giving unlimited ad space and airtime to businesses no matter how big or small. Today, 70 percent of local businesses are marketing through Facebook — more than anywhere else on the Internet.

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For many, social media is an inescapable facet of personal and professional life. This relatively new medium allows businesses to reach customers instantly and conveniently, while at the same time creating an avenue for immediate feedback. The restaurant industry has been experimenting more with social media and working on establishing a connection with a chain’s “fan base” on Facebook.

In the midst of the Taco Bell beef fiasco, the company took to its Facebook page to thank customers for their support and offer “fans” a coupon for a free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. While utilizing social media to quickly “set the record straight,” Taco Bell was also able to express its appreciation for consumer loyalty to the group.

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It’s that time of year to give a shrimp at Del Taco. Del Taco will again be offering its very popular crispy golden shrimp tacos and giving a free shrimp taco coupon to Facebook fans. This year, Del Taco is adding a new twist to its shrimp line up with the introduction of a new Baja shrimp taco and burrito.

“Our flavorful shrimp is something our loyal fans look forward to,” said John Cappasola, Chief Brand Officer at Del Taco. “Our new tangy Baja sauce adds another craveable flavor option to both our taco and burrito line-up, giving our customers another reason to believe Del Taco is the place for great tasting tacos and unbeatable value.”

The new Baja shrimp taco, at $2.19, features crispy golden shrimp, crunchy cabbage, fresh salsa and a tangy Baja sauce in a warm flour tortilla with a fresh lime wedge. The new Baja shrimp burrito, at $3.69, features crispy golden shrimp, crunchy cabbage, seasoned rice, fresh salsa and tangy Baja sauce in a warm flour tortilla.

Del Taco will also continue to serve its popular shrimp and fish tacos, and shrimp or fish & fries. Del Taco first introduced seafood tacos with the launch of the Crispy Fish Taco in 2005.  With a hand-breaded fish fillet, crunchy cabbage, hand-made salsa and secret sauce, Del Taco’s Fish taco remains one of the most popular tacos served at the Mexican chain.

Facebook coupon offer is good while supplies last and valid at participating Del Taco locations.

Del Taco menu items are made fresh to order, and are prepared with many quality ingredients including lard-free beans made from scratch daily, real cheddar cheese grated daily, chicken grilled fresh every hour, hand-made salsa and fresh produce.

Del Taco has more than 520 restaurants in 18 states.

It’s National Bagel Day, and to celebrate, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Noah’s Bagels have an offer that’s thick on flavor but thin on calories—not to mention your wallet.

As part of its continued commitment to provide health-conscious customers with better-for-you options, the “unofficial sponsor” of National Bagel Day is offering its Facebook fans with a tasty a freebie: the new Bagel Thin Single and Light Shmear. Through February 14, all existing and new fans who “Like” either the Einstein Bros. Bagels or Noah’s Bagels Facebook pages will have the opportunity to download a digital coupon to receive their fresh baked Bagel Thin Single and Light Shmear for free with the purchase of a beverage. Coupons are valid through February 20 while supplies last and valid at participating Einstein Bros. Bagels and Noah’s Bagels locations.

While Americans are being called to fight obesity and menu choices can be packed with a portion of calories, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Noah’s Bagels, fresh baked Bagel Thin Single and Light Shmear, have all the soft, chewy satisfying richness of a bagel and cream cheese but with as little as 225 calories. The new Bagel Thin Singles (without shmear) contain about half the calories and carbohydrates as a regular bagel, and have zero grams trans fats, no cholesterol and no saturated fat. The new Bagel Thin Single comes in three varieties: plain, honey whole wheat and everything. For complete nutritional information please visit http://einsteinbros.com/pdf/nutrition_info.pdf.

“For people who want to eat better, it’s often difficult to do so and can be full of compromises,” said Jeffrey O’Neill, chief executive officer, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. “Our innovative new fresh Bagel Thin Singles and Light Shmear give customers a healthier alternative without sacrificing great taste and quality ingredients, and what better time to let our fans enjoy one than on National Bagel Day.”

