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Giant Ideas on creating great events at Braddock’s!

July 14th, 2011 | Published in news

How do you integrate an event strategy into your restaurant promotional calendar?

Whether it is larger scale event like our most recent Hot Haute Pink to benefit Susan G. Komen or a more intimate style event such as Braddock’s Bourbon Dinners, or a series of event oriented promotions such as GrapeNuts, Events well done create buzz. One of the essential ways that we have started to develop a more integrated event strategy is that we developed an event platform when we were updating our 2011 Marketing calendar in September. This gave us the opportunity to pre-plan as much as we could in advance. However, we recognized that we also need to keep abreast of current local and national events and trends to stay relevant and plan accordingly so that we are not missing out on any potential revenue and PR building opportunities. Planning events in advance gives us the opportunity to reach out to media with a timely attention-grabbing PR message. This year we also targeting groups that plan events such as Professional Organizations, Social Groups, to become their restaurant of choice when hosting an event. We also targeted industry non-profit leaders so that we would be top of mind when they are planning events. For example, we reached out to the Liver Foundation Director and now she is going to be hosting a luncheon at Braddock’s as well as Chef Brian will be one of the featured chefs at their very well respected gala, Savor.

We also do continual brainstorming internally and externally to keep on top of the pulse of what is happening in Pittsburgh that we can potentially either build an event or find the right partner to work with on an event.

What are some of the most important considerations when planning an event?

Timeline
The size of the event
The tone/style/personality of the event and targeted consumer profile.�
- Purpose of the event and what type of menu items can be incorporated into the event theme
The potential profit of the event and the benefits

Can you elaborate on each of the considerations?

Timeline and Size seem to work hand in hand

You need to know how much time you have to plan for event development, production and execution. The size of the event is important because it affects the timeline.

Event Production can be time consuming and attention to detail is essential. If we are planning an event with a tight timeline, we have to know that what we can deliver is manageable. If it is a new large event, we need to have enough time to develop the concept; work with the staff to understand the event scope and also make sure that there is enough time to create excitement with pre-promotion through traditional or social marketing. If we have annual events or a series of ongoing events such as our Sports brunches or Pre-Post game parties, you can include them in your annual plan but add creative twists to them each year so that they stay fresh. If we are working with an outside Event Planner or Event Producer such as Giant Ideas or GrapeNuts, we need to make sure that you can manage expectations depending on the size of the event and their timeline.

The attendee demographic and the personality/tone/style are important because it may affect the menu selection.

If it is a benefit or gala style with a high ticket price targeting an older 45 + demographic, our menu will reflect the upscale nature of the event. If it is a hipper event reaching the 25-44 year old audience, our menu may include some edgier food items like veggie shooters. If it is an eco-friendly event, we want to make sure that there are enough vegetarian options on the menu such as our asparagus soup, beet salad, artisan cheese display. Also when an event is themed such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer event, we included pink-inspired menu items such as a strawberry mascarpone tartlet and port wine claret cheddar cheese.

Purpose of the event and menu integration

Is the event a benefit-if so, do we need to have a place for an auction or what other deliverables will we deem important to the event. Also, if it is a networking event such as when we work with “meet up” events, is the space set up in the best way for networking conversations. Also, how can we capture attention and become top of mind. For example, when we planned our Pirate Baseball Home Opener event, we knew the event was a sell-out, so we bought Pirates T-Shirts for the servers and had a street team distributing information about our Summer Menu. Many people park downtown and leave early to walk to the game so we had the Chef outside cooking and sampling kielbasa as well. It was a big hit.

What is the potential profit of this event and the benefit?

If it is a new event, there is always risk so making sure that we are set up in every way for success.

There are costs involved with the menu and the staff, so we have to determine how much we are willing to take a chance and do we have enough time to execute well and promote the event.

If we are upgrading an existing event, what are the additional costs vs. the new expenses? For example, we hired a street team for our Pirate event which we were able to get free, but we had to pay for T-shirts for staff and street team as well as for food sampling. The potential for generating new leads w/a sold out Pirate Game and sold out and thousands of people walking right by our restaurant before the game, far outweighed the costs of the T-shirts and food samples.

What type of PR and Promotion do you utilize when promoting an event?

