Operators go the extra mile for value; from car washes to free desserts, restaurateurs chase the cost-conscious patron

Nation's Restaurant News, June 15, 1992 by Theresa Howard, Ron Ruggless

From car washes to free desserts, restaurateurs chase the cost-conscious patron

CHICAGO - Customers are trying to squeeze so much value out of each dining dollar that operators are beginning to hear George Washington scream.

To help meet those demands and differentiate themselves from the competition, operators are coming up with ideas to give customers added value or - at least - the perception of added value.

From marketing to menu changes, the ideas offered by operators attending the National Restaurant Association show here were wide-ranging - from washing customers' cars while they dine to featuring complimentary desserts.

Customers, in turn, are beginning to expect operators to add the little extras. "If you don't, you are going to get squashed by people who do," said Scott Smith, general manager for a La Senorita restaurant in Michigan.

When they opened their new restaurant in Chicago last month, Linda and Dan Bacin were looking for ways to steer customers into their dining room, and they hit upon one. At Bella Vista, the Bacins' seventh area restaurant, valets not only park the customers' cars but - in a deal worked out with a car wash only two minutes away - give the automobiles a cleaning too. At another of their restaurants, which is plagued by inadequate parking, they negotiated to get the landlord to foot the bill for a valet parking service.

"Anything that saves people time is a great idea," said Bernard C. Roussel, a restaurant consultant based in Gurnee, Ill. "People are strapped for time and money. Any idea to add value is great now."

Roussel said he is getting more business from operators who are looking for new ideas. "It's a rough business," he explained. "You've got to beat your brain every day to come up with new ideas."

Not all the ideas have to be costly, either. Smith, who manages one of the seven La Senorita restaurants based in Saginaw, Mich., said that even something as simple as keeping an umbrella by the front door and, if it rains, having a restaurant worker escort patrons to their car can make a big impression.

Other gestures at the end of a meal can also plant an image of value in customers' minds - and speed their return.

Flavored coffees can be a lower-cost way to cultivate a quality image, according to Carol Coleman of East Detroit, Mich., owner of Fig Tree Catering. She also goes the extra step of making sure catered weddings include such touches as punch that's color-coordinated to bridesmaid's dresses.

Elsewhere, operators are tinkering with menus like medieval alchemists, and some efforts are turning to gold.

For an additional $2, customers at the restaurants in Stern's Department Stores can have a dessert and beverage to complete a luncheon entree, according to Rena Levy, director of foodservice for the stores, based in Paramus, N.J..

She said that while the $2 offer is popular with customers, it is also raising check averages. Levy said she is also considering frequent-diner discounts.

Menu bonuses are also new for Bill Dooley, who runs a sports bar in Algonquin, Ill., and Dooley's Pub, an Irish-style bar in Schaumburg, Ill. For an extra $3, any of Dooley's pasta dishes - regularly $8.95 - can be made into a double order for two.

In addition, "entertainment is important to our customers," Dooley pointed out. So he's added a volleyball court to the sports bar and live bands on Friday and Saturday nights.

In Dunwoody, Ga., Dan v. Hunsaker, owner of Mammie's Kitchen, has expanded his menu in an effort to give his customers a better selection. He has increased the number of items from 25 to 35, adding an extra egg on the breakfast orders, offering waffles and pancakes and upping the vegetable side dishes from two to three.

Some restaurants find that offering a freebie - especially at the end of the meal - can make a favorable impression. For example, at Marevas, a 70-seat Polish restaurant in Chicago with an average per-person check of $34, a free filo-pastry dessert and chocolate truffles are prepared for each table.

"It's the last thing they get before going out the door," remarked Ron Ricchiuto, who is a student at the New England Culinary Institute in Essex, Conn., and is interning at the restaurant. "They really remember it."

Not all the NRA showgoers were keen on offering added-value services and items, though.

"There's really no cheap way out other than quality," said France Burger Jr., owner of Cafe France Inc. in Lynchburg, Va. He said he has incorporated a strong price-value strategy, offering homegrown vegetables and herbs; 700 wines and 126 imported beers; and 18 wines by the glass. "I rewrite the menu every day, and the average check is $35 to $40," Burger said.

The idea of couponing, which many operators turn to in economically tight times, got a resounding raspberry from Terry Vince, president of Sovereign Hotels in Wakefield, Mass., which operates four Ramada Inns. He said traffic drops as soon as the coupons end. "Consistency, quality and reasonable prices are the way to go," he said.