The Bagel Thin Singles introduction comes on the heels of the company’s successful launch of Bagel Thin Sandwiches in June 2010. During that time, the company announced that it would become the first fast-casual restaurant chain to partner with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a CEO-led coalition of more than 80 of the nation’s largest retailers, non-profit organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and trade associations aimed at helping to reduce obesity.

Just one “Like” will lead to a lot of love. Taco love, that is.

Beginning today, Taco Bell launched the world’s largest free taco offer on Facebook, with the opportunity to thank each of its fans with a free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. The online offer is only available to Facebook members who “Like” the Taco Bell page, allowing each fan access to print the coupon.

“Throughout the beef class action lawsuit, the response and enthusiasm from our Facebook community has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Greg Creed, Chief Executive Officer, Taco Bell. “We found it only fitting to reward these 5.4 million fans and a friend with a free taco. It’s our way of saying thanks for their loyalty and support.”

The offer will be supported by simple image and text-based ads on Facebook to drive awareness and coupon downloads. The Facebook ad features the brand’s sauce packet emblazoned with “Thumbs up to you Friend!” The copy reads: “Thanks so much for your support! What’s not to “Like” about a free taco?

As part of its commitment to setting the record straight, the company launched a nationwide advertising campaign on January 28 to share the truth about its seasoned beef. The company placed full page ads in national publications, launched a YouTube video and supported it with an online campaign on Google, Yahoo, YouTube and other search engines and social media networks.

Coupon Terms and Conditions

Please present coupon when ordering. Valid through expiration date on coupon. Offer limited to 10 million downloaded coupons. Notice will be posted on our Facebook wall and at www.tacobell.com/promo/FBfreetaco if 10 million online coupons are downloaded. Subject to availability; no substitutions. Not valid with any other offer. Limit one free online coupon per person. Valid at participating Taco Bell locations in the U.S. Manager may refuse online coupon upon reasonable belief consumer has already received a free online coupon or has engaged in any fraudulent activity. Restaurant manager’s decision is final. Void if copied, reproduced or transferred and where prohibited. For more information, please visit the “Free Taco” tab on www.facebook.com/tacobell.

NEW YORK, NY  (RestaurantNews.com)  Social networking sites and smartphone apps are changing the ways consumers interact with restaurants and with their fellow restaurant goers, creating exciting opportunities for foodservice operators and marketers, according to “Social Media and Technology in the U.S. Foodservice Industry: Trends and Opportunities for an Emerging Market” by Packaged Facts. Restaurants that create a presence on social media can generate brand awareness, promote upcoming events and limited time offers, engage with the customer base, recruit employees, and build brand-loyalty.

“We believe the restaurant industry is in the midst of being shaped by the convergence of the mobile, yet always connected, consumer; location-based and context-aware technological innovation, and mobile payments, which already demonstrate the potential to redefine how to cultivate restaurant guest loyalty, incentivize dining occasions, and better tailor marketing messages,” says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts.

Restaurant lifestyle engagement informs technology use, according to the report. For example, according to Packaged Facts’ proprietary survey, 31% of adults who consider going out to restaurants as “part of their lifestyle” use their computer to place orders, while 21% use their cell phone or other portable device to do so.

Social media outlets Facebook and Twitter in particular are providing fertile opportunities for innovation. As Starbucks and Chipotle Mexican Grill have discovered, Facebook interaction offers tremendous potential for restaurant brands seeking consumer mind share; through well-timed and tailored online incentives, the brand can weave its way into consumers’ lives, according to the report. And because Facebook users are also frequently on the go, the foodservice industry can use the site to ramp up location-based marketing. Packaged Facts expects such efforts to explode in 2011, as the industry increasingly uses social media to guide patrons to a particular restaurant while they are mobile and deciding where to eat.

