Podcast Summary: RESTAURANT STRATEGY

Episode: How to CRUSH with Community Events
Host: Chip Klose
Date: October 2, 2025

Main Theme

This episode centers on maximizing the marketing potential of community events—for example, charity gatherings, street fairs, and farmers’ markets—not just as opportunities to make immediate sales, but as key tools for growing long-term customer relationships and expanding your restaurant's base. Host Chip Klose breaks down a step-by-step playbook for how restaurants should approach these events to boost customer acquisition and drive repeat business.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Most Restaurants Approach Community Events the Wrong Way

• Selling Isn’t the Main Goal: Chip asserts that most operators focus solely on sales at events—bringing lots of product and aiming to sell out. While this generates revenue, Chip argues it misses the bigger marketing opportunity.
  • Quote: “If that is your plan for those events, then, yeah, you are doing it wrong. I'm going to tell you how to do it right.” [00:13]

The “Mothership” Analogy

• Events Are for Bringing People Back: The goal shouldn’t just be to feed people on-site, but to entice them to visit your restaurant later.
  • Quote: “The whole point of going beyond your four walls is like a...mothership sending out little UFOs...to bring people back to the mothership.” [04:18]

Chip’s Two-Step Playbook for Event Success

1. Prioritize Data Acquisition Over Sales

• Collect Customer Contact Info: Use “fishbowl” tactics—physical or digital. Prompt visitors to enter a giveaway by submitting their name, email, phone, and even birthday.
  • Quote: “When you are doing these, the number one focus should be on gathering people's information. That's really crucial.” [05:41]
• Modern Variations: Use QR codes for digital signups.
• Tangible Incentive: Everyone who enters should get a small free item on the spot—like lemonade or cookies—boosting participation.
  • Quote: “If they have the chance of winning a hundred dollar gift card and they get a tangible benefit right now in the moment, would they be willing to do it?” [10:17]

2. Use Targeted Follow-Up

• Winners Must Redeem in Person: Draw a set of winners (e.g., $100 gift cards), but they must visit the restaurant physically to claim it.
  • Quote: “You do not email it to them. You do not mail it to them. They have to come to the mothership...” [07:10]
• Everyone Else Gets a Smaller Reward: Email the rest (the “losers”) with a consolation reward—a $10–$20 voucher to encourage them to visit.
  • Quote: “Even though you didn't win one of our hundred dollar gift cards, we're giving everybody who entered a $10 gift card. Just show this email next time you come into the restaurant.” [07:35]
• Expectations: About 20-25% of these recipients will come in—a strong customer acquisition result.

The Purpose and Power of Marketing at Events

• Behavior Change is the Goal: The real win is getting people who wouldn’t otherwise visit to come to your restaurant, not just feeding them once.
  • Quote: “Marketing is two things. Getting them to raise their hand and getting them to change their behavior...” [08:40]
• Think Long-Term: These events let you connect with non-regulars who may not discover your restaurant otherwise.

Margin Sacrifices Are Worth It

• Short-Term Cost for Long-Term Gain: Giving away products or discounts may hurt immediate margins, but it’s invaluable for building your customer base.
  • Quote: “You are acquiring customers. You are getting new people to walk into your restaurant...I would be willing to lose margin just to begin that relationship.” [11:13]

Data is Gold

• Build Your Contact Database: Add new contacts to your ongoing email/text marketing—fueling repeat engagement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the core mistake:
  “If you are just trying to sell food and make as much money as possible, you are missing out on a key opportunity when you [do] community events.” [03:42]

• On the fishbowl strategy:
  “The simple way is to just say, ‘Hey, we're giving away $500 gift cards to our restaurant downtown. Just enter here and we'll draw the winners at the end of the day.’” [06:31]

• On demonstrating marketing’s impact:
  “When they come down and show their phone...boom, a bell should ring. Because you know, now that your marketing worked.” [09:20]

• On the real point of community events:
  “The whole point is to introduce yourself to people who don’t otherwise know you...But now that they met you at the street fair or the farmer’s market, they maybe would go out of their way.” [13:08]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|-------| | 00:00–02:05 | Show open, intro, and context for the topic | | 03:27–04:31 | Why most restaurants “do it wrong” at events | | 04:18–04:41 | The “mothership” strategy | | 05:41–06:30 | The importance of data collection | | 06:31–08:15 | The fishbowl and “everybody wins” tactics | | 08:40–09:20 | Defining real marketing success | | 10:17–11:13 | Giving instant and delayed rewards | | 12:15–13:45 | Margins, customer acquisition, and long-term thinking |

Takeaways for Restaurant Owners

• Shift your mindset: The goal of community events is customer acquisition, not just sales.
• Run promotions that require follow-up in-house redemption.
• Data is the most valuable asset—capture it at every event.
• Sacrifice some margin now for potentially much greater future returns.

Chip’s direct and actionable playbook provides a template for anyone looking to turn community events from “missed opportunities” into revenue- and relationship-generating goldmines. The advice is easy to implement, measurable, and designed for independent restaurant operators ready to “crush it” outside—and inside—their four walls.