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WELCOME TO THE FIRST ISSUE OF SEATED! SEATED IS A UNIQUE MAGAZINE THAT FOCUSES ON PROVIDING EVENT MANAGERS IN RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, AND UNIQUE VENUES WITH THE TOP TRENDS, TIPS, AND BEST PRACTICES FOR THE EVENT BUSINESS. THIS NEW MAGAZINE IS ONE OF SEVERAL INITIATIVES BY TRIPLESEAT TO HELP BUILD A COMMUNITY IN THE EVENT MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY. IT JOINS OUR ANNUAL EVENTCAMP CONFERENCE, TRIPLESEAT BLOG, AND PARTY PEOPLE AS A WAY TO BRING TOGETHER LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE TO DISCUSS, LEARN, AND EDUCATE ON HOW TO PLAN AND GROW THE EVENT BUSINESS. WE’RE KICKING OFF OUR INAUGURAL ISSUE WITH RELEVANT AND INTERESTING CONTENT SUCH AS A FEATURE ON THE POPUP EVENT TREND, QUEEN OF POP; A LOOK BACK AT ONE OF TRIPLESEAT’S FIRST CUSTOMERS, A DECADE WITH DAVIO'S; GORGEOUS IMAGES OF OUTDOOR AND ROOFTOP DINING VENUES, ROOFTOPS AND OUTDOOR VENUES WE’RE CRUSHING ON; AND TRENDS YOU’LL WANT TO ADOPT FOR YOUR SPRING AND SUMMER EVENTS, TREND REPORT. OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU LOVE SEATED AS MUCH AS WE LOVED MAKING IT. ENJOY! JONATHAN MORSE CEO, TRIPLESEAT
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Masthead EDITORIAL TEAM JONATHAN MORSE LATHA YOUNGREN MATTHEW POLLOCK AZURE COLLIER KATE KENNEDY
PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR
SPECIAL THANKS BONNIE, CINDER, BEER, COLD BREW, RUM, LIMES, AVOCADO TOAST, ORANGE THEORY FITNESS CONCORD, AND THE ENTIRE TRIPLESEAT FAMILY CONTACTS Tripleseat HQ 50 Beharrell St. Concord, MA 01742 978.614.0490 info@tripleseat.com tripleseat.com info.tripleseat.com/venues venueblog.tripleseat.com
Cover photo: Aretsky's Patroon, New York City
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VOL. 01 | SPRING 2018
10 TREND REPORT: BUZZWORTHY TRENDS THIS SEASON
14 TRIPLESEAT IN THE NEWS:
BRIEFINGS
WE'RE BLOWIN' UP!
16 WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG? WITH SHIRA SPIEWAK
18 CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: TRIPLESEAT CUSTOMERS MAKING HEADLINES
20 FIVE QUESTIONS WITH LES SABLONS
24 TRIPLESEAT ON THE ROAD PARTY PEOPLE NATION
26 MARKETING TIPS FOR EVENT MANAGERS 6 STEP GUIDE TO JUMPSTARTING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
30 THE BARTENDER’S GUIDE TO BATCHING THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF EVERYONE'S FAVORITE TIMESAVER
F E AT U R E S
contents
seated magazine
34 A DECADE WITH DAVIO'S: TEN YEARS OF SUCCESS USING TRIPLESEAT
40 ROOFTOPS AND OUTDOOR VENUES THAT WE'RE TOTALLY CRUSHING ON
58 QUEEN OF POP: EAST BOSTON OYSTERS AND THE RISE OF THE POP-UP
Trend Report
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TREND REPORT 5 TOP TRENDS TO HELP YOU CREATE THE BEST EVENTS IN 2018 There are a ton of buzzworthy trends hitting the service industry this year. From over-the-top garnishes to the rise of the pop-up venue and everything in between, it seems that staying on top of evolving customer needs while trying to keep up with millennial preferences is a tricky but necessary part of remaining relevant. We’ve rummaged through all of the food and beverage industry trends hitting the streets in 2018 and came up with our top five. If you haven’t already adopted these trends, now is a good time to start.
KATE KENNEDY
Briefings
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Locally Sourced Everything This trend began its rise in 2017, and, according to the National Restaurant Association, is continuing its reign into 2018. Restaurants and bars that advertise their locally sourced meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, and even spirits and beer have opened on virtually every city and suburban street. We’re becoming more aware of the items we choose to purchase at the grocery store and cook at home, so why not expect the same out of our
Veggie-Centric
local restaurants. We like the idea that everything on our plate or in our glass came from our own community and didn’t have to travel across the country to get there. It also reduces our environmental footprint by scaling down the number of resources it takes to get to us while supporting local business owners in the process. Of course, locally sourcing your ingredients has its limitations, climate being a big one. So choose your locally sourced ingredients based on the seasons and mix them with items you sourced from other environmentally sound methods.
As more and more consumers are turning to a plant-based diet, more and more restaurants are creating menu items featuring innovative and worthy meat, fish, and dairy opponents. Even McDonald's has rolled out a vegan burger in select countries, while pizza conglomerate Pizza Hut is testing out vegan cheese in England. Why is this happening? Because again we’re more aware of what we’re putting into our bodies, thanks to the recent rise of documentary films, books, and literary articles examining the effects that animal byproducts have on our bodies. While the truth behind this subject is still up for debate, the trend is clear: plant-based options in 2018 will have a viable impact on the restaurant industry.
TREND REPORT
Seated | Spring 2018
Bars Within Bars Bars within bars is the modern version of the speakeasy, and they’re pretty easy to pull off. Venues designate a second bar space in their restaurant: a more intimate, themed gathering spot. It’s not hidden or a secret like the classic speakeasy and in most cases doesn’t have a camouflaged, restricted entry. We’re talking casual eateries with sultry subterranean evil twins. A one-stop-shop to please all tastes in a single multi-personality venue.
