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Six Traits Quantify Cool

Six Traits Quantify Cool

by David Klemt

An AI-generated image of a dog wearing goggles, sitting on top of a motorcycle that's parked outside of a bar

It’s difficult to visualize cool, so here’s a dog wearing doggles on a sportbike outside of a bar. Cool!

A team of researchers published the results of an experiment spanning several years, nearly 6,000 participants, and a dozen countries to quantify cool.

The international team’s paper, “Cool People,” was published by the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Alphabetically, the respondents are from: Australia, Chile, China (mainland and Hong Kong), Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States.

The team’s research identifies six attributes of being “cool.” Interestingly, while they focused on 13 different regions, attributes associated with being cool are found to be surprisingly stable.

For the most part, cool people share these characteristics across several countries and cultures.

“Coolness is socially constructed such that a person, object, or behavior is cool if people agree that it is cool and uncool if they agree that it is not. Thus, it is less important to know how scholars have defined coolness than to understand what people perceive to be cool and uncool. We therefore operationally define coolness as whether or not a person is subjectively perceived to be cool by an observer.

Per the Cool People researchers, this is fairly universal.

Relevance to Hospitality

I’ve taken a look at “cool” before. My conclusions were that it’s an amorphous concept, and that most people know something is cool in the moment. So, it’s interesting to see that researchers tackled the topic over the course of five or more years.

“Okay, great,” you may be thinking. “What does this have to do with my business?”

Hospitality is, by its nature, social. Coolness is a social construct, and society (and the cultural subsets therein) decide what’s cool.

People support brands and businesses they think are cool; it’s really that simple. Being deemed cool by a significant number of guests is a key to long-term success for most brands.

This experiment inspired me to look at restaurants, bars, and hotels through the lens of the Cool People experiment. Can we apply the six Cool People attributes to a restaurant, bar, or hotel?

Let’s dive in, or whatever a cool person would say. I guess they wouldn’t have to say anything; they’d make their move and people would follow.

Extraverted/Extroverted

In simple terms, extroverts are perceiveda key word here—as sociable and outgoing. They enjoy being around other people, and want to interact in social settings.

If your restaurant, bar, nightclub, or hotel were a “cool” person, it would display characteristics of an extrovert: sociable, assertive, friendly, makes friends easily, talkative/communicative, enjoys groups, finds socializing energizing, and many others.

(Extraversion versus introversion goes much deeper, psychologically speaking, and I’m keeping things much less complicated here. Introverts can absolutely have the characteristics above.)

Were your venue and staff seen as extroverted (and therefore cool), it would be perceived by guests as welcoming and sociable, at the least. The experience would tell a story, and make guests feel like friends rather than being strictly transactional.

Look appealing? Sound like your business? It should, because that’s hospitality at its core.

Achieving this attribute requires leadership to make the right decisions, from branding and marketing to hiring, onboarding, and training, and also curating the vibe during every daypart.

Hedonistic

Hedonism is indulgence. It’s a focus on pleasure, and an aversion to pain.

Understand this: People can eat, drink, relax, and sleep at home. They don’t really need to visit your bar, restaurant, or hotel; they want to visit your business. People want to socialize, see, and be seen, to feel accepted and special.

Of course, you and your team have to make them want to visit and spend their time and money at your place. They want to leave their homes and be made to feel cool and special, but you need to do the work to lure them to your venue.

A hedonistic restaurant, bar, nightclub or hotel delivers a memorable experience that fulfills guest desires and surpasses their expectations (delivering pleasure). Hedonism in this sense also means ensuring a guest’s exterior stressors melt away while they’re spending time with you and your team (removing pain points).

In my opinion, truly cool people make others feel cool. So, you and your team need to do the same. Look at your touch points. Review your leadership’s approach to service recovery. Be honest about whether your team feels empowered to be themselves while adhering to your SOPs and expectations.

Why? Because your guests want to feel cool. They want to feel relevant, important, seen, and heard. Does your standard of service make guests feel cool?

Show your guests that you think they’re cool. Indulge their wants and needs, unreasonably so if possible. In turn, they’ll want to indulge their desire to socialize, eat, and drink at your place.

Powerful

In the context of your hospitality brand, powerful can be defined as influential.

Does your community view your bar or restaurant favorably? Do the locals in your market support and spend time in your hotel?

If you’ve led your business to becoming a destination for surrounding markets, it’s powerful. And if people aspire to be seen at your business, that’s influence, and therefore power.

