RESTAURANT STRATEGY Podcast
Episode: Building a Strategy to Spark Word-of-Mouth (ENCORE)
Host: Chip Klose
Date: November 6, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, Chip Klose shares actionable insights on how independent restaurant owners can deliberately craft experiences and products that spark genuine word-of-mouth marketing. Challenging the notion that "good food and service" are enough, Chip argues that what truly generates buzz is being remarkable—creating moments, dishes, or experiences that are literally "worthy of remark." Drawing on real-world examples and industry analogies, he demystifies the often-overlooked process of making your restaurant the one people just have to talk about.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Power (and Challenge) of Word-of-Mouth
- Word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing tool for restaurants, but too few operators have a real strategy for it.
- “If word of mouth is our most powerful tool, then why don’t we have a strategy for it?” -- Chip Klose [01:00]
- Good food and service are now simply minimum expectations, not differentiators.
Control What You Can: Agency in Experience
- While some word-of-mouth is organic ("good time, tell a friend"), restaurant owners should focus on controllable factors that actively spark conversation.
- “There’s very little you can do to make [word-of-mouth] happen. But on the other side, there’s a lot you can do to make people talk.” -- Chip [09:10]
The Need to Be Remarkable
- Inspired by Seth Godin’s concept, “remarkable” literally means “worthy of remark.”
- “If it’s not remarkable, there’s no reason to talk about it.” -- Chip [11:00]
- Many restaurants, while good, are unremarkable—indistinguishable from the competition.
- Example: A neighborhood bagel shop that’s fine, but “there’s nothing interesting, unique, or elevated about that experience.” [12:20]
- Chip clarifies: “When I say elevated, I don’t mean fancy or expensive. I mean there’s nothing worthy of mention…” [13:10]
- Category sameness (“pizza is pizza… until it’s not”) is a thread: you win by being the exception.
Escaping the Commodity Trap
- Restaurants often default to fighting on convenience, familiarity, or price but can never win long-term against chains on those dimensions.
- “All things being equal, the consumer will then make their decision based on one of three criteria: convenience, familiarity, or price.” -- Chip [15:40]
- Being remarkable lets you sidestep the “commodity mindset.” Give people a why to go out of their way (and pay a premium) for you.
Differentiation in Menu and Experience
- Signature items or gestures—however small—can create talk triggers.
- Example: A sushi place that greets diners with a free hand roll, “a little something… It was different. I’ve never been to a sushi place that greeted me with a free hand roll. That was worth talking about. And I did.” -- Chip [18:10]
- Even just a single remarkable signature can transform your reputation.
- “You don’t have to revolutionize everything. You can just have a signature or a couple signatures…” [20:00]
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
The Commodity Mindset
- “At the independent level… we can never be the closest, the most famous, or the cheapest.” -- Chip [16:30]
- “The way to combat this is to create something remarkable, create something that doesn’t exist, something that people are willing to pay a little bit extra for and go a little bit out of their way for.” -- Chip [17:10]
Examples of Remarkable Operations (21:00–33:40)
1. David Burke’s Bacon on a Clothesline (~21:30)
- Plating bacon vertically, clipped to a "clothesline" with clothespins and kitchen shears; garnished with rosemary and served over pickles.
- “What happens is…the bacon drippings drip off the bacon and onto the pickles… it’s genius. It looks, tastes, smells great. An ingenious presentation.” -- Chip [22:40]
- “People take pictures of it and they send it to people…This dish has been around for 30 years, and I still talk to plenty of people who have never been… That’s what I mean. This is the new word of mouth.” [24:40]
2. Black Tap’s ‘Crazy Shakes’ (~26:10)
- Massive, over-the-top milkshakes with candy and cake on top; a must-order for most guests, highly Instagrammable.
- “Everyone goes to Black Tap for the crazy shakes…and those are the ones that get filmed.” -- Chip [26:40]
3. Carmine’s Family-Style Portions (~27:40)
- No individual portions; everything is enormous and meant for sharing.
- “What happens is that people can’t believe the size of the portions and they take pictures…and it becomes something to talk about.” [28:10]
4. Alinea’s Table Dessert & Helium Sugar Balloons (~29:00)
- Three-Michelin-star restaurant with desserts constructed on the table; guests also receive edible helium-filled sugar balloons.
- “People press their lips to it and just suck in the helium…and everybody’s talking silly in a helium voice… once the helium’s gone, you eat the balloon. It’s unique.” -- Chip [30:00]
5. The Shellfish Tower ‘Trigger’ (~31:05)
- In a LA restaurant, if nobody’s ordered a shellfish tower early, management sends one to a random table to create buzz and spark orders.
- “They know that them just being in the dining room… people are like, ‘Oh, man, that looks really good. We should get one of those.’” [32:00]
Actionable Takeaways
Make “Remarkable” a Priority
- Self-assess: Acknowledge if your restaurant is undifferentiated and commit to changing that.
- Don’t try to out-convenience or out-cheapen the big players—instead, give people a memorable reason to pick you.
Curate the Conversation
- “You can manufacture, you can manicure the conversation that happens about you and your restaurant—you just have to make it a priority.” -- Chip [33:40]
- Even small, unique touches (gifts, signature plating, surprise gestures) can become your talk trigger.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:00 — Why do we lack word-of-mouth strategies?
- 11:00 — The meaning and importance of being "remarkable"
- 15:40 — The commodity mindset versus differentiation
- 18:10 — Sushi hand roll anecdote: A small touch that sparks conversation
- 21:00 — Examples of remarkable menu items/experiences:
- 21:30 — David Burke’s Bacon on a Clothesline
- 26:10 — Black Tap’s Crazy Shakes
- 27:40 — Carmine’s family-style portions
- 29:00 — Alinea’s table desserts and sugar balloons
- 31:05 — Shellfish tower surprise
- 33:40 — Closing advice: Own your talk triggers
Episode in a Nutshell
Chip Klose makes a compelling case for intentionally designing word-of-mouth moments within your restaurant experience—moments that aren’t just good, but truly talk-worthy. With concrete examples and memorable analogies, he gives restaurant owners a blueprint: stop relying on generic excellence; start crafting your own “remarkable” signature that gives guests something new to say about you.