Late-Night Menus How many times have you gone to a bar after midnight for “one last drink” and ended up staying until close wishing the entire time they had at least french fries for you to munch on? “At least a hundred times,” is a common answer. Late night bar dwellers rejoice! Our last 2018 trend should ease your pain. More
Low-ABV Cocktails The influx of low alcohol by volume cocktail options is no secret. We see them listed on nearly every cocktail menu we come into contact with. There are a few reasons why this change is happening. One is we’re sick of the dreaded hangover. We want to go out and enjoy a few drinks with friends but don’t want to wake up the next morning with a dry mouth and aching head. There’s also the rise of the aperitif. What once was reserved for pre-meal stimulation is now the headliner in a bevy of delicious anytime cocktails. Bid farewell to your old standbys such as gin and vodka and say hello to your new BFFs, Amaro, Aperol, Vermouth, and Pisco to name a few. If your cocktail menu doesn’t pay tribute to these showstoppers yet, it’s time to start. The future is calling and it’s delicious.
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and more restaurants and bars are offering up late night menus. Although it may seem like an obvious addition to some, the truth behind pulling it off isn’t always easy. There are staffing issues to solve and the question of what to serve. Do you continue serving your full menu or move into a smaller, easier-to-pulloff late night snack menu? However you decide to do it, the important thing is you’re doing it. Keep the customers coming into the wee hours of the morning and keep them full and most importantly, happy.
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Briefings
Tripleseat in the News
How Planners Can Take Care of Themselves While Managing Events BizBash, Jan. 16, 2018 In this column, Tripleseat CEO Jonathan Morse discussed how modern technology tools, work-
The first few weeks of 2018 were packed with news about Tripleseat. Here’s a quick look at what the industry was talking about:
place habits, and a focus on wellness can help event planners manage their work-life balance.
In Event Venue Sales, The First One in Always Wins Special Events, Jan. 24, 2018 Restaurants who rely on manual methods and make prospects wait are losing out on sales.
How Rosa Mexicano Grew its Catering Business 12% in 2017
Tripleseat CEO Jonathan Morse shared why digital tools are so important for following up on and capturing leads.
Hospitality Technology, Jan. 11, 2018 Director of Catering Amira Gertz told Hospitality Technology that using Tripleseat to manage 3,000 events per year across 13 locations helped the locations grow 12% in 2017. “Tripleseat has helped us become a better, more
“Tripleseat has helped us become a better, more focused sales team by giving time back to our employees.”
focused sales team by giving time back to our employees,” Gertz said in the article. “We’ve grown year over year, bucking the industry trend, and some of that can be attributed back to Tripleseat.”
7 Startups That Are Working to Help Small Businesses Fundera, Feb. 7, 2018
5 Popular Products Based on Event Booking Software Reviews Capterra, Jan. 16, 2018 Capterra’s Event Management Software Blog highlighted the top five event booking software products based on real user reviews and ratings on their software directory. The list included products that scored an average five out of five star rating and more than 50 reviews. Tripleseat has an average five out of five stars and 91 reviews.
Online lending startup Fundera spoke to Tripleseat CEO Jonathan Morse on what’s driving the private events business. Morse says his company is thriving because of the focus on creating unique customer experiences. He says, “The ‘experience’ trend has enabled a lot more different types of venues to get in on the opportunity—places like bowling alleys, movie theaters, and even Go-kart tracks are making events a new (and profitable) focus.”
Tripleseat in the News
Hotel Management, Feb. 13, 2018 Tripleseat’s new VENUES by Tripleseat website was in the spotlight in this Hotel Management post: “The newly redesigned website, available at http:// www.tripleseat.com/venues, is the latest addition to the Tripleseat product suite. Venues by Tripleseat enables event planners to quickly search, browse, and submit multiple requests for event space in some of the most sought after venues in a single click. More than 500,000 people visit the Venues by Tripleseat site every month.”
Tripleseat Helps Restaurant and Hotel Event Managers Increase Sales while Streamlining Event Planning Process Total Food Service, Feb. 15, 2018 This post shared the origins of Tripleseat and the opportunities for event management software in the hospitality industry: “For restaurant owners and others venturing into the foodservice industry, Tripleseat is an ideal application. It’s fast, affordable, and can handle multiple planning projects and bookings simultaneously – all which enable you to do more profitable business. Even better, once you create a banquet event order for one customer, you can use that proposal as a template for any other clients with similar preferences.”
“For restaurant owners and others venturing into the foodservice industry, Tripleseat is an ideal application. It’s fast, affordable, and can handle multiple planning projects and bookings simultaneously – all which enable you to do more profitable business.”
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Tripleseat Launches Event Website
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Briefings
Event Pros Tell Seated:
What’s in Your Bag? KATE KENNEDY
WHO: Shira Spiewak, President of New York City-based boutique consulting firm Dandy Life Busy event professional Shira Spiewak is always on the go. From working in-house as a sales manager for some of New York City’s biggest restaurant groups to running her own event sales and operations consulting business, being prepared for anything is a necessity. Shira shared her favorite everyday bag and the must-haves that keep her going. THE BAG: Tory Burch York Buckle Tote
THE ESSENTIALS:
Tide to Go and Advil — a chef or waiter will always need these at some point!
My laptop — the Dandy Life office lives in my purse.
A hair clip — you never know when you need to jump in and throw your hair back to help.
External phone battery — my clients know they can always reach me no matter what.
Extra collateral on behalf of our clients — you never know who you will run into in NYC!
What's in your bag?
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Shira Spiewak
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Briefings
Tripleseat Customer Spotlight Our customers have been busy planning events and getting noticed in the hospitality industry for all kinds of accomplishments this year. Here’s a look at who has been in the spotlight:
According to Eater New York, the museum “will offer more than 15 ‘experiential rooms’ themed around candy, as well as a dessert market, a full-service outpost of Sugar Factory, and an outdoor cafe. Other candy-related exhibits will include a candy unicorn, an item that they’re dubbing ‘the world’s largest gummy bear,’ and areas to taste candy. Candy murals and candy art installations will also be on deck.”
