App | KRG Hospitality

"Just be nice" sign on wall with graffiti

October 25, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

New Review Platform Rejects Negativity

It’s Good: New Review Platform Rejects Negativity

by David Klemt

Combine equal parts incredible team of founders, love for food and travel, and respect for an expression that we should all adhere to more closely, and you get a new review platform.

The expression from which this team derives their platform’s ethos?

“If you don’t have something good to say, don’t say it at all.” But how can a review platform embody that age-old expression?

Well, it turns out that answer is rather simple: by refusing to allow negative reviews. That’s the foundation of how It’s Good plans to operate.

That is, of course, quite the departure from Yelp, Google Reviews, Tripadvisor, and other review platforms. In my experience, Yelp draws the ire of most operators. Obviously, it doesn’t help Yelp’s reputation among operators that people can review bomb a venue rather easily, among other issues.

On It’s Good, there’s no “star” ratings system. Negative comments? The platform is “not even built for” those, according to co-founder John Legend.

“Either you recommend [a place or experience] or you don’t,” says Legend, elaborating further on It’s Good.

The team of founders also includes Kevin Auerbach (who comes from Apple), Meghan Raab (from Snap), and director and photographer Mike Rosenthal.

With Auerbach and Raab guiding what is likely a top-notch engineering team, It’s Good should be simple and fun to use.

The User Experience

At the moment, It’s Good is an invite-only platform. According to articles online, Legend and Rosenthal have been working on the app for four years.

So, the initial idea is to lay the user foundation ahead of its public launch. Logical, since it would be challenging to sift through recommendations without a core user group populating the app first.

“Our mission is to be your go-to place for saving & sharing your most favorite places to eat and drink. Trustworthy recommendations for you, by you – from the people you know or admire, all in one beautiful space,” reads the waitlist confirmation email I received from Shirene Niksadat, It’s Good head of community.

Interestingly, one of the motivating factors behind this platform is Legend himself. Apparently, he’s a go-to source for recommendations amongst his friends.

“My friends always reach out to me for ‘my list’ of restaurants in the cities I’ve visited,” Legend is quoted as saying on the It’s Good website.

From what I can gather, the platform will allow people to find new restaurants, bars, and experiences via location-based and themed lists. I’m sure there’s more functionality, but the main takeaways are:

organized recommendations;
personalized recommendations from trusted sources and friends; and
recommendations that answer a simple question: Is this place or experience good?

“We believe a restaurant rec from 1 trusted friend is more valuable than recs from 10,000 strangers,” says the It’s Good site, right at the top.

That should give us all an idea of how this platform will operate, and what to expect when it goes live for the general public.

Obviously, I can’t provide a review of this review platform. But I can say that I’m looking forward to my opportunity to take it for a spin.

To get your name on the waitlist, click here.

Image: A A on Unsplash

March 15, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Slice Releases 2023 “Slice of the Union”

Indie Pizzeria App Slice Releases 2023 Report

by David Klemt

The annual Slice of the Union report from independent pizzeria ordering app Slice offers excellent insight into the indie pizza space.

Per the company’s website, Slice serves all 50 states and works with 19,000 pizzerias. For context, that’s a network of pizzerias more than double in size in comparison to Domino’s.

In my opinion, then, the company is well-positioned to deliver data regarding the indie pizzeria space.

Additionally, Slice says they save independent operators money. To date, Slice claims partners have saved more than $265 million in fees that would have gone to third-party delivery services.

In part, that’s due to a 2021 innovation by the company. At the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in August of 2021, Slice unveiled fixed-price, tiered packages for partners.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Slice (@slice)

Essentially, Slice intends to help local, indie pizzerias boost their reach, discoverability, and revenue. The company’s mission is “empowering independent pizzerias.” In part, Slice accomplishes their mission to “Keep Local Thriving” by offering indie pizzeria operators access to technology and services that rival the big pizza chains.

Below you’ll find some of the insights from the 2023 Slice of the Union that most stand out to me. To review the report in its entirety yourself, please click here. Not only is it an informative read, it’s actually fun.

Ordering Occasion

Kicking things off, ordering occasions. As all operators should know, many guests seek out particular cuisine, drinks, or venues dependent upon their dining or drinking occasion.

In the 2023 Slice of the Union, Slice takes a look at a couple occasions that motivate people to order pizza: sports and awards shows.

Now, it’s no surprise that people order pizza to enjoy while watching sports. So, since that’s common knowledge, Slice goes deeper and identifies the top sports leagues:

Football
Basketball
Baseball
Hockey

No mention of my two favorites, F1 and MotoGP, but at least hockey makes the cut. (My Vegas side says, “Go Knights!” but my born-in-Chicago side says, “Go ‘Hawks!”)

