Coco's is closing soon.....

How about creating a nice booklet of the restaurants in the 30A area, with a map? It should include all the restaurants, not just those that pay to advertise. We have a notebook in our rental house where we put information about the area and plastic sleeves that hold menus we collect from the restaurants we go to. I also have a list in the front of the notebook of our personal favorites, all along 30A. It is hard to keep up with the opening and closing of restaurants although I'm constantly trying to remove or add menus when I can. (I need a new one for D&K, the one I had has disappeared!) If there was a nice booklet with consistent information, that summarized the type of food, a food price range, and setting or environment, and is easily kept up to date, all the the rental companies would be eager to place them in their houses. Perhaps one page per restaurant with photos, samples of the menu, etc. I know there are menu books available already, but I think they are in the whole Destin/Sowal area, and aren't very informative.

Also, just having an 8.5 x 11 menu or other information sheet about your restaurant would make it that much easier to keep up the notebook we have for our guests. Often menus are such odd sizes, it makes it hard to put and display nicely in the notebook. You could make a page up for your restaurant and give them to the rental companies to pass out to their owners that have such notebooks. I have found that some of our guests write comments on the menu if they liked the restaurant so the next guest will see it. Of course, having a nice booklet would mean we wouldn't have to keep up with the menus.

Also, just having an 8.5 x 11 menu or other information sheet about your restaurant would make it that much easier to keep up the notebook we have for our guests. Often menus are such odd sizes, it makes it hard to put and display nicely in the notebook. You could make a page up for your restaurant and give them to the rental companies to pass out to their owners that have such notebooks. I have found that some of our guests write comments on the menu if they liked the restaurant so the next guest will see it. Of course, having a nice booklet would mean we wouldn't have to keep up with the menus.

It's funny -- we have that problem too. I wonder why it hasn't occurred to restaurants to be more "menu book" friendly when they print their menus!?!?!?

IMO, Sowal needs more family friendly, less expensive options. The area caters to people seeking family friendly vacations but the restaurants are more upscale. AND I LOVE THE UPSCALE RESTAURANTS. When I am there with my girlfriends. But when the whole family goes to the beach, we are hard pressed to get to one nice dinner out. Thus, we end up cooking at home. Perhaps some of the more upscale restaurants could have an "early bird" kids menu that they offer from 6 - 7 only. Just a thought. . . .

Shelly-The value added is better food and drink along with better service. I think that people on vacation might be willing to spend a bit more if they knew they were going to get something freshly prepared and not a boil in bag pre-fab plate of junk ala Applebees. Also, professional waitstaff are worth a few extra dollars. If you doubt this, quiz your Olive Garden server on the best wine to go with your marinara after you reject the two they are required to memorize. With that said, our indy operators have to uphold their end of the deal and deliver the best food, drink and service possible. I know that 70% of the visitors here will pack up the kids and flock like zombies to Olive Garden, Applebees, Joes Crab Shack, Landry's Seafood and their ilk because they perceive quantity as a value instead of quality. The key is to get the message out to the 30% that we have some exceptional dining in the area that will enhance their vacation experience.

Skunky, Doug and I have been in the food industry here in South Walton since 1986-87 and from the early '90s until now we have always marketed to that 30%. We are by far not the only ones, the first ones or the best ones. From early on there was Paradise Cafe, The Lake Place, Criolla's, Bud & Alley's, Grayton Corner Cafe, Basmati's, then Sandors, Cafe 30A, D&K's Little New Orleans Cafe, Borago's, Picolo's & The Red Bar, Cafe Provence....then we moved to Grayton and became D&K's Beach Cafe to finally end up D&K Cafe after the renovation. There are so many more wonderful restaurants now....but I was just going back to the earliest restaurants (that my tired mind can remember)and what we all have done over the last 20 years.

Things have changed, people have changed....it sounds simple to market that we "collectively" have exceptional dining in this area that will enhance their vacation experience. Believe me I have been advertising this for so long it's become a mantra. And over the years Magazines, Newspapers, Food Critics, Radio, Televison and the News Chanels have sang the same tune. And it worked! Because it was true and we were all so unique and each offered a specialty cuisine to diners. And, I believe this to still be true. BUT, since the Real Estate Crash, the opening of bazillions of small and large restaurants in South Walton and westward towards Destin it has become a matter of convenience, curiosity and just maybe that we all like to try something new....definitely can't say it's because tourists and locals can get lunch/dinner less expensive at these new places. Now, don't anyone get their nose all bent out of shape....there are the small casual and charming cafe's and deli's that one can get a lunch for under $10.00 on and around 30A. We applaud them!!!!!!