Tour Legacy Food Hall in Plano, Texas USA TODAY, Feb. 21, 2018
Warm Up: 16 Winter-Friendly Catering Ideas BizBash, Jan. 22, 2018 This blog post suggested some winter-friendly dishes from top restaurants across the United States. Zuma Las Vegas made the list twice: First, for its Japanese Rice Hot Pot, which includes wild mushrooms, Japanese vegetables, and black truffles shaved at the table. The list also highlighted their Burning History Cocktail, which is made with Japanese whiskey, honey, yuzu, and fresh ginger served tableside inside a smoky glass created by burning barrel stave. New York City-based P.S. Kitchen was mentioned for their Muir’s Medley cocktail, which is a twist on the standard hot toddy. The cocktail includes homemade sweet potato and pumpkin spice-infused bourbon, Rozelieurs smoked whiskey, Black Sheriff Rum, and house vanilla and cider.
A Museum of Candy Is Opening in NYC Eater New York, Feb. 13, 2018 Sugar Factory restaurants will take their love of candy to a new level this year. They’re creating the Museum of Candy at 656 Sixth Ave., at 20th Street in New York City, with plans to open in the summer of 2018.
Legacy Food Hall, which recently opened in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, was featured in USA TODAY’s travel section. The 55,000 square-foot, three-story venue features 22 unique shops, including a two-story craft brewery. "Every major food hall in the world was built by real estate guys to sell real estate and fill a space,” Legacy Hall founder Jack Gibbons told USA TODAY. "Legacy Hall was designed from the ground up by restaurant people to deliver a great customer experience. We hand-selected each of the chefs and their concepts so that there’s a fantastic mix of flavors and prices.”
The Local Irish Pub Celebrates 20 Years In Downtown Minneapolis WCCO, Feb. 22, 2018 Irish pub The Local is a favorite among downtown Minneapolis diners, and 2018 marks the restaurant’s 20th anniversary. WCCO news shared the history of The Local, including this notable fact: “The Local’s signature cocktail, a combination of ginger ale and Irish Whiskey, led to it being the No. 1 seller of Jameson in the U.S. for years. It was such a big deal they encased a ceremonial whiskey barrel head right in the floor.”
Customer Spotlight
The James Beard Foundation recently released its list of 2018 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists, and Tripleseat customers represented 36 nominations in 13 categories. The Tripleseat nominees are listed below. Winners will be announced at the 2018 James Beard Awards Gala on Friday, April 27, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Best New Restaurant Empellón Midtown, NYC Les Sablons, Cambridge, MA Outstanding Bar Program Bar Agricole, San Francisco Cure, New Orleans Outstanding Chef Andrew Carmellini, The Dutch, NYC Fabio Trabocchi, Fiola, Washington, D.C. Outstanding Pastry Chef Renae Connolly, Benedetto, Cambridge, MA Meg Galus, Boka, Chicago Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, NYC Outstanding Restaurant Quince, San Francisco Outstanding Restaurateur Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group, Chicago (Boka, GT Fish & Oyster, Girl & the Goat, and others) Garrett Harker, Boston (Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Island Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, Rustic Canyon Group, Santa Monica, CA (Cassia, Huckleberry Bakery & Café, Rustic Canyon, and others) Ethan Stowell and Angela Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Seattle (Staple & Fancy, Tavolàta, How to Cook a Wolf, and others) Caroline Styne, The Lucques Group, Los Angeles (Lucques, a.o.c., Tavern, and others)
Outstanding Service Boka, Chicago Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Boston Sepia, Chicago Outstanding Wine Program a.o.c., Los Angeles Corkbuzz, NYC Grill 23 & Bar, Boston Wild Ginger, Seattle Rising Star Chef of the Year Juan Pedrosa, Yvonne’s, Boston Best Chef: Great Lakes Ryan McCaskey, Acadia, Chicago Jill Vedaa, Salt, Lakewood, OH Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago Best Chef: New York City Emma Bengtsson, Aquavit Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko Ignacio Mattos, Estela Joe Ng, RedFarm Erik Ramirez, Llama Inn, Brooklyn, NY Justin Smillie, Upland Alex Stupak, Empellón Midtown Best Chef: South Slade Rushing, Brennan’s, New Orleans Best Chef: Southwest Martín Rios, Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe
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2018 James Beard Award Semifinalists
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Briefings
Five Questions with
LES SABLONS
Les Sablons opened just barely a year ago in the Harvard Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Mass., and it has already made a big impact. Les Sablons has been named a semifinalist for the 2018 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
AZURE COLLIER
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The metropolitan restaurant is one of several successful ventures of Boston restaurateur Garrett Harker and the team behind Eastern Standard, Row 34, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Branch Line, and The Hawthorne. We spoke to Kelly Fay, Events Director for all of the restaurant group’s locations, about the story behind Les Sablons, the first year of operations, and their private events.
1. Tell us about your restaurant. What’s behind the name? How would you describe the food? Les Sablons was named after the Paris Metro station. While there is certainly French influence shown throughout the menu, it also reflects international inspiration. The space itself was originally the conductor's building, which was a part of the original Cambridge subway system.
2. What’s it been like to work for a brand-new restaurant in the first year? What’s your favorite part of this experience? The first year of a restaurant is certainly never boring and a lot of hard work. It can be a challenging experience for even the most seasoned of restaurant professionals, as every restaurant has its own unique hurdles and learning curve. I think the best part is watching the restaurant and the staff develop over the past year and really grow as a team.
3. Opening a new restaurant is not easy, so the fact that you’ve opened a new restaurant and you’re a James Beard Award semifinalist is simply amazing. What’s it like being a semifinalist for this award? What do you think helped to place you at the top of the list? It is truly an honor to be nominated especially with such great company. The incredible design by (architectural firm) Bentel & Bentel, amazing menu overseen by Chef Jeremy Sewall and the character of the historic building itself certainly lends to what most would see as the reason for our nomination. I'd like to think that another reason is the way that guests feel when they join us. We want to make sure that everyone who joins us feels like a part of our family and our story because they are.