When we look at awards shows, the top spot may be somewhat of a surprise:

People’s Choice Awards
Tony Awards
Emmy Awards
Golden Globes
The Oscars

Interestingly, the Grammys only manage an honorable mention. And there’s something poetic about pizza being the “people’s choice” for the People’s Choice.

Another bit of compelling data. Slice says that most people buckle and give up on their New Year’s resolution to keep away from pizza on January 13.

What’s in a Name?

There are certainly some creative pizzeria names out there.

However, Slice identifies not just some of the most common names but how many pizzerias use them:

Joe: 206 pizzerias
Sal: 206 pizzerias
Tony: 114 pizzerias
Johnny: 56 pizzerias
Ray: 43 pizzerias
Nino: 21 pizzerias

Flavors on the Rise

Wondering what the top topping is? What Slice sees as the pizza trends to watch?

Well, Slice has the answers to those questions (and more) in their annual report.

Pepperoni, as Slice says, “is a classic.” So, it wouldn’t provide much insight to just say, “Hey, pepperoni is popular.” Operators who offer pepperoni—and why wouldn’t they?—are already aware of its ubiquity.

Instead, Slice identifies the topping that’s showing the most growth. Per Slice, mushrooms has shown up on 8.9 percent more pizzas. Also, ranch dressing showed up on 9.7 percent more pizza orders in 2022.

Now, which trends may gain more significant footholds in the pizza space this year? Slice identifies two in their report:

Roman-style pizza
Pickle pizza

A Roman-style pizza is thin crust and pushes the toppings out all the way to the edges. A pickle pizza features—shocker—pickles heavily. According to Slice, this style of pizza normally includes a garlic sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Again, you’ll want to check this report out for yourself as there’s much more useful information. Click here to read it now.

Image: Dylan Sauerwein on Unsplash

McDonald's French fries close up in package

November 5, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Extend Your Reach with a Loyalty Program

Extend Your Reach with a Loyalty Program

by David Klemt

It’s increasingly important to stay top of mind with your guests. Now more than ever, that means finding yourself on their screens.

For likely the one-billionth time, allow me to point out something we should all know by now: We’re all on our phones and tablets all the time.

From texts and emails to app notifications and social scrolling, there’s always a reason to check screens.

So, how can operators invade people’s devices? By collecting guest data via a loyalty program.

Fluctuating Support

Not so long ago, industry experts bristled against the mention of rewards and discounts.

Guests, the thought was, had zero interest in signing up for loyalty programs. People would soon frantically seek out “unsubscribe” links after receiving one too many marketing emails.

However, people are quickly thawing, warming to the idea of loyalty programs. Once thought of as too invasive, now marketing experts believe “too intrusive” doesn’t exist.

After all, businesses need to ensure they’re highly visible. Operators must meet guests where they are. Where are they? Their devices.

Rewarding Loyalty

Your staff aren’t the only people engaging with the incentive economy.

Today, it appears that a guest liking your brand isn’t good enough to ensure their loyalty. They want rewards beyond experience, consistency, and delicious food and beverage.

With so many brands competing for your guests’ dollars, you have to stand out to keep them coming back.

Now, there are still industry experts and operators who will tell you to avoid discounting at all costs. Offering a discount, they argue, starts you down the road of devaluing your brand.

Well, the great news is that when creating your own loyalty program, you can offer whatever you see fit. If you fall into the Never Discount camp, none of your rewards have to be discounts.

Free is Better than a Discount

So, let’s remain in the Never Discount realm. What else will encourage guests to sign up for your loyalty program—and actually engage with it?

We can use the loyalty program launched in July by a global fast-food juggernaut as a great example.

Over the summer, McDonald’s launched MyMcDonald’s Rewards. How successful was the launch? More than 12 million people opted into the program.

In exchange for signing up, agreeing to receive alerts, and handing over their data, guests received a free medium French fry.

McDonald’s selected 66 loyalty program members to receive one million MyMcDonald’s Rewards points. One lucky member also received free French fries for life.

Create Your Program

“But David,” I hear some of you arguing, “isn’t free even worse than a discount?”

The short answer is no. A discount can devalue a brand because guests get used to paying less for select items or entire visits. Over time, they perceive the lower price as the standard price. Soon, they’ll wonder when the next discount is coming. You’ll have to either further discount your food and beverage or work harder to re-engage your guests some other way.

If a rewards program is structured correctly, members will have paid for any free item they earn several times over. Most commonly, guests receive points in exchange for dollars spent. They can then exchange those points for a free menu item. This doesn’t devalue the brand, it incentivizes program members to become loyal, repeat guests.

