For this assignment we enjoy our own version of “Restaurant: Impossible” as you

Question

For this assignment we enjoy our own version of “Restaurant: Impossible” as you analyze the following case to determine the underlying public relations issues as you attempt to answer the question of CAN THIS RESTAURANT BE SAVED?

Juan and Bonita Gonzales knew the risks when they opened their new restaurant, The Mexican Villa, in a small shopping center in North Canton, Ohio. With the recent wave of Mexican immigrants to the area, two other successful Mexican restaurants had opened across town. The couple believed that if they provided high-quality food in a pleasant atmosphere, their restaurant could succeed. The business opened in the fall of 2007. First-year sales were better than expected. A mixture of Hispanic and Caucasian customers regularly dined at The Mexican Villa. The restaurant had two distinct serving areas: the dining room and the cantina. In the dining room, authentic Mexican music played softly in the background. There was plenty of room between tables. The floors were carpeted and clean. Servers were dressed in bright colored clothing and were carefully trained to be pleasant, efficient, and helpful. In the cantina, the music was louder. The floors were tile. Smoking was permitted in a bar-type atmosphere. Television sets were tuned to sports programs. In both areas, customers were quickly greeted and served salsa and chips at no charge. The menu was the same for both areas. Both the cantina and the dining room had regular customers who ate at the Villa as often as once a week. The Villa also had a strong lunch business, where a lighter menu with lower prices was featured. The restaurant was near a business district and shopping center, which provided access to many potential lunch guests. The crisis occurred after The Mexican Villa had been open for 15 months. In the spring of 2009, one of the Villa food preparers contracted an infectious case of hepatitis. Hepatitis is highly contagious and dangerous. The local health authorities discovered the problem and forced the Villa to close for seven days. Word was sent out in the newspaper, on the radio, and on the local television news that anyone who had eaten at the Villa in the past two weeks should contact the government health authorities to be tested. Word spread quickly through North Canton about the episode, both in the Spanish-speaking community and to other groups. Fortunately, no one was infected. The employee had worn protective gloves while preparing food. The safety precautions used at the restaurant had kept the disease from spreading to others. Juan and Bonita had a limited budget for advertising. Once the news stories had run, the media quickly lost interest. It was impossible for the couple to capture the same audience to tell people that the health crisis had passed. The number of customers who returned after the weeklong closure dropped dramatically. Sales had been down for more than a month. The couple began to wonder if people would ever come back.

You are to write a 3 to 5 page paper addressing this public relations nightmare for your client. Please use the following key points to direct your analysis:

What kinds of public relations tactics should be used to help The Mexican Villa?

Is there any kind of cause-related or event marketing program that might bring people back to the restaurant?

Do you believe The Mexican Villa can be saved, or is it a lost cause? Why?

Explanation / Answer

The Mexican Villa, the restaurant now requires strategic changes. Juan and Bonita, when started the restaurant, became popular in a few months but the main problem arises when one of the chefs became suffered from hepatitis. Knowing about the Chef disease, people surrounded will definitely panic as it is contagious. But most important is it lost its customer base. There are many options for revamping the restaurant but awareness of that information can bring in transformation in sales. yes, I believe The Mexican Villa can be saved because when a product like Maggi with lots of toxic ingredients in it came out of all issues swiftly and again people have started consuming Maggi with a huge demand, then revamping the restaurant is not difficult. It is wrong being hopeless, having trust, faith, and hope in themselves as well as in management, employees, and customers can bring in tremendous growth.

Few tactics that would help the restaurant revive are:

a. Creating awareness in the public about the food safety standards, quality and hygiene maintained by staffs and Chefs.

b. Providing newspaper articles on the clean reports by the health department.

c. What actually impacts people is the person who suffered can be relieved from the job with a good compensation but it does not sound good as employees are equally important as customers but the reason being people not coming to the restaurant is fear of the disease, so one employee can be compensated well and asked to resign. For the betterment of the restaurant, it might be an option.

d. Another thing that can be done is publicly advertising about offers and discounts, advertising, revamping the menu and adding something to the menu which is not there in the current market. Some special offers in-home delivery or take away or adding a free beverage with each order.

e. Quality and quantity of the food with delicious, flavored and mouth-watering recipes can be useful.

f. Remodeling and restructuring the restaurant with the needs and desires of the local people can bring in new customers.

g. Responding to customer reviews and quickly trying to figure out the wrongdoings can attract more customers.

h. Proper treatment to customers starting from food, services, behavior and valet parking, spacious and comfortable seating arrangements can attract and retain loyal customers.

i. Highlighting inspection reports and visuals of the kitchen while they are preparing food everywhere in the resaturant can keep everything transparent.

j. Proper training to the employees and staffs along with the inclusion of several cuisines can enhance the number of visitors.

Event-marketing programs can bring back customers. Participating in several competitions and bringing in certifications can add glory to the restaurant. Even having tie-ups with corporate houses for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can enhance sales. Tiffin services can also add to the sales. Creating a website which provides all the required information, having community services like donations, organizing marathons, blood donations etc can help  

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