4. Can you tell us about your private events business? How many events are you averaging a month? What types of events do you host the most? While Les Sablons does not have a private dining room, we do offer a semi-private dining space, Grace Bowie (named from the art on the wall which includes photos of musician David Bowie and model Grace Jones). This area is separated from the main dining room by a curtain and can accommodate up to 40 guests for a seated meal. In addition to this area, we have the unique opportunity to rent each floor individually, and we are also available for a full restaurant buyout. Even without a private dining room, we host over a dozen events per month at this location. These are a great mix of standing receptions on our ground wine bar, seated dinners in Grace Bowie for local universities and social events, and we have also had some great corporate full restaurant buyouts over the past year. These larger scale events have really let us take some risks and experiment with the space to see what Les Sablons and our team can do.
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5. How has Tripleseat helped you manage your private events? What’s been the most helpful feature? Tripleseat is such an amazing tool that we have become accustomed to using at our other seven locations, so when it came time to open this restaurant, we knew we would be opening another account. It has really helped us to communicate with inquiring guests and present clear and consistent documents to both guests and our kitchen team with all of the upcoming event details. Both the chefs and front of house managers get together as a team weekly for our BEO meetings. In addition to looking at the events for the following week, we look at the events report of all upcoming events in the future and continue to discuss the ones to have on all of our radars even if months out. Another way we use Tripleseat reports is to export the accounts and contacts to see who our event guest base is and can then use that when directing marketing outreach initiatives.
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TRIPLESEAT ON THE ROAD
Are you a member of Tripleseat’s Party People? It’s a fun and interactive way to network online with other events and service industry professionals who use Tripleseat. Party People members can earn points towards rewards and prizes by completing challenges. They also get invited to special events. Once a month we take our Party People networking on the road and host complimentary, Tripleseat Drinks happy hours in markets across the country. We also hold several Beyond Basics educational events throughout the year. Check our events page regularly at tripleseat. com/events to find out if we’re coming to your city next. If you’re not already a member, sign up online at rewards.tripleseat. com/join/welcome. For more information on Tripleseat Party People and Triplesat Drinks, contact Party People Captain Kate Kennedy at katek@tripleseat.com. Here’s a look at recent Party People Events in 2017 and 2018.
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Briefings
The Event Manager's 6 Step Guide to Jumpstarting Their Social Media Marketing AZURE COLLIER
Is this situation familiar? Your restaurant or venue hasn’t made social media a priority because you’re not sure how to use the networks to drive business. You either haven’t created any social media accounts or you have a few, but you never post to them. Here’s the deal: You need to have some social media presence because social media is the top marketing tool used by restaurants. And prospects and customers are using it to research businesses like yours. In fact, 49
percent of people search Facebook to find restaurants, according to technology and news blog Mashable. Don’t worry — you’re not the only one going through social media stress. We hear regularly from Tripleseat users who have social media accounts and aren’t sure how they fit into their venue’s marketing plan and how to even begin to use them for marketing. Try these six tips that event managers can use to jumpstart their social media marketing.
Marketing Tips for Event Managers
We’ve bookmarked more than 200 resources on Tripleseat’s Pinterest account on our Social Media Marketing for Event Professionals board — find it at pinterest.com/tripleseat/social-media-marketing-for-event-professionals — so you can get more familiar with which social networks are the most popular, what type of people use them, and what might work for your business. Illumen Media’s 50 Digital Marketing Stats for the Restaurant Business — located at illumenmedia.com/restaurant-digital-marketing-stats — is another great resource to help you understand how customers use social media and other online resources to make decisions about spending their money at restaurants.
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Be realistic about your time and resources It’s important to be consistent with your social media marketing. You need to have a regular presence in order to be visible to your audience, gain a following, and create a community.
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Think about your customers Next, find out what social networks your customers and prospects are using to search for your restaurant or venue, and maintain a presence on those networks. If you’re not sharing information in the places your audience spends time, you’re not going to reach them. Don’t waste your time maintaining a social network that customers and prospects don’t pay attention to. Ask your customers whenever you’re having a conversation with them, send a survey via email, ask them on your comment cards, and include the question on relevant online forms or surveys. If you have set up some social networks, take a look at which ones have the most followers and activity. Check your Google Analytics to determine which of these networks are sending the most traffic to your website.
How much time can you devote to social media marketing per day? Do you have staff that can devote time to creating posts, monitoring social networks, measuring your marketing efforts, and responding to customers? Do you have money to dedicate to resources (prices range from free and low-cost tools and apps to enterprise business tools that cost hundreds of dollars per month) like social media ads, a social media management and analytics platform, photo editing tools and equipment, and video editing tools and equipment? Here’s some suggested tools that will fit with just about any budget: Social media management and analytics Buffer (free to $399 per month) Hootsuite (free to +$499 per month) CoSchedule ($40 to $2,200 per month) Agorapulse ($49-$299 per month) Image editing and graphic creation Adobe Spark (free to $9.99 per month) Canva (free to +$12.99 per month) Easil (free to $59 per month — includes templates for the restaurant and hospitality industry) PicMonkey ($5.99-$8.99 per month) Video editing and creation Boomerang app from Instagram (free) Adobe Spark (free to $9.99 per month) Lumen5 (free to $49 per month) Wave ($39 to $149 per month — includes templates for the restaurant and hospitality industry)
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Determine which social networks are the best fit Use what you’ve learned about the social networks, your customers’ needs, and available time and resources to determine what social networks that are right for your business. Choose the networks that hit the sweet spot of popularity, demographics, customer preferences, and your business’ time and resources. If you are completely new to social media, I’d suggest that you start with Facebook. It’s the most popular of all the social networks, with 2 million monthly active users, so it’s likely that a lot of your customers and prospects are already using it. Facebook has created pages for multiple industries, including restaurants, so take advantage of the resources available on the Facebook Business for restaurants site at facebook.com/business/ industries/restaurants.
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Start by evaluating the social networks
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Briefings
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Set up your accounts Once you choose what social networks to focus on, start an account for your business. Fill out all of the information about your business — location, hours, website, parking, menu, event lead form, profile photo, and cover photo. Each network has their own size requirements for photos, so make sure you are using the right image sizes. Once your social media accounts are ready, promote them to your audience by talking about them and linking to them in your email marketing, on your website, on your blog, and from other social media profiles. Add your social presence to your printed materials: business cards, signs, table tents, and menus.
