A Great Little Restaurant Experience

Some of you may be able to relate to keeping children sufficiently occupied while the parents try and enjoy a dinner out.  The usual time occupiers we all like to bring along have been electronic engagement devices such as Game Boys, PS2s etc..  But let me relate a story of one restaurant that has a creative way of keeping our kids occupied in a very brand centric fashion.  The restaurant is Carrabba’s Grill.  A moderately upscale Italian place that is one of the brands within the Outback Steakhouse family of restaurants. 

Most of us with kids (mine are now 14 and 11) are familiar with the standard offering by the hostess of the bag of slightly chewed and very used crayons and cheap coloring books.  Perhaps that bag of goodies occupied Ozzie and Harriet’s brood, but today’s over-amped, multi-tasking kids in search of constant stimulation look at this “kiddie bag” as nothing more than cheap antiques made for throwing at unsuspecting siblings.  Carrabba’s offers a much different experience for families with children of any age.

Once seated and the drink orders are established, a hostess will arrive with a fresh basket of baked bread and a small ball of fresh dough for each child.  This unique offer creates endless hours of entertainment for kids of all ages as they roll, poke, and shape their creation.  As a marketer I view this tactic as supporting the Carrabba’s brand core essence of home cooking and the tactile and sensory nature of an Italian kitchen.  This Play-Doh like experience doesn’t end with just the creation of gingerbread men, baguettes, or other less desirable objects.  When the meal arrives, the waitress retrieves the freshly shaped dough and returns it to an awaiting oven.  By the way, I believe they smear it with a wonderful garlic butter sauce prior to baking.  And in just a few minutes the kids’s baked goods are presented back to them ready for their immediate consumption and enjoyment.

A wonderfully creative (yet brilliant in its simplicity) alternative to crayons and coloring books that supports the brand and ultimately helps create a unique experience for the entire family.  I would encourage more restaurants to get creative with their dining experience.  Clearly, really appealing and tasty dishes help.  But it’s not just about the menu or the atmosphere.  That can often be superficial window dressing that may attract people once.  Great restaurants create a total dining experience where the food is only one element of the evening’s gastronomic theater. 

How many of us return to restaurants that have average food simply because we have a good time, converse with friends or family, and ultimately end up telling others to try out ”our new spot”?   And as I like to say, when people talk…people buy.  A great experience can trump average food.  Whereas a mediocre experience will stick out in your mind more than a really good dish.  And if you want to see your kids leave hundereds of dollars of gaming devices in the car for pennies worth of bread dough check out a Carrabba’s Grill.

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