Friends of Branded!
Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.
For the readers of the H^2 that are from a younger generation than myself (I’m a Gen X, okay, I just made it insider the range to be an Gen X, but it still counts), the photo above is not an AI-created remake of the Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise Super Bowl commercial or an attempt to make Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal look younger.
It’s the OG, from the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally and the line “I’ll have what she's having” (which was made famous by Rob Reiner’s mother) wasn’t in the script. In fact, the whole scene came together as a result of a suggestion by Meg Ryan, in a read-thru, that it needed to take place in a public place, for example, in a restaurant. Billy Crystal added, and a customer should ask a waiter for whatever Meg Ryan was having. Rob Reiner knew immediately who should play the role, his mother. You can check this factoid out for yourself: Nora Ephron & Rob Reiner - the iconic scene
No, I’m not channeling my film studies from college, but that's the scene I thought about this week when I watched a table react to the excitement generated by a nearby table enthusiastically react and photograph a round of espresso martinis and then order a round of their own.
Yes, the company that made this ‘surprise & delight’ moment happen is Ripples and it’s a Branded portfolio company, but this mention of Ripples isn’t the point (although it seemed silly not to at least highlight it, right). 😊
As long as I’m at it, to our friends at Rich's, do you have something that might help make printing with Ripples even easier & breezier? Maybe a collaboration of some kind could be considered?
Cool, I thought so! Cold Brew with Cold Foam
My point isn’t about the above-mentioned companies, but about the importance of the power of persuasion and how restaurant operators (at least the ones who understand and embrace it), are using it to influence guest behavior. While my example of a round of espresso martinis with photo of a guest printed on the foam is clearly a strategy for full-service & higher-end restaurants, the power of persuasion is used across the entire spectrum of restaurants including, of course, quick-service restaurants.
“Would you want to make it a meal” is the modernized upsell at McDonald’s and has replaced “would you like fries with that?” Actually, the modernized version of the power of persuasion for QSR’s is the upselling by kiosks (this is for you Mr. Barton and Bite). A human can ask maybe a single upselling question without being annoying, however, the kiosk has a range of tools
I don’t know if the talented Dr. Melissa Hughes and her Food for Thought ‘column’ is rubbing off on me (and my grade in PSYC 105 in the first semester of my Frosh year at Wesleyan would suggest that I stay out of Dr. Hughes’ lane), but the phrase “I’ll have what she’s having” is a perfect example of one of six principles of persuasion identified by Dr. Robert Cialdini, the Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University (who had Dr. Cialdini on their bingo card of this week’s Top of the Fold? Anyone?). 😊
The idea is that people are more likely to want something if they see others enjoying it, especially if the enjoyment is displayed in a convincing way.
Ms. Ryan’s enthusiasm at the table with Mr. Crystal, of course, made for an iconic and humorous scene in this classic RomCom, but the point is that the enjoyment of something by one guest makes others curious and want to lean-in.
Seeing a line of people outside a restaurant or a full dining room makes people interested and suggests it’s a place that deserves attention. Creating a waitlist or even intentionally slowing down the seating of guests and having them start the night off at the bar, creates buzz (and possibly the upsell of the drink at the bar that may or may not have been ordered at the table…just saying). Limited-time offers (“LTOs”), along with seasonal dishes, trigger the powerful fear-of-missing-out (“FOMO”) and makes people want to act.
The array of strategies and techniques available to influence guest behavior are plentiful and while this may shock you, I’m NOT going to take us down the path of technology solutions.
Branded’s focus is heavily on technology as a supporting actor and leverage provider for operators, but I’ve also said repeatedly that our business is a people-first industry.
So let me take a moment to show respect for the non-technology and good old fashion human-capital tactics that are commonly (and effectively) used.
Never underestimate the power of a smile and an enthusiastic server that shares his or her favorite dish or mentions what’s most popular on the menu or at the bar. You can certainly think of any recommendation by a server or bartender as an upsell, but as a longstanding restauranteur, I love when I see the effort (to a point of course). When I see a front of house team working together, helping each other bring dishes, clear dishes and just being attentive, it raises the energy of the room. If a server wants to mention a new spirit the joint is having success with, in response to my order, I like it and often act on it.