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Post, evaluate, and plan Start posting to your social networks and make note of what types of posts (text, link, video, photo, graphics), themes, and topics are doing well and what times and days are working the best. Each network has its own reporting tools (known as insights or analytics) that will show you what posts are getting the most activity. Now that you have a handle on what types of content work for you and the best days and time to post, it’s time to create a posting plan. Create a schedule for your social networks for each day of the week, the times to post, types of content, and themes or topics. Keep in mind that social media marketing works when you use a mix of free and paid content. Social media isn’t free. All social networks have an algorithm designed to work in the users’ favor, which means showing more posts from family and friends, and fewer posts from businesses. The businesses that they interact with the most will get preference over businesses they don’t engage with. If you want your content to get seen, it’s important to constantly review what’s been working for your audience and keep posting the free content that they want to see. You also need to pay for social media advertising to give you an edge and get your posts directly in front of the people you want to reach.
Marketing Tips for Event Managers
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Whether you’re just getting started with social media marketing, or you have created accounts and put your efforts on pause, these steps are essential. Taking the time to evaluate what social networks will be the best fit will help you focus and master one or two networks, instead of spreading yourself too thin across multiple platforms that aren’t connecting with your audience and don’t help promote your business.
Be patient, improve, and get the results you want When you feel comfortable with your social media marketing on one network, add another one and apply the lessons you’ve learned. It may take some time, but the effort you put into getting social media marketing right will pay off by driving new business.
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KATE KENNEDY
Hospitality is so often a go-go-go industry. This is especially true when your venue is hosting private events. At times it becomes difficult to juggle all aspects of the event while still ensuring your regular service customers are getting all that they need. It can feel as though you’ll never accomplish everything. One simple timesaving tip to help keep your front-of-the house staff out of the dreaded “weeds” is batching cocktails. Batching is an efficient way to make sure that in busier times, with fully booked private rooms, each and every customer receives a quality and consistent drink from the first to the last. But don’t run out and start batching every cocktail on your list because, like with all bartending traditions, there are rules behind batching cocktails.
FIRST, LET’S TALK IMPORTANT DON'TS: One extremely popular drink category that should never be batched is the smash. There’s much debate over what exactly constitutes a smash, but one thing is ever-present in all of the arguments: a smash includes a fresh herb of some kind that is muddled or shaken. You can’t batch fresh herbs. Please don’t even think about “pre-muddling,” and you should never let fresh herbs sit too long in a pre-made drink unless you are creating a spirit or simple syrup infusion. If your private event requests a smash as their signature drink, your bartenders will have to go at it the old-fashioned way. Another don’t is batching drinks made with egg whites. I feel like the reasoning behind this doesn’t need any explaining, but I’ll throw some in for good measure. Drinks that
include egg whites require a ton of shaking or even the use of an immersion blender to create that beautiful foam-like topping. If you attempt to batch an egg white drink, chances are the egg will separate from the other ingredients and the outcome will be unpleasant. The last don’t on my list is incorporating a fizzy flair into a batched cocktail. I’m not saying you can’t top your finished product off with prosecco or lemon-lime soda, but please don’t try to mix it into the batch itself. Anything that has fizz, like sparkling wine, sodas, or tonic will go flat before you have a chance to serve the drink. These should always be added as the last ingredient at the last moment to guarantee fizzy enjoyment.
NEXT, CONSIDER YOUR PROPORTIONS. All single hand-crafted cocktails are measured out to ensure they have a uniform taste, so of course, you should do the same with batched cocktails. I know what you’re thinking, “How am I going to multiply and divide ounces into gallons on the fly?” Don’t worry, it’s much simpler than that. Think of the measurements as a ratio. For example, a drink that is comprised of the
ever-popular 1 1/2 oz, 3/4 oz, 3/4 oz pour would be a ratio of 2-1-1. If you have the ratio, you can easily and quickly convert a single drink into a quart or gallon without ever picking up your calculator. Just remember to try and make batches based on what you’ll use in a day. You don’t want them sitting in the walk-in for too long as all drinks start to separate over time. In addition, try to stir the batches every few hours to hold the mix.
NOW LET'S TALK ADDITIONS: One final tip on batching cocktails is to not be afraid of using additions at the serving stage. What I mean by this is there is a myriad of blank canvas cocktails that batch well and can be customized depending on your guests’ tastes. My favorite way of customizing batch cocktails is with infused simple syrup. You can infuse simple syrup with almost anything, but fresh herbs are definitely a favorite. Batch a house gimlet without the sugar and offer infused herbal simple syrups as a custom addition. Get creative. Your bartenders will love the ease of serving the drink and your customers will love the feeling that it was created just for them.
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The Bartender's Guide to Batching
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Features
Batched cocktails are an easy way to ensure your bartenders are able to swiftly serve up delicious, consistent drinks to a large group of customers. Offering them as a fun add-on when you’re booking private events is a great way to promote their use. You can even tailor the name to go with the event’s theme or purpose. This is done a lot at weddings, but you can customize a cocktail name to fit the design of any event. Need some inspiration for batched cocktails? Check out these great batch recipes from Tripleseat users.
DUFFY'S RELAXER Duffy’s Tavern & Grill, Maine 1/2 cup mango flavored rum 1/2 cup coconut rum 1/4 cup banana liqueur 1/4 cup Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum 7 cups pineapple juice 71/2 cups orange juice TO SERVE: Shake an 8 ounce portion and serve over ice in a handled mason jar glass with an orange slice, cherry and an umbrella!
WILDBERRY SHINEAD
Loretta's Last Call, Boston Blend together for the puree: 2 cups strawberries 1 cup raspberries 1 cup of pomegranate juice 1/4 cup of lime juice 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 cup of Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Blackberry Moonshine TO SERVE: Just add ice and top with ginger ale when serving!