Twitter offers restaurants a significant opportunity to reach a younger, more urban, multi-cultural audience, because Twitter usage is particularly popular within the Hispanic, African American, and Asian populations. And, according to the report, Twitter has proven itself to be critical in attracting followers — and patrons — to food trucks, an urban-based and exploding segment of the foodservice industry. Meanwhile, handheld devices and technology are allowing point of sale and in-restaurant tools to evolve and expand. Some of these devices streamline a customer’s visit and maximize efficiency for the restaurant. Introducing such technologies may also reduce the instance of human error in order taking and bill calculations. Mobile phones are already ubiquitous, and Packaged Facts recommends that restaurants stay abreast of quickly emerging ways to tap into the restaurant guest early in the decision making process.

“Social Media and Technology in the U.S. Foodservice Industry: Trends and Opportunities for an Emerging Market” focuses on the quickly evolving social media and technology trends currently shaping the future of the restaurant industry. The report specifically assesses the impact of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as it relates to consumer-to-consumer interaction, consumer-to-business interaction, and the ramifications and opportunities for the restaurant industry. It also identifies and assesses emerging technologies and smartphone applications that Packaged Facts believes will help reshape the industry within just a few years. Emerging multi-concept ordering platforms, popular online consumer review platforms, and innovative food blogging & photography sites are also identified and assessed. For further information, please visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Social-Media-Technology-2848312/.

About Packaged Facts – Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics, pet products and services, and financial products. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. To learn more, visit: www.packagedfacts.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Operators are smart to embrace the concepts of Twitter and Facebook and most – 8 out of 10, according to the National Restaurant Association– expect to do so this year. But many chains continue to outsource this work rather than hire a social media expert in-house.

A survey done in late November by MustHaveMenus, a provider of restaurant menu templates, polled 1,300 operators and found that while almost half of restaurants invest in social media, only 12 percent actually hire someone specifically to manage their social media presence.

While large chains such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts are able to put a solid social team into place, it’s a fairly recent trend. The Golden Arches didn’t dedicate a department to social media efforts until early 2010.

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Chili’s Grill & Bar is giving a free Brownie Sundae to all 675,000-plus of the brand’s Facebook fans to celebrate the social site’s seventh birthday. The coupon will be available starting Friday, Feb. 4 at 8 a.m. CST via a post on Chili’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Chilis. This nationwide tasty treat is valid at participating locations and gives Chili’s Facebook fans a birthday present to satisfy any sweet tooth. To redeem the dessert offer, guests can either print off the coupon or display the code via their smart phones to a Chili’s server. This special which runs through Thursday, Feb. 10, rewards guests with a weeklong birthday celebration in honor of Facebook.

“Facebook gives us a fun, interactive way to engage our guests and connect with them beyond the four walls of our restaurants,” said Nicole Cochran, marketing director for Chili’s Grill & Bar. “Members of the Chili’s e-mail club receive a Brownie Sundae as a present on their birthday, and in this same spirit, we’re giving our Facebook community this unique gift.”

In addition to this exclusive offer, fans who “Like” Chili’s on Facebook can now participate in weekly gift card giveaways, trivia questions and special social media coupons as well as receive sneak peeks for the latest announcements regarding Chili’s deals and promotions. For early access to Chili’s Facebook birthday coupon, click here http://bit.ly/gQi5BQ.

Togo’s Sandwiches, a West Coast Original since 1971 serving big, made to order sandwiches stuffed with the freshest ingredients, announced today that in honor of National Pastrami Day, Friday, January 14, 2011, the company’s unprecedented Pastrami Guarantee will be returning. Additionally in celebration of the holiday, the company will be rewarding their Facebook fans with a printable coupon for a free 20 oz. fountain drink with purchase of a 6” regular pastrami sandwich valid until January 31, 2011.