Has your restaurant or bar become a destination for people in other cities, states, provinces, and even other countries? Congratulations, you and your team have built, and are running, a powerful concept.

The same is true if your business can scale successfully; a concept that resonates strongly with the public is powerful. (Interestingly, building a brand that can scale but doesn’t is also cool.)

Create a legacy brand, lead your business to achieve long-term success, and you’ll have built a powerhouse.

Adventurous

People perceive as cool any person who’s willing to try new things, and does so often. The reasoning is simple: adventure is cool.

Travel and exploration are cool, and all over social media. Overlanding—self-reliant travel to remote destinations—has surged in popularity over the past few years. The ADV (adventure) motorcycle segment is expected to grow by a billion dollars year over year for the next eight years.

People want adventure, excitement, and new experiences. Hospitality brands are positioned uniquely to fulfill this desire.

Offering guests a unique spin on even a single F&B item can be adventurous. Introducing guests to a new-to-them cuisine is you and your team taking them on an adventure. The same is true for unique amenities, or creating a new way for a guest to experience a space.

Interesting glassware, compelling F&B pairings, eccentric ingredients and presentations, distinct menus, cuisines not otherwise presented in a given market… Even how menus or checks are dropped can deliver an adventure.

Adventurous people are seen as cool. You know what’s even cooler? Being the adventure. Strive to become an escape and escapade.

Open

Along with being adventurous, cool people are viewed as “open.”

Curiosity is cool. Being open to new experiences and ideas is cool. Welcoming people from all walks of life is cool.

This characteristic of coolness is represented in multiple ways in hospitality. A restaurant or bar team can at once be open to new ideas internally, and provide the opportunity for guests to experience new items and experiences.

Empower your team to share their thoughts on your brand, marketing, menus, promotions, and the guest experience. Speaking generally, different generations and groups have different opinions on what’s cool, so ask them for their input.

Be open to change, embrace it, and see how quickly your restaurant, bar, or hotel becomes the cool place to seek out new experiences.

Autonomous

Ask someone if conformity is cool and they’ll likely pull a face and say no. Of course, that’s somewhat ironic since most people want to beand want to be part ofwhat’s deemed cool.

Trying to be cool is inherently uncool; we expect cool people to be so effortlessly. It’s a double-edged sword, with cool on one side of the blade and uncool (or cringe, if you prefer) on the other.

Going against the grain, circumventing expectations, and doing their own thing? That’s what cool people do.

It makes sense, then, that a restaurant or bar that doesn’t do and offer what every other place is doing (autonomy) is cool.

From the researchers: “[I]f coolness motivates the spread of innovation, then coolness should be associated with creating and diffusing new ideas.”

To be blunt, most restaurants, bars, and hotels are selling the same shit. In recent years, some big personalities in the industry have been saying this quite plainly. One was on the Bar Hacks podcast recently.

So, if we’re all selling the same things to our guests, how can any concept be seen as autonomous, and therefore cool? It comes down to strict adherence to our vision, a commitment to developing a fully realized brand, our team’s focus on the guest experience, and unique interpretation of menu items.

Of course, that last element can go sideways, slipping away from “cool” and spiraling into confusion or frustration.

Give your guests the cool, unique experience only you and your team can deliver, but make it approachable and understandable. Otherwise, you’ve given them homework, not an escape from their everyday lives.

Cool vs. Good

There’s an additional, interesting component to the Cool People experiment.

Within their paper the researchers reference a Canadian experiment. The study found that Canadian students, at least up to 2012, “frequently” saw cool people as those who demonstrated five characteristics of admirable people: friendliness, competence, desirability, attractiveness, and trendiness.

(Personally, I’m disappointed Canada wasn’t included in the Cool People experiment. I’m comfortable saying the rest of the KRG Hospitality team joins me in my dissatisfaction.)

Cool People researchers posit that that cool people should be admired by others for their status as a cool person. But that leads to other questions: Shouldn’t we admire good people? If so, is cool the same as good?

The researchers were compelled to address those questions during their experiment. Put simply, they found that cool people are capable of being “good.” However, they’re defined, for lack of a better word, as being extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous. You’ll notice “good” isn’t on that list.

So, no, cool is not the same as good, as far as this particular experiment’s findings show.

You’re probably wondering now what characteristics are attributed to good people. Well, you’re in luck, because the Cool People researchers included them in their experiment: conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm.

