Dine Out and End Childhood Hunger

That’s right.  Going out to eat any day from September 21st through September 28th could help end childhood hunger in America.  But the key is to eat at a participating restaurant.

The program is called the Great American Dine Out and it is being put on by Share Our Strength, a national organization dedicated to eliminating childhood hunger in America.  To make it super simple for you, I’ve got the link to the participating-restaurant-finder right here.  Just go on over to the site, punch in your zip code, and you’ll find a list of restaurants nearby who have agreed to make donations to the cause–based on traffic to their stores during the event.  Some restaurants will donate a portion of their profits while others might donate all profits from a particular dish, and still others may handle their donations in some other way.  It might be best to ask the management when you go out to eat; in that way, you can be sure your dining out dollars are going toward the cause–AND you can send the signal that you support local restaurants who show a dedication to their community.

So where’ll it be?  I think I’ll be divying up my time amongs the three nearest participating stores: Monical’s Pizza, McAlister’s Deli, and Lone Star Steakhouse.  If you’re in the Chambana area, maybe I’ll see you there!

Happy Hour and Happy Customers

So this will probably come as no surprise to most, but happy hour is a very popular tradition at lots of bars across the country.  After all, who doesn’t love a good deal?  (Especially when it’s cheap beer…)

So it should also come as no surprise that a recent Technomic survey found that over 70% of bartenders say the best way to bring in sales on a new drink is to use a price promotion.  So if you are planning to give a new cool drink a try in your bar, consider testing it out with a tempting price tag.  Once your customers taste how great your latest concoction is, the idea is that they’ll continue to buy it even after the price promo is over.  And DO make sure the promotion is for a limited time.  Otherwise, your guests may come to expect bottom barrel prices and become resentful when you finally have to raise them.  Best just to make it clear that you’re having a limited time promotion, hype it up a bit, hook your audience, and then bring prices up as expected.

If your bar needs updated bar equipment to go with your updated drink menu, be sure to stop by www.servu-online.com to get everything you need!