Achieving Restaurant Customer Loyalty

The definition of “loyalty” is pretty straightforward: “Unswerving in allegiance… faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution or product.” Easily defined, yes, but not always easy to achieve when it comes to purchasing or customer service relationships. Sure, we expect … read more

Winter Wonders on the Menu

As the cold winter air surrounds most of us these days, it is the perfect time to revise menus to reflect the season. ‘Winter-izing’ food & beverage menus is as necessary now as getting out a favorite warm winter coat. … read more

VSAG on Industry Watch: Winning PR & Marketing Tactics

We’ve all heard the old adage: Any PR is good PR. Well, not always – especially in our industry, where ‘PR’ doesn’t just mean relations with professional media, it’s actually working with the public to manage your brand, your business … read more

New Technologies Look to Improve the Way We Do Business

According to the National Restaurant Association, the food service industry is posed to outpace our economic sales growth for the 12th consecutive year with sales expected to reach $632 billion this year, a 3.5 percent increase over 2011. And it … read more

Fall Flavors: Adding them to Your Menu

When we think of quintessential fall flavors we begin to crave apples, butternut squash, cranberries, figs, escarole, okra, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and the like. The great tastes of fall make it a little easier to digest that, for most … read more

Gluten-Free Goodies

Last month we talked about the importance of incorporating gluten-free items (i.e. foods free of wheat, barley and rye) into your menu development and reported that those affected with gluten intolerance are part of one of the fastest growing nutritional … read more

Using Pinterest to Market Your Business

VSAG has touted our taste for marketing by way of social media before.  In short: We believe getting familiar with the latest and greatest social media tools is crucial to your restaurant’s success. And in the last few months, online … read more

Beer vs. Wine: Who Is Drinking What?

The Huffington Post recently reported that Americans consume more beer than wine.  According to a new Gallup report, beer edges out wine by 39% to 35% as the beverage of choice for those who imbibe. Perhaps not surprisingly, the stats … read more

How to Effectively Use Instagram as a Marketing Tool

Many of us remember the instantaneous fun a Polaroid camera brought to any family function. Well, the creators of Instagram turned that nostalgia into an innovative photo sharing service available through a variety of social networking services, including Instagram’s own … read more