Operators not quite ready to build their own apps can utilize text messages and emails. Of course, the former is the most intrusive (in a good way). Texts can inform members of promotions and encourage them to visit or place an order online. Emails can let members know their current balance and what incentive their close to earning.

Additionally, be generous. Don’t exclude your guests’ favorite items from the program. Why would a loyalty program member remain loyal if they can’t exchange their points for “the good stuff”?

Structure your program correctly and you’ll increase visits per guest and spends per visit. Couple your guest data collection with a platform like SevenRooms and you’ll truly supercharge your revenue.

Image: Brett Jordan on Unsplash

BMW M cars parked next to private airplane

June 4, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Prepare for a Luxe Life Summer

Prepare for a Luxe Life Summer

by David Klemt

When we think of restaurant and bar tech and platforms, we tend to think of POS and inventory solutions. But what about guest-facing services?

We’re all familiar with online ordering, reservation, and review platforms. What I’m talking about is guest-facing tech that focuses on the luxury lifestyle.

For those living the high-roller life, every convenience is at the tap of an icon, including private jets, helicopters, yachts, and luxury and exotic vehicles.

What does any of this have to do with hospitality? Anyone who serves or courts high-net-worth guests needs to understand how they live and what they expect. This is even more important as summer approaches, vaccine rates improve, and pandemic guidelines relax.

Additionally, there are partnerships and marketing opportunities for operators and luxury lifestyle platforms.

Flight

Flying private isn’t solely the domain of those who can afford to shell out several million dollars for the plane of their dreams.

The proliferation of the sharing economy means people can hop on a charter flight for a fraction of the cost.

Blade

Do you hate waiting in traffic, even if you’re not the one doing the driving? Wish you could just jump into the air and leapfrog a sea of cars keeping you from, say, an airport? With Blade, you can summon a helicopter and make your flight in minutes.

JSX

Formerly known as JetSuite X, JSX serves the western region of America and Texas. If the thought of flying commercial is unbearable at the moment, JSX makes it easy to jump onto a 30-seat set via private terminals for non-stop flights.

NetJets

We’ve all been there: We want our own private jet but it’s just slightly out of reach at the moment (by many millions of dollars). NetJet gives people fractional ownership of private jets and provides top-notch, personal service. The company’s fleet includes everything from six-passenger Embraer Phenom 300 jets to the high-speed, long-range 14-passenger Bombardier Global 7500.

Wheels Up

This company offers three levels of membership: Connect, Core and Business. Wheels Up is more than a transportation app—they’re a lifestyle brand. The company offers membership perks such as exclusive events and concierge services, which should be of particular interest to hospitality operators.

Float

There are a couple of tropes that come along with boat ownership. One is that the two happiest days for a boat owner are the day they take possession and the day they get rid of it.

And then there’s the classic “definition” of a boat: “A hole in the water into which one throws money.”

However, much like one can dial up a helicopter or grab a seat on a Gulfstream, people can now charter a yacht for a fraction of boat ownership. Choose the yacht that meets your yachtin’ needs, board it, and crank the yacht rock.

Float

Any boat that someone uses for cruising, leisure, pleasure or racing is a yacht. So, the yacht life isn’t exclusively for ocean-going vessels. Float lets customers “rent the lake life,” connecting boat owners with people who want to rent boats on lakes. One of the best parts of Float is that it doesn’t, as far as we can tell, cost thousands of dollars per day to rent a boat via the platform.

GetMyBoat

This is a huge platform. We found more than 12,100 boats available in America, more than 4,400 in Australia, and well over 28,000 in Europe on GetMyBoat. Given the size of the platform, there’s a large swing when it comes to rental costs, which makes sense. For instance, there was a 21-inch Sea Hunt Ultra 210 for $44/hour (four-hour minimum) in Virginia and a 40-foot VanDutch Ultra Luxury Yacht for $4,000 for eight hours.

YachtLife

Serving an array of locations with a rather impressive portfolio of boats, YachtLife offers three membership levels catering to various needs. Beyond living the yacht life, the company provides perks and specials from their partners. This platform should be of particular interest to our Florida and Eastern Caribbean clients.

Four Wheels

So, someone grabs a helicopter to a private hangar, looking forward to lounging on the their rental yacht.

Sure, they could take a limo to the marina, or they could use the car service their plane or boat membership offers.

But they could also decide to drive themselves. Obviously, not just any car rental will do.

Turo

There are various Porsches and Mercedes listings on Turo that cost well under $200 a day. But for those looking for something exotic, a Lamborghini Huracan is around $1,000 per day, and an Aventador is around $1,400. You can’t show up to the marina behind the wheel of just anything, right?

Image: Jakob Rosen on Unsplash