“We are so confident that Togo’s serves a superior pastrami sandwich versus the competition that we’re willing to put our money where your mouth is,” said Renae Scott, vice president of branding and marketing for Togo’s Eateries. “We use bread baked fresh every day and pile on the fillings – our sandwiches are big and meaty. The other guys offer long skinny sandwiches with little meat and lots of bread, or ‘breadwiches’. We know we have a great opportunity to beat the competition on quality and great taste, that’s why we brought back the Pastrami Guarantee, which will be a permanent fixture this year, in all Togo’s restaurants.”

Togo’s opened for business 40 years ago and on the original menu the hot pastrami sandwich debuted as the “number 9”. Togo’s regular size hot pastrami sandwich is made with five ounces of freshly sliced, top quality lean pastrami seasoned with a proprietary blend of spices and served on fresh baked bread for a suggested price of $5.59 (tax not included).

“The #9 pastrami sandwich has been our top selling sandwich through the years, and in fact, Togo’s serves over 1.5 million pastrami sandwiches a year. That’s over 37 million Togo’s pastrami sandwiches sold since 1971. Now, with the Pastrami Guarantee, should any of our guests not be completely satisfied they can get a full refund of their money,” said Scott. “Additionally we want to reward our loyal guests with a printable coupon especially for Facebook fans – our way of saying we ‘like’ you too.”

The money-back pastrami guarantee offer is only valid on a regular sandwich purchase only, large and family size purchases will receive the suggested retail price of the regular #9 pastrami sandwich. For more information about Togo’s pastrami guarantee, please visit http://www.togos.com or stop by your local Togo’s today to try a far superior delicious pastrami sandwich.

The first day of the New Year marks a date stuffed with ones – 1/1/11.  Because there’s no better way to celebrate such a uniquely stuffed day than with the one and only Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza, Pizza Hut is giving away 1,111 Stuffed Crust Pizzas on 1/1/11. This deliciously fun offer kicks off as Pizza Hut launches a special deal on their signature Stuffed Crust Pizza – for a limited time, a 1-topping Stuffed Crust Pizza is just $10.

“At Pizza Hut, we want everyone to know that you don’t need to settle in 2011,” said Chris Fuller, director of public relations at Pizza Hut. “Our New Year’s resolution is to give you all of your favorites – like our one and only Stuffed Crust Pizza – at a price you can afford.”

To take advantage of the offer, “Like” Pizza Hut on Facebook (facebook.com/pizzahut) and keep an eye out for Pizza Hut’s status update that announces the offer (and terms) on Jan. 1, 2011. Then, act fast — the first 1,111 to click on the link on Pizza Hut’s Facebook wall and provide contact information, will receive a $10 Pizza Hut gift card good towards the purchase of a Stuffed Crust Pizza.

Pizza Hut introduced Stuffed Crust Pizza in 1995 and it was an instant favorite. This one-of-a-kind pizza features a ring of cheese folded into the outer crust of Pizza Hut’s Hand-Tossed Style dough.

On December 11, Genghis Grill marked the beginning of the first ever social media-driven music tour, Genghis Live. Local band Don’t Wake Aislin and local artist Bernadette “Dette” Buentipo battled their talents to see who could get the most Twitter Tweets and Facebook Posts for the tour. The winner that won $500 and had the most social media buzz was Don’t Wake Aislin, with about 75 Facebook Posts and Twitter Tweets, with Dette Buentipo having 53 Facebook Posts and Twitter Tweets. Genghis Grill’s Fan Page and Twitter Page gained about 300 followers Saturday afternoon.

“I think this is a very cool idea and It’s great to reach out to fans through a different platform, and we’re really excited to be a part of Genghis Live,” said Brandon Brown, guitarist for Don’t Wake Aislin.

The first stop was in Dallas, TX at the Genghis Grill in the Uptown area off Lemmon Ave. where they also donated 15% of the event’s sales to the North Texas Food Bank, making sure that those in need during the holiday season will have a meal to enjoy.