The Bartender's Guide to Batching
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LE DÉTROIT
A cocktail crafted by Eurest Catering in partnership with Bedrock Events BATCH INGREDIENTS: 21/2 pounds fresh cranberries, pureed 6 750 milliliter bottles Two James Spirits Vodka FOR THE INFUSED VODKA: Mix vodka and cranberry puree. Let sit for three days. Strain the puree from the vodka. FOR THE DRINK: 2 ounces cranberry infused Two James Spirits Vodka ½ ounce infused rosemary simple syrup 3-4 ounces sparkling water Ice Candied orange peel Rosemary sprig
FOR THE ROSEMARY INFUSED SIMPLE SYRUP: Mix ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water. Heat the ingredients until dissolved over medium heat. Add a few sprigs of rosemary right when it comes off the burner and steep before removing the sprigs. CREATING THE DRINK: In a rocks glass, add ice and top with cranberry infused vodka, rosemary infused simple syrup and sparkling water. Garnish with a candied orange peel and rosemary sprig.
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Steve DiFillippo
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LATHA YOUNGREN
Davio’s has always been a trendsetter. When owner Steve DiFillippo took over the Boston-based Italian restaurant 32 years ago, he sent employees in tuxedos with Davio’s pizza to neighboring businesses on Newbury Street to promote the restaurant.
Davio’s is one of a few restaurants to make their popular menu items available nationwide. In 2007, DiFillippo launched the restaurant’s Philly Cheese Steak Spring Roll as a retail product. It’s now available in 5,000 stores and 40 states. He makes regular appearances on the QVC network, selling the spring rolls, along with Davio’s stuffed salmon fillets and meatballs. And in 2008 when Davio’s — which now has nine locations across the United States — found that their paper-based system for managing events was not optimal for their growing restaurant group, they jumped at the chance to use Tripleseat, an innovative new web-based online event management platform. Davio’s was one of Tripleseat’s first customers. We sat down with DiFillippo to take a look back and find out what’s next for Davio’s.
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A DECADE WITH DAVIO’S
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We had always used a paper system with binders and wall calendars before introducing Tripleseat for online management.
Why did you choose Tripleseat as a software platform? What were you using before? We chose Tripleseat to enhance what we were doing in our sales departments. We had always used a paper system with binders and wall calendars before introducing Tripleseat for online management. Tripleseat seemed like a great option with its webbased system and ease-of-use for guest communication along with 24/7 accessibility for our team.
How integral is Tripleseat to your daily event operation? Tripleseat is a major part of what we do on a daily basis. From task reminders for our sales team to follow up with leads and finishing details, to allowing our chefs and managers to check the calendar to better manage their schedules and ordering, there are so many aspects that are helpful to operations.
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How many Davio’s properties are using Tripleseat around the country? All nine of our Davio's locations use Tripleseat, and with our West Coast location scheduled to open this summer, we will be adding a 10th location.
Are there any future plans for Davio’s that you can share with us? We are always coming upon new projects and ventures. This summer, we’ll open Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse in Irvine, Calif. Selling products on QVC has become a great success and my new book will be coming out soon!
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A Decade with Davio's
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Tripleseat is a major part of what we do on a daily basis. STEVE DiFILLIPPO
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Rooftops and Outdoor Venues We're Crushing On KATE KENNEDY + AZURE COLLIER
If you live in a chilly climate and you’re a devotee of dining outdoors, there are two seasons: winter and patio season. Most members of the Tripleseat team are Northeasterners and we’re jealous of the warmer parts of the US where outside dining is a year-round event. When the snow melts and the days get warmer and longer, the dining al fresco crowd is eager to spend sunny afternoons and long evenings hanging out at restaurants’ sidewalk seating, decks, and rooftop bars. It’s a win-win. Patrons enjoy a great meal, a cold cocktail, and gorgeous weather at the same time, and restaurants get busier. According to fastcasual.com, restaurants that add outdoor spaces see a boost in revenue of up to 30 percent. In the spirit of preparing for patio season, here’s a look at some stunning seasonal and year-round outdoor private dining spaces of Tripleseat customers.
Pearl’s Rooftop, West Hollywood
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OUTDOOR SPACES
Brit’s Pub & Eating Establishment, Minneapolis The toughest decision at Brit’s Pub may be which outdoor space to choose. There’s the Nicollet Mall Patio, a great spot for people-watching and lounging at umbrella tables. Then there’s the Veranda, a sprawling patio on the second floor. Lastly, there’s the garden deck and bowling green where you can play — or watch — a lively game of lawn bowling.
OUTDOOR SPACES
Stirr, Dallas If you’re looking for an oasis, you’ll find it at Stirr. Their bar and lounge seating seem to go on forever, and their happy hours take up most of the afternoon and and stretch into the early evening. Check out the Dallas skyline while enjoying drinks like A Girl from Dallas, Yes Way Frozé, and Thyme Will Tell.
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Waterbar, San Francisco Even if it didn’t have outdoor dining, Waterbar’s location next to the Bay Bridge guarantees amazing views of the San Francisco Bay from its dining room windows. And then there is The Looking Glass, an indoor/outdoor private event space for up to 50 people that overlooks the main bar and gives guests a closeup look at the Bay Bridge.
OUTDOOR SPACES
The Rustic, Dallas When country music star Pat Green and the Dallas-based FreeRange Concepts team created The Rustic, there was no doubt that they would include a concert stage in their large patio area, known as Pat’s Backyard. When there’s not live music (the venue holds three to four shows a week), you can kick back and relax by the fire pit, at the picnic tables under white party lights, and in the colorful Adirondack chairs.
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OUTDOOR SPACES
Rare Bar & Grill, New York City What’s better than a delicious, juicy burger? A burger with a rooftop view of New York City. Rare Bar & Grill has more than a dozen specialty burgers on its menu and two locations to choose from — Murray Hill and Chelsea. You can see the Empire State Building, the MetLife Building, the Bank of New York Building, and the Freedom Tower from each location, but that’s where the similarities end. Murray Hill is made up of five outside rooms and has a beachy vibe. Chelsea is cozy, laid back, and available year-round (it’s enclosed and heated). No matter which rooftop you choose, you can’t go wrong.
OUTDOOR SPACES
Aretsky’s Patroon, New York City There’s something for everyone on the rooftop terrace at Aretsky’s Patroon: umbrella tables, comfy bench seats in the sun, tables for big group dinners, cozy corners for private conversations, and a huge zinc bar in an enclosed area. This space is perfect for occasions of any size, from midday lunch breaks to a wedding cocktail reception.