When I tended bar, I’d sometimes suggest an alternative to a guest’s order and I’d say that if they didn't like it, they wouldn’t have to pay for it and it would be on me (which really means it's on the restaurant, but that’s a topic for another article). You know how often a guest accepted my recommendation? I’d say close to 80%. You know how many times a guest expressed that they didn’t like the drink and had me pay for it (had the restaurant pay for it)? NEVER!
Please note, that’s NOT b/c I was a super-skilled bartender (my colleagues actually said I talked too much to the guests and should have focused more on the speed of my drink making. Can you believe that?!?). This success rate was the power of persuasion and how it influenced guest behavior. The guest may not have re-ordered the drink, but there was never any conflict around that.
A handwritten “thank you” on the check (or being left the server’s phone number with a heart if this was a Luke Combs’ song) goes a long way and personalizes an experience: When It Rains It Pours
Open kitchens and the aromas coming from them trigger cravings.
The music matters as fast-paced music encourages quicker dining, while slower music encourages lingering (but also the ordering of more drinks).
Sizzling anything coming out of the kitchen or preparing anything tableside are attention getting and have guests inquiring what’s going on away from their table and increases the likelihood of their ordering the dish that got their attention.
The power of treating the guests to something, encourages guests to be more generous in their ordering and spending as it inspires reciprocity. This can be done with a breadbasket or a larger pour than would expect.
The table doesn’t want dessert. Okay, bring out a small treat from the kitchen and watch a dessert order get placed as a result and / or some coffee or an after-dinner drink.
One of my favorite staff interactions with guests is the celebrating of a guest’s birthday. This not only makes the table celebrating feel special, but brings some extra energy to the restaurant and inspires others to come celebrate special occasions at your restaurant b/c they see that your team is into!
But don’t ever lie about it being your birthday at Friendly’s! Birthdays at Friendly's - SNL
I started this week’s Top of the Fold with my attempt at embracing psychology and I’m going to end it with an attempt at a little philosophy. The Stoics, and specifically the teachings of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius emphasized that while you can’t control external events, you can in fact control your own thoughts, actions, and responses.
While there is no specific author or owner of the following list, universally, it’s understood that you can control the following ‘core-4’:
- Attitude
- Effort
- Actions
- Reactions
As someone who thinks about his work as a cerebral sport, I’ll bring the legendary Coach Nick Saban into this week’s H^2 as he emphasized the importance of controlling: effort, attitude, discipline and toughness. I’ll conclude with Ex-NY Jet Quarterback and Ex-NY Met outfielder, Tim Tebow, and how he talks about controlling attitude, effort, focus and how you treat others.
I’m not prepared to call either Coach Saban or Mr. Tebow Stoics, but they could make very fine restaurant GMs with the above-mentioned convictions.
It takes a village.
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The FIRST shoutout this week goes to a friend of Branded and one of my favorite writers that covers and provides insights on the hospitality industry, Kristen Hawley.
Kristen publishes the newsletter, Expedite, I’m an enthusiastic subscriber and I want to give her the first shoutout today and share her article on the Wonder acquisition of Tastemade.
I had intended to write about this purchase by Wonder this week, but when I saw Kristen's article on Expedite, I want to instead proudly share Ms. Hawley’s newsletter here.
The sentence under the title of her article is so good and I’m simply going to tip my hat to Kristen and encourage you to read and subscribe to Expedite.
The SECOND shoutout this week goes to our friends and partners at Craveworthy Brands and their grand opening of Wander Dawgs at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
As everyone knows, what happens in Vegas, inevitably ends up on Instagram! 😊
This marks a massive milestone for Craveworthy Brands, as this emerging restaurant company officially brings its first concept to the Las Vegas Strip.
According to Founder & CEO, Gregg Majewski, “this is just the beginning.” (Mr. Majewski embraces brevity more than I do).
Vegas is a city built on energy, excitement, and bold ideas, and that’s exactly what Craveworthy brings to the table. Wander Dawg is the first of many incredible brands that Craveworthy is preparing to open across Las Vegas in the coming months and years.
I've pasted a picture below that I LOVE b/c it captures two of Branded’s partners, friends, and the respective CEOs driving both Craveworthy and Big Chicken forward!
