bake - September 2019 - 66

foodservice

The Digital Guest Experience
There are five channels to engage with your customers - in

ing that Wi-Fi enables you to track the location of customers

your store, pickup, delivery, catering and gift cards. "The key

at any given time. "When you know where the customer is, you

is to get all those customers and bring them back," says Brian

can change behaviors."

Best, vice president of digital marketing for Tropical Smoothie
Cafe, a fast-growing casual cafe concept that adds two new

Tropical Smoothie Cafe recently reported significant achieve-

stores each week.

ments in the first half of 2019, opening 58 restaurants and signing 75 franchise agreements.

Best, who spoke at the National Restaurant Association Show
2019, reminded people of a longtime marketing truth that it is five

In May, the brand celebrated a major milestone by opening its

times more expensive to win over a new customer than reengage

750th location in Sugarland, Texas. With more than 775 cafes

with a current one. "That's why your database is key," he adds.

open, the company is on track to continue to build upon its
momentum with a goal to open 130 cafes, sign more than 175

Email open rates are typically 15-20%, so paid social media

franchise agreements and grow same-store sales by 5% in 2019.

advertising is more effective as a marketing strategy, Best says.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, for example, will experience a 74%

Tropical Smoothie Cafe has been able to propel develop-

increase in foot traffic as the result of one paid social media ad.

ment due to its targeted efforts in priority growth markets
such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Char-

The simple truth is that engaging guests leads to transactions.

lotte and Tampa.

customers can find your bakery or cafe through the map app

Over the past year, the brand's leadership team, including

on their phones. Increasingly, customers type in a name of what

CEO Charles Watson, hosted meet-and-greet events in some of

they are looking for (restaurants, bakeries, etc.) when they

these markets. As a result, the brand signed multiple franchise

search Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze. Check out your own

deals including a five-unit agreement in Dallas-Fort Worth and

place, and make sure the name of your bakery or cafe pops up

a seven-unit agreement in Chicago. In addition, during the first

on the search function of the app.

half of 2019, more than one third of the brand's openings were
in its targeted markets. During the second half of the year, the

The next step is developing a loyalty program. Build your cus-

leadership team will continue hosting additional events in Phila-

tomer database (and keep records you can search) by gather-

delphia and Houston.

ing email addresses through site registrations, online and app
transactions and sweepstakes and promotions.

"We came out of the gate strong in the first half of the year and
are enthusiastic to continue this momentum throughout the rest

"Loyalty programs are really the marriage to guest tracking,

of 2019," says Watson. "From our in-market events, deal sign-

behavior tracking, guest insights and analytics," says Best, add-

ings and new openings to our prestigious industry recognitions,

66 < SEP 2019 | bakemag.com

For starters, Best suggests the importance of making sure that

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bake - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bake - September 2019