We utilize all of our resources to pre and post promote our events especially via PR, Fishbowl and Social Media. For example, we send out Fishbowl e-blasts about GrapeNuts and Whiskey Wednesdays. We utilize social marketing to also promote all of our events and promotions. We are working with media especially Lifestyle Magazines such as Whirl, Pittsburgh Magazine, Pittsburgh Fashion Magazine and Maniac Magazine and utilize those relationships for pre event promotion and post event photo opportunities. We also work to establish the types of cross promotional tie ins that we can leverage for additional exposure. For example, by cross promoting the GrapeNuts, we are able to access their database of members with weekly Wine Tasting Nights, Additional special events, as well as work with them on new partner events such as the upcoming Wine Dinner -Patio Nights.

What are a few of the successful ways that you use events to engage consumers and generate new interest?

We post photos and will be creating a Braddock’s YouTube Channel this summer so that we can start to post videos.
We capture data at events through collecting business cards and offering either a special discount or do and register to win
Encouraging people to sign up for loyalty points
E-blasts to Fishbowl Database
Offering A special discount for anyone that attended a specific event
Sharing Photos with event partners and asking them to post them on Facebook or tweet about us
Create an offer for group members. We are doing this with PUMP, one of the largest Young Professional Groups in Pittsburgh.
At one event, we used smart phones and a QR codes to capture data.
We do sampling which generates interest

Using Street Teams to hand out fliers

An Interview with Braddock’s Dean Gress

July 14th, 2011 | Published in news

How do you determine Braddock’s Signature Dishes?

Braddock’s has three dishes I would call “signatures”.

First is the house-made potato gnocchi and lobster. It’s a well balanced dish. A rich parmesan cream sauce, mushrooms and artichokes. Our customers go crazy for it. It’s a unique dish; you won’t see it anywhere else.

Second would be our short rib pierogies. We took a classic dish that is purely Pittsburgh and put a twist on it. We make the dough in house and put tender, braised short ribs inside.

Third is our Amish Roasted Chicken it is from Gerber farms and is an all natural product that is brought in fresh. We brine it to introduce new flavors to the chicken. By doing this the flavors are fully integrated throughout the chicken and leave it juicy and tender.

How do you prepare these dishes and what makes them unique to Braddock’s?

These dishes are all unique. You can find pierogies almost anywhere in Pittsburgh, but no one does them like us.

You’ll be hard press to find pierogies in a fine dining restaurant. The short ribs are braised perfectly and the melted leeks compliment the dough and short ribs very well.

Gnocchi are a popular dish in many Italian restaurants, but our standout. Chef Brian has a recipe that makes the gnocchi melt in your mouth. The gnocchi themselves are so delicate, that it needs the rich sauce to balance it out. The addition of artichokes and mushrooms really add complex flavors and textures to the dish. The lobster on top is icing on the cake. The lobster brings the dish to a whole new level- the dish stands out and is uniquely Braddock’s.

The Amish chicken is brined for 24 hours, fresh herb butter is rubbed under the skin for added flavor and it is slowly roasted. We serve a half chicken with our own unique Coponata and a pan jus

How long do you keep your Signature Dishes on your menu?

All of these dishes are standards on the menu and I don’t see them going anywhere. People come to Braddock’s for these dishes. Though Chef Brian and Chef Dean are always in the kitchen working on Braddock’s next
signature dish- we will always have a few of the dishes on our menu that give us our identity; while our concept is an American Brasserie we use as many local products as possible so that we can identify with Pittsburgh. We hope by doing this we can offer a comfort level to many different people and allow them to try some new dishes with a Pittsburgh feel. Cooking for our guests and seeing them come back again is why our culinary team loves what they do. There are more then just 3 items that are popular for example our beet and goat cheese salad is out of this world…

What type of comments have you been getting on these dishes?