I love this partnership between Craveworthy and Big Chicken and the opening of Wander Dawgs is the first of a whole lot of wins that will come from this dynamic duo!
Have a BIG day!
The THIRD and final shoutout today goes to our friends and partners at Fishbowl.
Branded is super proud to be a partner with the restaurant industry’s leading Guest Relationship Management platform.
This week and specifically on Pi Day, 3/14 (very clever Fishbowl, very clever) the good people at Fishbowl shared some insights pulled from its work with the legendary Giordano's, founded by the brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio in 1974 in Chicago, Illinois.
So, what does Giordano’s famous deep-dish pizza have in common with the market’s leading email & guest engagement platform? Great question!
The takeaway (pun intended) was that the perfect timing makes all the difference!
Fishbowl is a proud partner of Giordano’s, and it used four months of data analysis to optimize email send times and uncover peak engagement periods.
What were the results you asked? Again, another great question!
- Increased open rates month over month.
- Strategic send-time adjustments based on real customer behavior.
- Maximized engagement through data-driven insights.
As the graphic below shows, the best time for e-mail sends varied proving that data, not guesswork, is the key ingredient to successful marketing.
Yesterday, the Day of Pi, was a day to celebrate the power of data in making every send (or slice) count! And while I know today is not Pi Day, the Teams at Giordano’s + Fishbowl deserve this shoutout!
Operators, if you like what you see here, let’s talk about engaging with Fishbowl!
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Branded invites readers of the H^2 that are interested in learning more about our portfolio companies, and investment strategies to become part of our Access Hospitality Network.
This week Branded was very active with our focus on AI-solutions for restaurants and our partners at ARI Venture Studio.
We hosted a call with the leadership team from ARI-VS along with a diverse group of participants which included corporates, institutional investors, and family offices.
ARI-VS is an operating company uniquely focused on simultaneously building multiple AI-Native companies that support the global restaurant industry. ARI-VS is NOT a venture fund, but a venture studio that has a systemic and repeatable model to rapidly launch and scale start-ups.
It’s not often that Branded has the opportunity to partner with a group of experts that are even more narrowly focused on the hospitality industry (exclusively AI-solutions for restaurants) and play at an even earlier-stage than we do (ideation and MVP development).
ARI-VS’ has its own proprietary AI-powered development platform for rapid build, refinement and enhancement of multiple products. The ARI model will deliver (i) faster iterations (mitigating product risk); (ii) rapid testing (mitigating development risk); and (iii) anti-fragile software (mitigating scaling risk).
Our industry is undergoing a most meaningful transformation, and this places a heavy emphasis and value on digital and advanced AI-solutions.
I’m admittedly biased (clearly), but for corporations and other large industry players looking to engage and embrace AI-solutions that are specifically addressing the biggest opportunities, challenges and needs for restaurant operators, we should talk!
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Featured Episode: Spicy Strategies: How El Pollo Loco Stays Hot in QSR
In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, we sit down with Liz Williams, a powerhouse in finance, operations, and brand leadership, to explore how El Pollo Loco is redefining the quick-service restaurant (QSR) experience. Liz shares insights on modernizing restaurant design, leveraging technology to enhance operations, and balancing innovation with brand heritage.
Key topics include the growing demand for fresh, high-quality fast food, the role of digital engagement in customer loyalty, and how El Pollo Loco is merging QSR speed with fast casual quality. Plus, Liz dishes on the brand’s famous Salsa Verde, potential retail expansion, and the latest industry trends shaping foodservice.
Don’t miss this engaging conversation, complete with hot takes, trivia, and branding insights—all brought to you by Hospitality Hangout and Branded Hospitality Ventures. Stay tuned for more expert perspectives driving the future of hospitality!
Listen now and stay ahead of the game! 🎧
Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Liz Williams
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That’s it for today!
See you next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
It takes a village!
Jimmy Frischling
Branded Hospitality Ventures
jimmy@brandedstrategic.com
235 Park Ave South, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10003
Branded Hospitality Ventures ("Branded") is an investment and solutions platform at the intersection of foodservice, technology, innovation and capital. As experienced hospitality owners and operators, Branded brings value to its partners through investment, strategic counsel, and its deep industry expertise and connections.
Learn more about Branded here: Branded At-A-Glance