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Salvation Taco, New York City The open air rooftop at Salvation Taco is a blend of the old and the new. The building has original details from the 1910s, including red brickwork and terra cotta columns that are covered in ivy. At night, dine under twinkling white lights, and hang out at the bar for some modern takes on the margarita made with ingredients like agave, Hellfire Habanero Bitters, and guajillo chilli.
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Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, Austin The beer garden at Banger’s is like hanging out in your best friend’s back yard — if your best friend had enough picnic tables for 400 people, 103 beers on tap, a barbecue pit that can cook whole roasted animals, 30 types of homemade sausage, a dog park, and a live music stage built into the back of the house.
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Pearl’s Rooftop, West Hollywood Happy hour gets happier at Pearl’s Rooftop. The 1920s-themed restaurant offers a view of the glittering Sunset Strip under an ivy-covered pergola. Sit by the fireplace and check out the LA social scene while enjoying small plates, oysters, and a few cocktails.
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OUTDOOR SPACES
The J. Parker, Chicago As the rooftop restaurant of the Hotel Lincoln, J. Parker offers unobstructed views of neighboring Lincoln Park and Lake Michigan from its swanky patio — rain or shine. The restaurant has a fully retractable glass enclosed roof cover that can be closed in the case of inclement weather.
Nashville Underground, Nashville If you love rooftop bars, you’ll love Nashville Underground — this spot right in the heart of historic downtown Nashville boasts the tallest and largest double deck rooftop in the city. Dine on tapas, flatbreads, and a raw bar while enjoying the Nashville skyline.
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Features
Acme Feed & Seed, Nashville The rooftop of Acme Feed & Seed is more than a bar. The space, known as The Hatchery, has the traditional lounge furniture, a special drink menu, and a view of downtown Nashville. But this rooftop is all about giving guests an amazing experience. On any given day, you’ll find a number of different events, from rooftop concerts, to weekend yoga classes, to all-night dance parties.
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Queen of Pop LATHA YOUNGREN Alexis Cervasio has created a successful events business out of the element of surprise and delight. At a time where people use social media, apps, and reviews to carefully decide where to eat and what experiences are worth their time and money, East Boston Oysters (EBO), Cervasio's pop-up dinner series — always held in "a secret location" — consistently sells out within minutes of announcing the date of their next event. Cervasio, who is one of Tripleseat's 2018 EventCamp speakers, has created a unique space in the industry that is creative and inspirational. Her mission is to make luxury ingredients accessible to everyone at a reasonable cost but in the most unexpected way. We sat down with her to find out how she started and what it takes to make this concept thrive.
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How did you come up with East Boston Oysters? Was there a moment? Or did it come to you over time? It definitely happened over time. I always had the entrepreneurial spirit within me. When I was little I used to charge kids in the neighborhood $5 to come into my driveway where my cousin Deven and I would make different areas of attractions like a haunted house in the bushes and a popcorn station on the porch. So, it has been a combination of my hustling creative spirit that I always had, mixed in with my passion for feeding people oysters. My cousins and I used to go to the beach with coolers filled with oysters and littlenecks. We thought it was very normal (but badass). We'd shuck in our teeny bikinis and share them with our neighbors. People would gravitate towards us — they thought it was amazing. I couldn't believe how in awe they were over something so normal to me. This memory stayed very vivid in my brain. When I moved to East Boston, I'd walk around wondering "Why isn't more happening here?" The pop-up concept was appealing to me because it didn't have to be an everyday thing. My son was 4 at the time so the thought of opening a restaurant or something with such commitment was very scary to me. He goes to his dad's on Sundays, so I thought, "That's when I'll do it."
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Was the first event a one-off? Or did you always see it as a series? I always knew it would be a series. What I didn't know is that they would always be "in a secret location." Our first few events were very transparent; guests knew where they were going, what they were eating, etc. Then we did one somewhere we maybe shouldn't have so we made it in a secret location. I truly never came down from the high of that event. So, from that day on they've been in a secret location, and it's all part of the allure now.
What is your mission? To flip the cookie-cutter dining experience on its head and show people that you don't even need to sit in a chair to eat a really great meal — you can sit on the floor, on a floor pillow. Or, "Look, here's a shitload of caviar in front of your eyes." You don't need to pay $200 for a small spoon feeding. "Here's a chip, why don't you just dip it in there and take a massive scoop instead." Also meeting the fine farmers behind the oysters. This has been a huge part of our identity. We love getting them off of the farm and into East Boston shucking their bivalves. You know, there was that very large movement of farm to table and no one really ever talked about the oyster farmers. They are some of the hardest working humans on the earth. It's mesmerizing.
QUEEN OF POP When did you realize, "I need to quit my day job and focus on this?" I realized my time was up when I started being undervalued by the higher-ups. It was a time where I was just starting to really understand my worth but they didn't see it. It made me bored out of my mind. So I'd do EBO work in my head while I was there, every single day. It was very telling. Was it fully a leap of faith, jumping in blind? Or are you more meticulous about measuring your viability and making sure that the numbers made sense? I wish I was more of a "measure your viability" kinda gal but, I jumped right in. I knew I had it inside me to make it happen and I knew it wasn't going to happen while just sitting there twirling my hair thinking about it. The tattoo on my arm says "I'll either find a way or make my own," so it was already carved into my skin. Who do you see as your main competitors? I don't see anyone as our competitor right now. I know that we are doing something very different here. I also prefer to take a competitor and turn them into a collaborative partner. Supporting other small businesses on a mission to do cool shit is valuable for both parties.
How do you promote your pop-ups? What social networks do you use most? Instagram is insane. I can't believe the amount of growth EBO has had and the number of cool folks I've met through being part of the platform. Because Instagram is all imagery, you can really find your tribe on there. You can just look through a grid of photos and be like, "Oh, I have found my place." And then you start reading the voice behind the context and it locks you in. We tease followers with strong photos to encourage them to sign up for our email list. The only way they receive the pop-up notifications is via email. What does “success� look like? I'll let you know when I get there! It's easy to think that once you're getting all of this press and eyes on you that you've made it, but I see it as a very important stepping stone. I could fade into the abyss next year and people will be like "Whatever did happen to that gal doing those pop-ups?" Right now, I'm learning a lot of important business lessons and focusing on what's next. I don't think you can claim success once you remain stagnant.