Three more stops for the Genghis Live tour will be held in Houston, Atlanta and the final stop, Austin, TX, which will be held during the legendary South By Southwest Tour. Bands that will be performing in these markets will be announced on GenghisGrillTV.com.

GenghisGrillTV.com was created by Genghis Grill to provide another avenue for their loyal fans to socially interact. At GenghisGrillTV.com fans can upload photos, videos and submit their stories that relate to the Genghis Grill experience.

Genghis Grill, the largest Mongolian Grill in the US, is well-known for its fresh, hot and healthy food, and for its style of fun service. It offers a Heart Healthy dining option along with an array of recipes to choose from KHAN’S KITCHEN (food bar) where one can “build your own bowl” from 14 proteins, 12 seasonings, 30 veggies, 15 sauces, and 6 starches.

Today, Genghis Grill is a segment leader when it comes to Mongolian Barbecue, with 55 units in 16 states. Genghis Grill has been ranked #2 on the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers and ranked #6 on the Future 50 list by Restaurant Business magazine.

For more information on www.GenghisGrillTV.com, Genghis Live and tour dates, please contact Chiara Granado at chiara@genghisgrill.com or call 214-774-4240×233.

For more information on band, Don’t Wake Aislin, and artist, Dette Buentipo, visit http://www.facebook.com/dontwakeaislin and http://www.facebook.com/dettebuentipo.

Social media certainly has its benefits for those who love dining and drinking. From free drinks for Foursquare checkins, to Twitter notifications about happy hours, to Facebook messages about free food, there’s always something tasty happening online.

But the social web offers a lot more than just discounts and deals when it comes to drinking and dining. Restaurants and bars are giving social media users a backstage pass to the food and the people who make it. Chefs and restaurateurs are using social media to reveal how their dishes are made, generate familiarity with chefs and provide a means for diners to share feedback.

While customers go to lower end restaurants looking for value and discounts, higher-end restaurants think that “discounts cheapen the experience,” says Tom O’Keefe, a Boston-based restaurant tweeter and social media-focused marketer.

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UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. (OTCBB: UFFC) announced today that it is expanding its social media efforts and online presence to better engage with UFood Grill consumers and shareholders through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media applications. Additionally, the Company will pursue opportunities for expansion on military bases and to the military community.

UFood Grill retained The Castle Group (www.thecastlegrp.com), an agency with a unique blend of restaurant, social media and military experience, to develop closer relationships with consumers and the investor public by engaging with customers, creating and sharing content, and building a dialogue around healthy lifestyles and nutrition. 

In addition to expanding the Company’s social media efforts, The Castle Group will also oversee the introduction of potential franchise and company-owned retail locations at military installations across the U.S. 

“Social media has become the dominant vehicle for businesses and consumers to communicate and we want to evolve with it,” said Charlie Cocotas, COO of UFood Grill. “UFood Grill wants to extend its shareholder communications and customer service beyond our retail locations. UFood Grill has a great story to tell and The Castle Group will dramatically improve our exposure and reach additional shareholders and consumers for better communication and interest in our brand. Additionally, we believe that our better-for-you fast casual concept is a natural complement to the fitness-focused military lifestyle, and we are excited about the potential to grow in that area.”

Danny Barbarigos, owner of La Tasca Tapas Restaurant in downtown Arlington Heights, was interested when Groupon approached him to offer a coupon on the power-buying website.

“We tried some knock-off sites and sold maybe 30 or 40, so we decided to try this,” Barbarigos said.

The online venture quickly paid off when 2,500 Groupons offering $30 worth of food for $15 were sold in a short period of time. Even after a month, many of those customers are still coming in, he said.

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A recent survey by MustHaveMenus a provider of restaurant menu templates, revealed that nearly half of the 1,300 restaurant owners, managers and caterers that were polled, do not use social media to attract customers to their eateries. While social media usage among restaurateurs is growing, a large percentage of eating establishments are social media holdouts.

