Tulsa-based Waller & Company Public Relations adds restaurant and

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Sep 22, 2006 by Kirby Lee Davis

Waller & Company Public Relations of Tulsa has added a Restaurant and Hotel Services Division to develop its food and hospitality client base.

Even with traditional churn, the 10-year-old full-service firm has enjoyed strong success in the field, adding six clients this year, said president and co-founder Barrett Waller. The new division will start with one employee, bringing the firm's full-time staff to five.

"Our firm has helped many national food concepts enter the Oklahoma market over the past four years," said Mary Waller, firm chief operating officer and leader of the new R&HS division.

Those included Bonefish Grill, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Mimi's Cafe and the Melting Pot Restaurant.

"It would have been a challenge without them," said Brad Rockholt, managing partner with Bonefish Grill, which opened its first Oklahoma restaurant last June in Broken Arrow. "They were a wealth of information and contacts. And they gave very sound advice.

"They were actually able to put us in contact with a lot of media and different organizations and influential people in the community to help us build our business," he said.

Other clients brought together under the new division include the Colcord and Ambassador hotels, Rib Crib, the Forest Ridge Golf Club and Resort, the Brasserie, and the Metro Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"We've built an expertise in helping restaurants, hotels and gaming venues advance their brands to new customers," said Mary Waller. "We formed the R&HS business unit so we can better serve both independent and national brands who need focused PR services."

In January 2005, Mark and Becky Chapman opened their first Melting Pot franchise at the RiverWalk Crossing shopping center in Jenks. In December, their second restaurant should open in Oklahoma City's Bricktown area.

Waller & Company worked with them on both projects.

"They completely handled my opening for me, the guest list, the coordination, the pre-opening publicity, the coordinated TV spots and the cooking spots," Becky Chapman said of the RiverWalk debut. "And they were the first contact for everybody for all that kind of stuff, which totally took the pressure off of that for me. They were just wonderful.

"And now that we are open, they handle all of my donation requests, all the charity event coordination, and they regularly pitch to me when to get articles written and cooking spots and that kind of stuff," she continued. "And they've come up with some really good ideas on how to promote the restaurant."

Barrett Waller noted that Tulsans have maintained a longtime national reputation for dining out, making the city a prime test market for restaurant launches.

"The flipside of that," said Mary Waller, "is Oklahoma continues to attract concepts. They look at the market and scrutinize it, and they bring to the market the concept that they think is the best fit."

Barrett Waller said a lot of restaurants like to open up here just to see how they do and that apparently they're doing very well.

The National Restaurant Association projected industry sales would grow 5.1 percent this year to $511 billion, equaling 4 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Oklahoma's eating and drinking places (it had 5,464 in 2005) would enjoy sales of $4.2 billion, the NRA projected, employing 140,300 - or 9.1 percent of total state employment.

Waller & Company's consulting services range from overseeing "launch" preparations and publicity by local companies to helping national chains localize their community relations programs.

"Sometimes a franchise based out of the state is looking for local media knowledge, business connections, or 'hands on deck' near their facility," Barrett Waller said. "In other cases, we might help the owners with editorial marketing to regional or national food and travel editors."

Waller's other client base ranges from health care, manufacturing, and energy to technology and professional services. Among them: All Steel Building Co., the Bryant Law Firm, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Coury Properties, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Technology Center, Gable & Gotwals, Oseco and Urgent Care of Green Country.

The company is considering further expansion.

"I think the marketplace is really busy right now," he said. "People are ready. Things are looking promising right now, at least in the public relations and marketing fields. People are wanting to get their name out there more and do more."

Waller & Company has enjoyed 15-percent to 20-percent growth in billings over its entire portfolio through the last four years. Mary Waller expects that to continue this year.

The new division should enjoy 30-percent growth both this year and next.

Sources have told Mary Waller that Americans spent more money dining out than on groceries last year.

"It's another trend that tells me that this market that we have entered with our new division is going to remain strong for the next few years," she said.