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How can restaurants add the popup experience to their events? Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate. A pop-up doesn't always have to be a big-to-do-ticketed event. It can be as simple as incorporating one local ingredient or product onto your menu. For instance, we work closely with Buenas (a Boston-based line of South Americaninspired products) and their magical Pebre sauce. This is the only sauce we put on our oysters. We've made it very clear that we don't use cocktail sauce and that our thing is Pebre. Collaborating invites a whole new audience that maybe wouldn't otherwise know about your restaurant or brand. They will be just as excited about you using their product as you will be to use it and they will spread and share the collaboration through their marketing and social networks. This kind of thinking will allow you to get creative more often than not. The possibilities are actually endless. Any advice or guidance for inhouse event managers on how to get creative with the spaces within their four walls? Yes. If it's a sit-down dinner, make the menus pop. Why does it have to be on the same old boring cardstock? Why does it have to have the same old font? Add embellishments. Instead of tablecloths, use Kraft paper. Write the menu on the Kraft paper. Try service vessels. Stop using boring platters. Find the time to go to estate sales or antique markets. Oysters don't need to go on that same old same old tower; put them in something rad. If it can hold ice, it can hold oysters (or any raw bar/ cold item).
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What's your favorite drink? Right now, I'm really into Hemingway Daiquiris and sake but I'm a very flexible drinker. It usually changes with my mood. RosÊ is my water and red wine is my cooking buddy. And coffee! Cannot live without. What's your favorite thing to eat? Where do I begin? I've never met a food that I didn't like. My mom's meatballs really are the best though. What's your favorite vacation spot? Probably a place that I haven't been to yet ‌ but EBO will be on the road a lot this year right here in the states so I'm super pumped to visit cities that I've never been to before like Austin and Seattle.
Photography Just a small way to show a huge appreciation for Megan Brenneck, Natasha Moustache, Brenda Godinez, Karly Gomez, William Iven, Adam Jaime, Brooke Lark, Igor Miske, Andrew Neel, Shira Spiewak, The Creative Exchange, Jon Tyson, Jess Watters, Helena Yankovska, Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, Acme Feed & Seed, Aretsky’s Patroon, Bedrock Events, Brit’s Pub & Eating Establishment, Davio’s, Duffy’s Tavern & Grill, East Boston Oysters, Les Sablons, Loretta’s Last Call, Nashville Underground, Pearl’s Rooftop, Rare Bar & Grill, Salvation Taco, Stirr, The J. Parker, The Rustic, Waterbar
contributors
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JONATHAN MORSE
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PUBLISHER, RINGLEADER OF GENIUS CONCEPTS Seated | Spring 2018
Jonathan has been involved in the restaurant and hotel business for 30+ years with roles ranging from a busboy at Abadessa’s in Hingham, MA, to line cook at Atlantic Café in Nantucket, to Floor Manager at Backbay Restaurant Group, to New England Regional Sales Manager for Starwood Hotels. Before starting Tripleseat, Jonathan was a VP of Sales for a web startup that delivered Business Intelligence reporting to the restaurant industry. When not working on making Tripleseat more awesome, Jonathan spends his time with his wife Lisa, twin girls, Eliza and Sophie and son Owen.
LATHA YOUNGREN
MATTHEW POLLOCK
EDITOR IN CHIEF, HEAD OF PROPHECY FULFILLMENT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ADMIRAL OF ARTISTRY
Latha’s (pronounced Lay-ta) interest in hospitality began at a young age, which led her to waitress through her high school years in Providence, RI. After graduating from Barnard and working in publishing for a couple years, she moved to Paris where she tended bar and worked at a magazine company. With a brief stint in San Francisco, she made her way back to New York City where she has worked in marketing and events for a variety of companies and is thrilled to have landed at Tripleseat where she heads up Marketing. She currently resides in Maplewood, NJ with her husband and 2 (almost 3) kids and enjoys the summer most of because Rosé All Day is a real thing!
Matt’s been working as a Designer since 2009, but has always been fascinated by user experiences and identity. Matt came into Tripleseat in 2016, gears turning, ready to create a fresh, functional, and friendly identity that would give Tripleseat the beautiful look and feel that our design-savvy industry demands. Matt lives on a vintage sailboat in Boston Harbor. Matt’s passionate about bringing people together. He follows his passion for public art, events, live music, and of course, sailing; always dreaming of the cruising life he hopes to find in his future. Matt designed this bio page at 5:45am after pulling an all-nighter in the office, so don't question the awkward layout.
KATE KENNEDY MANAGING EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAINMENT FULFILLMENT Kate has worked in Boston’s hospitality industry since she was 15. From bussing tables to bartending in college and grad school and then on to being a private events and marketing manager, she’s truly done it all in the world of restaurants. Kate started working at the best company on the planet, aka, Tripleseat in 2016 as a support team member. She absolutely loves being able to use her vast knowledge of the industry in a non restaurant setting. Kate grew up just north of Boston where she now resides with her husband and toddler son. Kate’s passionate about bourbon, her family, friends and her favorite pastime, running. So far she’s ran 17 marathons including 7 consecutive Boston Marathons. Other loves would be more bourbon, old school hip hop, food, beer and hockey (enjoyed on their own or all at once).
AZURE COLLIER EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AMBASSADOR OF BUZZ Azure joined Tripleseat as the Content Marketing Manager after working as the Social Media Marketing and Community Manager for Constant Contact. She also worked in marketing for higher education at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Fitchburg State University. She started her career as a print journalist in the Midwest at the Times of Northwest Indiana in Valparaiso, IN, and at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. She received a BA in communications and journalism from Purdue University, and an MS in applied communication from Fitchburg State University, where she completed thesis research on social media and young adults.
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