Here are some of the key findings from the study:

• 42% of restaurant owners and managers invest in social media efforts (including blog participation, and managing their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
• 12% of restaurants and caterers hire someone to manage their social media presence.
• 23% of respondents do not believe that they need to use social media as a marketing tool.
• 23% of respondents believe that they don’t have time to devote to social media, along with all their other restaurant management duties.

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Recently, Montrealer John Hartupee and his girlfriend headed to New York City for a foodie week-end.

“Burger King in the airport waiting for my flight to NYC. I’ll consider this my amuse-bouche for Eleven Madison Park!” he tweeted.

When he got to Eleven Madison Park (has four stars from the New York Times), they sent out extra amuse bouches under silver domes. Each had mini lamb burgers on them. “We hope these are better than the one you had at the airport,” the server smiled. Is it stalking?

Nope. It’s what Twitter-happy restaurateurs would call personalized service. If your birth date is on Facebook, don’t be alarmed if a hostess wishes you a Happy Birthday! On the other hand, if you forgot the name of the wine you liked at a restaurant, well, tweet and ask.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced that it will participate in the launch of Facebook Deals, which enables people to easily find and redeem deals at nearby businesses when they check in using Facebook Places. Chipotle will offer a special promotion for people who check in at any Chipotle location using Facebook Places on their smartphone. Facebook Places gives people the power to easily share where they are with friends, find friends who are nearby, discover new places, and now, take advantage of a special Chipotle offer by checking in.

Check in at any U.S. Chipotle on Saturday or Sunday, November 13 and 14, and November 20 and 21, and receive a buy-one-get-one entrée which includes a burrito, burrito bowl, order of tacos or salad. Customers must show their smartphone check-in to the cashier when the check-in is made and the offer will be validated.

“Facebook has become a great tool for us to establish and deepen relationships with our customers, and we’re excited to make this offer to the Facebook community,” said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing officer at Chipotle. “With more than 1 million Chipotle fans on Facebook, we enjoy frequent conversations with our customers about our business and what makes us different. And now with Facebook Deals, we have an opportunity to turn more people on to Chipotle.”

Chipotle uses its Facebook Page to discuss its commitment to using premium quality ingredients from more sustainable sources in its more than 1,000 restaurants. Chipotle calls this commitment to fresh, unprocessed foods cooked using classical cooking techniques and raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers “Food with Integrity.” The company also promotes restaurant openings and special programs, answers customer questions, and responds to service issues using the popular social networking platform.

Most heroes don’t get noticed but they inspire people in small and large ways every day.  Perhaps there is no place where this is truer than in high schools across the country.  So today, Subway, along with Facebook and Electus, is helping high school students recognize the everyday heroes at their schools.

Subway and Ben Silverman’s next generation multimedia studio Electus, an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), are announcing the launch of a collaborative venture called Subway High School Heroes. This first-of-its-kind social entertainment program and competition is centered on inspirational people in the high school community, including students and teachers. The 8-week-program launched via Facebook on Oct. 18, 2010, and users can now nominate and vote for their favorite heroes for a chance to be crowned Subway’s ultimate High School Hero by going to the Subway High School Heroes application at the Official Subway Facebook page at www.facebook.com/subway.

At its core, the question “What inspires you?” drives the concept behind Subway High School Heroes competition. Users are encouraged to nominate, share and vote for whomever they feel is the genuine hero in their high school communities. Whether that hero is their 16-year-old sister who volunteers everyday to mentor and tutor students struggling with math, or their high school English teacher who encouraged and helped them apply for college, Subway High School Heroes seeks to honor and celebrate the inspirational figures in every high school community.

“Whether they are winners on the field, in the classroom or in the community, we know that winners eat at Subway,” said Tony Pace, chief marketing officer, Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust. “The High School Heroes program helps to recognize those winners for the inspirational work they are doing.”

