Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 2:34PMHow Restaurants can Profit from All Those Donation and Freebie Requests
OK, maybe it's time for a little fun.
As you already know, the number of charitable solicitations made to restaurants ramps up considerably during the holidays. From the Salvation Army bell-ringers to the homeless veterans that post themselves dutifully at every busy intersection, to the local high school Student Council's "ACLU Approved, Politically Correct, Non-Religiously Affiliated, Winter Solstice Festivity Fundraiser Auction and Indian Taco Dinner", you see a steady parade of hands held out to your restaurant expectantly requesting donations of one sort or another this time of year. While many of these causes are worthwhile to support and it is certainly a marketing opportunity, privilege and even an obligation for a restaurant to give back to the community, you can't afford to give something to everyone. The question then is how to decide to which cause do you donate? This is where some creative criteria development comes into play.
;)
Have the various requesters of freebies compete in some sort of hand to hand combat for your donation. Designate a time for them to meet at the restaurant to thumb wrestle, arm wrestle, even mud wrestle for the honor of receiving your coveted 2-for-1 coupons. Last man, woman or child standing wins. You could sell your staff tickets to the event and more than cover the cost of the donation!
If the Miss Junior College Pageant entrant desires the support of your restaurant, have her submit a framed essay of 1000 words (or more) written on parchment paper in calligraphy explaining why hers is a more worthy cause to donate to than the Saintly Sisters of Sacrificial Servitude. Be sure she includes in her essay exactly when she, the rail-thin beanpole of a coed last ate a meal at your restaurant (not a side salad with a squeeze of lemon, a real meal). Not only will you be able to better discern who really wants your free-appetizer-with-the-purchase-of-two-entrees-offer-that's-not-valid-on-Friday-or-Saturday-nights certificate, but you will certainly reduce the volume of applicants as the Sisters are not easily dismissed when it comes to getting what they want.
How low will they go? Predetermine a ridiculously low minimum limbo-bar height in the dining room which every donation seeker must be able to successfully negotiate. Only the limber need apply. You'll probably never have to donate to the Red Hat Ladies again (but it'd be fun for your guests to watch!)
Does the youth group from the Reformed Southern United Brethren of the Apostolic Evangelical Trinitarianism Church want to hold a car wash fundraiser in your parking lot? Make sure the management team's cars are complementary (spouses included). Schedule the car wash immediately after the aforementioned mud wrestling and clean up is free!
In short, make sure you develop your own unique qualifiers to weed out the wimpier causes and derive some sort of profit, entertainment or service from your generous giving. So when those hands are held out to you for a donation, shake them heartily and direct them to the back of the limbo line.
Read more Restaurant Humor here.
Brian Bruce, author of multiple articles published on many websites and several industry trade publications, has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He's an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City and Blogger. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com .
Reader Comments (7)
I think your tongue-in-cheek approach to the issue of donations to your local community is misguided at best. I bielieve that the best organizations continually identify and act on opportunities to give back to the community to make it a better place to live, have fun, and do business.
Think about what it took for those people to come to you, their favorite place to eat, and ask you to be a part of something they believe in. If you reject their request are you really "saving yourself money" or will you leave a sour taste in their mouth they will remember the next time they go out to dine.
Look at the big picture in what kind of impression you will make on the people that are asking for your help. Find a way to make yourself feel better about giving to their cause. Build a database of donors so you can keep in contact with them and remind them how you helped them. Let them know you want them to ask for you when they come in to build a better rapport with your customer base.
If you choose to give or not you will leave an impression on them, is it a story you want repeated?
I left you a comment about your donation & freebie requests and did not leave my name. I did not want to leave it anonymous so here you go.
Chris Ennist
chrisennist@yahoo.com
Chris,
Had my comments been made on a serious note, they would absolutely be misguided. Please note, the post is labeled as "Restaurant Humor" and begins with a remark about having a little fun.
You are obviously passionate about giving back to the community, an admirable quality.
The post is simply a stab at humor concerning a situation many restaurant managers find themselves in, trying to determine which worthy causes to give to when 3-4 daily are soliciting for their cause (some of which are admittedly more worthy than others).
Your advice on the serious side of the matter is to be commended.
Have a fantastic day and thanks for the comment.
My motto is EVERYONE gets a small donation, gift card, cash, free something, but NO ONE gets a large donation. I liked this because nobody ever felt slighted. A friend of mine uses another approach, he chooses two or three charities and makes larger contributions. No matter how you slice the pie it is always a good thing to give some of your rewards back to the community that supports you it will always benefit you somehow!
Well said whorfrick. It's vital to give back to the community that gives to you daily.
Those who ask for donations are having gala events and board dinners, are leaders in their communities, are outgoing (their out asking...). This is the exact source you want to have telling everyone how great you are.
There is also a company, BiddingForGood, that has a donation management system that is free and makes the whole donation approval/ rejection process easy as well as captures all of the requesting org's info... so you can market back to them to attract their next board dinner/ gala event. Great revenue stream.
LOL Thanks for the smile, Brian. I wasn't offended. I certainly get the tongue and cheek of it. True enough it's important for a business in a community to be part of that community and give back. And I think a restaurateur who is connected to the community will choose wisely who to support because of their passion and their guests' passions.