So, my friend, we will keep on keeping on and continue to seek the smartest, most honest and creative way to market to locals and tourists. For us Halloween was fantastic...our ads worked, the buzz was out, and the $19.95 Special was a big hit. So big we are going to offer it every night now....Salad, Chef's Special Entree, and Dessert. More about that to come on another thread.

:clap:Skunky we value your opinions, your advice and your knowledge. Please keep it up! I hope you can understand my ramblings.:blush:

:wave:Kat;-)

It's funny -- we have that problem too. I wonder why it hasn't occurred to restaurants to be more "menu book" friendly when they print their menus!?!?!?

Sounds like a quick and easy way to market to the tourists would be for the local restaurants to have 8.5x11 copies of menus available for renters to pickup and a thread whose ONLY content is pdfs of menus and updates of specials - no comments on menu items etc!

The only local places I can think of that are kid appropriate, have good food, and aren't a chain are Amore & Red Bar.

I don't know what the answer is to how you as a group can create a powerful brand (I'm trying to find the magic formula for my business!) but it will, as I stated before have to be truly-outside-the-box IMO.

All the ideas I've read here so far are good ideas, but my first response has been "that's already been done". Things like menus that are a standard size is something you all should consider doing NOW as you have customers on this board who have a direct line to potential customers (their renters) telling you that is what they want! That is golden in marketing you have this information. And, printing out a menu as they outline is a ridiculouosly low cost marketing piece that you can do today to get the ball rolling.

I hold to my position that locals aren't your core target demographic. Locals, from the perspective of cumulative purchasing power, don't at this point in time have the money to patronize your restaurants like we all used to be able to. And as JDarg said, all what ... 7300 of us if that?? ... already know who you are and I bet a lot of us have tried all the restaurants in Sowal at some point (The only two I haven't yet are D&Ks and Stinkys - but you all are on my list😀). Locals will continue to patronize those specific restaurants on each of our "favorites" lists so I guess what I'm saying is I don't think you should waste a lot of your marketing budget on us 😀.

Target the tourists ... target the tourists...how? I'll leave that up to the restauranteurs to figure out!

So I just wanted to say that there have been some great suggestions and comments on this tread. But I wanted to kind of clear up my suggestion for restaurants to do some group marketing.

I do not think that the eateries of 30A are on the brink of being eaten up by the big chains. We had a great summer and are having a great fall, and customers are smart, there is space for all of us out there, but during our off season for as long a I can remember all Sowal businesses suffer, chains or mom and pop. Many of us have to fire professional staff that we have trained to account for the sharp drop in business that has been going on for years. As a matter a fact our "off season" is has become much much more active over the past 5 or so years. But.... I am the eternal optimist and I think that we can do something with all the talent in the area to draw tourists here during those slow months, and that was the initial idea.

I never lived there but from what I have heard Aspen used to almost shut down during the summer and now they have established a great summer tourism campaign and boom all year round. That is what I was suggesting, establishing a Sowal restaurant association to come up with ideas to get people here in the off season.

IJill has given a very good overview of the environment restaurants and other discretionary income places are going to have to consider going forward--it can't be ignored.

Continuing to do "business as usual" and expect it to 'pick up' come snowbird-spring break-summer tourist season would be at one's own peril.

The economy has taken a hammering (exhibit A: Goofer & My stock portfolios over the last few weeks :cool:) and folks who still find it in their budget to go on vacation will be more apt to cut back on food costs either by cooking themselves or seeking out lower-cost alternatives.

Paying $32 for a tuna steak dinner--that doesn't even include a starter salad--will be shunned in favor of a more "upscale" chain restaurant where that $32 not only includes a salad/soup starter, but with enough left over to include a glass of wine or a dessert. The end product at both places are the same--one walks out with a full tummy, but in one case the wallet is a lot lighter leaving the patron to choose what part of their vacation will make up for the additional cost.

The mind set of the local restaurants must be....what "value" am I offering these patrons for the additional money they will be spending? THAT is the important question.

A "Buy Local-Flag Waving-Rallying the Troops" campaign may shame some locals and repeat visitors into forking over their money...but it will not nearly have the same appeal to the majority of infrequent and seasonal visitors who are feeling the economic sting of an oncoming recession.