“Electus and our creative partners Arthur Hasson and Dennis Ardi  are very excited to team up with Facebook and Subway, two brands driving the evolution of social media,” said Ben Silverman, Founder and CEO of Electus. “Social media is transforming how consumers communicate and tell their own stories on a constant and shared basis. We are thrilled to build a franchise that can engage audiences in brand narrative and community empowerment and work with world class brands on a creative campaign designed to inspire and champion young people around the country.”

Engagement with the participants starts with a Hero nomination. Anyone on Facebook can nominate a friend they think is inspirational in their high school community. Users will be able to upload and share videos, comment, and vote for their favorite heroes. The Facebook community will make the ultimate decision on the country’s best and most inspiring heroes.  Finalists will be selected based on how many votes they receive. Everyone who interacts with Subway High School Heroes, including the heroes, nominators and voters, have a chance to win great prizes through regular drawings. The winning Subway High School Hero will be announced via Facebook Dec. 16, 2010, and will win a grand prize of $10,000 and an Apple iPad.  Visit the Official Subway Facebook page for complete details and to nominate heroes.

“On Facebook, we share and discover things all the time.  This is true for books we read, music we like and shoes we wear.  Why shouldn’t this be true for the inspirational people in our lives?” said Matt Jacobson at Facebook.  ”We’re excited to be working on this project because it recognizes the everyday heroes that inspire the lives of high school students all over the country and helps them acknowledge the contributions these heroes make to their schools and communities.”

Publicis Modem, Subway’s digital agency of record, helped further develop, manage and execute the High School Heroes program with Electus, led by its Branded Content & Entertainment team.

“Social engagement is playing an increasingly important role in how users consume content,” said Gian LaVecchia, SVP Group Director Branded Content & Entertainment at Publicis Modem. “We think High School Heroes is uniquely positioned to leverage this trend to not only create an authentic point of connection for our audience, but also drive long-term affinity by creating an engaging social platform that celebrates real-life, everyday heroes.”

If you’re going out for dinner, you might want to check your computer or mobile device before you leave to see what the specials are for your favorite restaurant.

Restaurants have been taking advantage of the various social media to showcase their menus. It is not enough just to have good food to survive in today’s economy and local restaurants are engaging with their customers to not only make sure they give them a try, but to guarantee they are repeat customers. By using the different tools that are available to them, they are able to make connections with the people who visit.

“The initial fear,” said Steve Haweeli, president of Word Hampton Public Relations, “was that customers would post about a bad experience. Owners quickly realized that you have a chance to make good in public. You see how things work. It is a great opportunity for customer service best practices.”

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White Castle is so sure its fans will crave the new garlic cheese flavor of The Original Slider that America’s first fast-food hamburger chain is giving them away. For a limited time, visit White Castle on Facebook and receive a coupon for a free Garlic Cheese Slider. Three new limited edition sandwiches are available through October 30, including Garlic Cheese, Garlic Cheese & Mushroom and Garlic Cheese & Chicken Marinara.

“With this offer, White Castle wants to connect with our loyal fan base by rewarding them with the opportunity to try our new Garlic Cheese Slider for free,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate communications. “By exposing more consumers to the White Castle tradition of quality and flavor that has existed for almost 90 years, we expect we’ll find thousands more Cravers out there.”

Those interested in receiving the coupon must “Like” the White Castle page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/whitecastle and print the coupon to use at any of the nationwide locations. The coupon will be available on White Castle’s Facebook page through October 22. Customers must redeem the coupon by October 30.

The unique Garlic Cheese Slider begins with a traditional steamed 100 percent USDA beef patty topped with a slice of White Castle’s bold garlic cheese. The Garlic Cheese Slider and Mushroom is topped with garlic cheese and tender mushrooms in a savory sauce. The Chicken Marinara Slider starts with a lightly breaded 100 percent white-meat chicken breast topped off with garlic cheese and a zesty Italian marinara sauce.