“My meal at Braddock’s was fabulous and the lobster dish just melted in my mouth and was delightful!” Kelsy Frank Manager CBS Radio Pittsburgh

“I wanted to let management at Braddock’s know how much positive buzz I have heard about the potato gnocchi dish they served at the Best Restaurants Party. Not only was it the most-commented-on dish of the night, I got another in a series of unsolicited comments today at lunch. They have a standing invitation to sample at any of our events! Please let them know how pleased we were with their participation.” Betsy Benson Publisher and VP Pittsburgh Magazine

“Their decadent gourmet spin on the perogie was filled with sweet and savory short ribs, but it was rivaled by the sinfulness of the lobster gnocchi served with a parmesan cream sauce.” Dish Trip: Pittsburgh

“One of the most memorable dishes we had during our first visit was the Braised Short Rib Pierogies, so we just had to get it again this time…and while the pierogies are good on their own, the flavorful sauce is really the icing on the cake.” -foodcollage.com

“Another favorite from our last visit that we got again this time was the House-made Potato Gnocchi & Lobster…there was no skimping on the lobster, the potato gnocchi had a fresh chewiness to it and the mushrooms supplied a nice contrast in texture” -foodcollage.com

“The braised short-rib peirogis are a reason to go and have a drink and an appetizer alone.” – thepittsburghtastebuds.com

Braddock’s American Brasserie, named Pittsburgh’s Best Hotel Dining

April 23rd, 2011 | Published in news

Braddock’s is named “Best Restaurant in a Hotel in Pittsburgh” – Exclusive interview with Braddock’s very own, Eric Brown.

Question:
Congratulations on your recent success being named the best Hotel Restaurant in all of Pittsburgh. What sets Braddock’s American Brasserie apart from its competitors?

Eric:
Braddock’s offers unique experiences that are different from our competitors.

We have a value-driven, diverse, menu, which features traditional Pittsburgh dishes with flair. Our menu is real celebration of the diverse cultures that make Pittsburgh the great city it is. The setting is relaxing, sexy and has an incredible vibe with hints of over 100 years of history from the building in which we reside. Braddock’s has the largest bourbon collection in Pittsburgh, our hand-made cocktails have really created a buzz with the locals.

The service is spot on and the staff takes a lot of pride in the restaurant, we are the place where everyone knows your name, this relaxed, unrushed approach has built a very loyal following.

Question:
Braddock’s has had such a rush of successful promotions and growth, is there anything in the near future for Pittsburghers and Renaissance guests to look forward to?

Eric:
We have had great success with past promotions and are excited for what’s to come.

With baseball season right around the corner, we are shifting our gears to the Pirate fans. Our outdoor patio will open soon, we will debut our summer cocktail and food menus. Customers can look forward to mint juleps, sangrias, fruit-infused cocktails and of course our very popular Wine Down Tuesday’s and Whiskey Wednesday’s. In addition we look forward to our continued work with local YMCA, local green business leaders, and the local breast cancer foundation.

Question:
We’ve noticed some pretty unique offerings on the Braddock’s menu, things like the Braised Short Rib Piegories and the Grilled Strip District Keilbasa, can you tell us a little bit about the Chef mastermind behind these culinary innovations?

Eric:
Well the pierogies and kielbasa are two of my personal favorites. I’m also a huge fan of the lobster gnocchi. Chef Brian Volmirch has done a fantastic job at taking local favorites and putting a fine dining flair on them. You wouldn’t necessarily think of pieorgies or kielbasa as a fine dining dish, but Chef Brian has made these dishes so unique and balance that really make people pay attention. The gnocchi is a dish that has really helped create that local buzz about Braddock’s. It’s such a well balanced dish and with so many flavors coming though.

I could eat it every day and not get sick of it LOL, and I would if chef would let me.

Question:
Working with Sage Restaurant Group, you have had the opportunity to travel and work in a variety of cities, what has been one of your favorite Pittsburgh Experiences so far?

Eric:
Working for Sage Restaurant Group has been amazing. The opportunities are endless. Their entrepreneurial approach has allowed my creative side to come out and really be work with and learn from some fertile restaurant minds. I have had the chance to incorporate my ideas and vision into Braddock’s. Jim Henning, our General Manager gives me freedom to pursue my passions in the restaurant industry. My favorite memory so far is creating Braddock’s Bourbon dinner- I invited all of my favorite customers in for six course bourbon infused dinner. We enjoyed six courses and paired bourbon with each course. The atmosphere was energetic and everyone had so much fun. Sage Restaurant Group lets me grow and focus on my passions. I’m also a huge baseball fan, so being so close to PNC is an advantage too LOL