VALUE ADDED is the key. What value do those "other eating places" provide to their customer? What can we do that they do now and what can't they provide that we can? A strategy must include some sort of advertising with menus and pricing (folks are familiar with the prices they pay at the same restaurant chains in their city), people hate to be surprised to find that they have to pay an additional $6.50 for a mixed salad when they purchase a $32 tuna steak dinner. Most definitely service and good food is a must. Local restaurants may also have to rework their menus to provide more "low cost" choices to attract diners: daily prix fix menus, lunch specials that highlight the restaurant's cuisine, and inexpensive but chichi-sounding pasta or chicken dishes to attract a larger customer base. Of course changes like these will cut into the operating margins that we've been used to over the RE boom times; but the difference between staying in business and shutting down is liquidity--that means keeping the cash flow coming in until times get better.

I don't believe this current "rut" the economy is experiencing will be 'all better' by Spring 2008. IMO it is extremely risky for any restaurateur to hang their hat on that sunny outlook. The competition that positions itself to survive when economic times are tough is going to win in the end.


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Gee Shel, I am not going bust. I was up 14% for the year a month ago, as of today MY portfolio is up 5%. Not that shabby. Thanks for your concern though. For the record I am not changing my eating out habits even though my pants are protesting !!

Gee Shel, I am not going bust. I was up 14% for the year a month ago, as of today MY portfolio is up 5%. Not that shabby. Thanks for your concern though. For the record I am not changing my eating out habits even though my pants are protesting !!

Self deprecation.

The ski resorts have done a lot of marketing to bring in visitors during the non-ski season (for golf, conventions, weddings etc), but they still have an "off season" and multiple month lulls between the end of ski season/the beginning of summer and end of summer/thanksgiving when most of their staff gets laid off.

I think the idea of marketing to draw more people in the off season is great, but just who is the target demographic and what will draw them here? :idontno:

The ski resorts have done a lot of marketing to bring in visitors during the non-ski season (for golf, conventions, weddings etc), but they still have an "off season" and multiple month lulls between the end of ski season/the beginning of summer and end of summer/thanksgiving when most of their staff gets laid off.

I think the idea of marketing to draw more people in the off season is great, but just who is the target demographic and what will draw them here? :idontno:

I have to change my tune about something I said in my previous post - I think Food Tourism is a great idea that has been thrown out here! That could be something to offer in the "off season" - and marketed maybe with the help of the TDC etc.?? With the amount of folks that are foodies and the fact that we are so accessible to millions via car, this could be a neat offering for the area. Just a thought.

And, printing out a menu as they outline is a ridiculouosly low cost marketing piece that you can do today to get the ball rolling.

And even cheaper. . .just offer us a PDF and we'll print them ourselves!!

The ski resorts have done a lot of marketing to bring in visitors during the non-ski season (for golf, conventions, weddings etc), but they still have an "off season" and multiple month lulls between the end of ski season/the beginning of summer and end of summer/thanksgiving when most of their staff gets laid off.

I think the idea of marketing to draw more people in the off season is great, but just who is the target demographic and what will draw them here? :idontno:

There is a lot of inventory in the off season to sell. And it's truly the best time to be at Sowal. You don't have waits at restaurants, the beaches aren't crowded. It's easier to bike, take a boat ride, kayak, etc. The Target Market is people w/o kids in school. OR people leaving their kids behind. And these people are more likely to eat at the higher end restaurants that are so plentiful in the area. I know we eat our more often during the winter when we are there because we aren't so tied up with the pool/beach. I think it's a great idea to figure out ways to attract people then. The one problem is big houses are too expensive for a couple to rent. And there are sooo many big houses (or course they'd be great for girls weekends or golf trips) Maybe the restaurants can team up with owners to offer weekend "get aways" or "romantic vacations". Or offer a package - gift certificate from a store or SPA, dinner at a restaurant and a boat guided tour. Hotels do this stuff all of the time.

And it's truly the best time to be at Sowal. You don't have waits at restaurants, the beaches aren't crowded. It's easier to bike, take a boat ride, kayak, etc. The Target Market is people w/o kids in school. OR people leaving their kids behind. And these people are more likely to eat at the higher end restaurants that are so plentiful in the area. The one problem is big houses are too expensive for a couple to rent. And there are sooo many big houses (or course they'd be great for girls weekends or golf trips)

I know it's the best time and the area has lots to offer, my point was you have to figure out exactly who to get and how to get them here - my relatives refuse to visit between April and October because they think it's too freaking hot, but in the fall their time is also tied up w/ hunting trips, football games, trips abroad they schedule to avoid the busy summer travel season etc.