To see at the happy crowd at Bistro 17 on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, you’d never think that just 3 months ago, they were close to shutting down for good. Owner Anna Buckingham says,

“Business was so slow at that point, even during the tourist season, that we were wondering if we should call it quits.”

But now this French-themed restaurant with mouth watering brie and an obsession with containers and dogs is a word-of-mouth sensation and always busy. In fact, they’re one of the few restaurants doing really well in the off-season.

Fortunately for Anna, one of her regular patrons runs a Hilton Head Island Facebook page with 65,000 fans.  Anna tends to make friends with all her customers. So they teamed up, and created a winning combination.

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Kona Grill (Nasdaq:KONA) announced today that a Foursquare element will be added to the marketing and promotions for Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out.

The Great American Dine Out will be held nationwide with hundreds of restaurants participating and collecting donations. Share Our Strength is a foundation raising funds to end childhood hunger in America.

When the Foursquare Mayors check in anytime during the Great American Dine Out, a $5 donation will be made to Share our Strength. Previously, mayors received a free appetizer or sushi roll upon check-in.

Kona Grill is using other social networking and media to publicize the event; active on both Twitter and Facebook since early September. A Facebook “I Support No Kid Hungry” Badge is being spread virally, giving guests a chance to spread the word on the cause. In restaurant, $1 of every Berries & Cream Dessert will go to SOS; guests donating $1-$5 will receive a complimentary edamame, and donations over $5 will receive a pizza or flatbread on a subsequent visit.

Employees are also encouraged to share news through their own social networks. Marc Buehler, President and CEO of Kona Grill, Inc. has written a blog post that was posted on Sunday, September 19 to kick off the 7-day event. Buehler has also offered a 10% personal match to the company’s total donation. An excerpt from his entry follows.

“We are extremely blessed to live in a country with so much wealth, opportunity and freedom, yet every day there are millions of kids that don’t know where their next meal may be coming from. It is hard for me to describe the number of emotions this conjures up inside of me…but I am filled with hope. This is a great country with smart, resourceful and caring people. Together we have achieved and will continue to achieve great things.”

A colleague of mine who raves about Ottawa’s Play Food and Wine recently tweeted to her followers that she was looking forward to her Friday night dinner reservation. Much to her surprise, just minutes after settling in, a restaurant manager she had never met came to the table to thank her for always tweeting such kind words about the popular spot.

She was delighted.

Over the past year the marketing world has seen some incredible PR campaigns strategically harness the power of social media – it is an important tool that can be used by businesses big and small.

Well-known Ottawa restaurateur Stephen Beckta opened Play in January, 2009. Grayson McDiarmid, Play’s wine director and service manager, decided it would be fun to sign-up for Facebook and Twitter about 10 months ago. At the time of this column, Play had almost 500 Twitter followers and about 665 Facebook fans.

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Home Run Inn, a purveyor of thin crust pizza on Chicago’s South Side, and Lou Malnati’s, a North Side peddler whose trademark pie is deep dish, collaborated this spring on a Facebook-based contest called “Through Thick and Thin.” By firing up the debate about Chicago’s favorite pizza style, the restaurants’ aimed to raise brand awareness, engagement and media buzz and—not to forget—sell more pizza during the busy summer season.

Although e-commerce represents just a small percentage of their business—both restaurants ship frozen pizzas ordered online nationally and Home Run Inn takes carry-out orders online—the traditionally offline nature of pizza didn’t stop them from using the Internet to their advantage.

Working with Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide, a marketing firm retained by Home Run Inn, the restaurants recruited nearly 11,000 Facebook followers to select their favorite essay among 92  entries submitted on Facebook by married and engaged couples on their relationships. The prize? A wedding or vow renewal ceremony on one of the rooftops overlooking the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field during the game on June 13.

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