What would the perception of being “good” look like for a restaurant, bar, or hotel? I may just tackle that question in an upcoming article.

Cheers!

AI-generated image: Microsoft Designer

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Program for Unique Holidays: March 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2025

by David Klemt

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your March 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, March boasts National Cold Cuts Day, Mario Day, and Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our February 2025 holidays list, click here.

March 3: National Cold Cuts Day

If you’re a deli, are partners with a deli, or otherwise serve menu items featuring cold cuts, this holiday should certainly be on your radar.

Whether you choose to feature all the cold cuts available, focus on one specifically, or offer LTO sandwiches or other items, this is a holiday worth building a promotion around.

March 5: National Absinthe Day

Some people choose to celebrate “Cinco de Marcho” on this day, “training” their kidneys for St. Patrick’s Day. Well, allow me to propose an alternative: National Absinthe Day.

While there are also clear versions, absinthe is usually green. It’s interesting, and loaded with lore. And this holiday doesn’t necessarily encourage dangerous levels of alcohol consumption.

March 7: National Cereal Day

From breakfast shots to breakfast cereal-flavored shots and cocktails, this is a simple holiday for programming beverage promotions.

And on the food side, think about how much fun your culinary team can have reimagining famous cereals as new menu items.

March 10: Mario Day

People tend to associate Mario with a few powerups: Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Leaves, and Starman stars. So, if we extrapolate and apply these powerups to F&B, operators and their teams can craft food and drinks that feature mushrooms, edible flowers, leaves, and star shapes.

And that’s to say nothing of the suits Mario can don, enemies he bests, and other associations with Mario.

March 13: World Kidney Day

I mention kidneys toward the top of this holiday roundup. Well, operators can celebrate World Kidney Day by offering healthy, zero-alcohol beverages. Going further, they can highlight food items that are free of ultra-processed ingredients, and low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorous. Instead, promote dishes that feature lean proteins and healthy fats.

March 15: National Corn Dog Day

On its own, a standard corn dog, one can argue, isn’t that unique. So…let’s change that. If you have corn dogs on your menu, or you have the capability of adding them as an LTO, think about how far you and your culinary team can go with it.

Elote treatment to the exterior? Awesome. Panko or cornflake crust? Yes, please. Going sweet and savory with a dusting of sugar, and accompanied with ketchup and mustard? I’ll try it.

March 21: National Countdown Day

For several reasons, a lot of people seem to like a countdown. Operators can leverage this by creating a countdown that ends later on National Countdown Day.

A special food item, unique drink, or LTO menu revealed when the countdown reaches zero are just a few ideas.

March 22: National Goof Off Day

I’m always a fan of giving guests an “excuse” to blow off work, errands, and other responsibilities. Not every day, of course, but once in a while.

This year, National Goof Off Day falls on a Saturday, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to encourage guests to goof off at your restaurant or bar.

March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Hey, have you ever thought about a holiday celebrating your business? National [insert your bar, restaurant, cafe, nightclub, hotel] Day? Well, this is the perfect time to launch just such a holiday, or anything else you can dream up.

March 30: National Virtual Vacation Day

If National Goof Off Day doesn’t work with you, your brand, and your guests, perhaps this holiday does. While one way to celebrate this day is to use VR for a “vacation,” another is to simply embrace a holiday mindset. With nearly a month to plan, I’m sure you can come up with a promotion that helps transport guests to a vacation destination via your business.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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Program for Unique Holidays: February 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: February 2025

by David Klemt

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your February 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, February boasts National Pizza Day, National Cheddar Day, and National Retro Day. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our January 2025 holidays list, click here.

February 7: Rose Day

Rose presents interesting flavor and scent profiles. It can also be difficult to perfect; too little and it likely won’t register, too much and it will overpower. Notably, it doesn’t take much for rose to go in either direction. However, if your kitchen and bar teams are up to the task, rose dishes and drinks can be quite intriguing for your guests.

Of course, you can also go a different direction and celebrate Rose Day as Rosé Day with all manner of wine, spirits, and beers.

February 8: National Kite Flying Day

As one would expect, there are several drinks with “kite” in the name. Cocktails (including zero-proof versions), beers, and wines. Further, there’s the similar paper airplane, so you can feature the Paper Plane, as well.

February 9: National Pizza Day

Is programming around pizza unusual, unexpected, or unique? On its face, no, of course not.

However, restaurant and bar operators can make National Pizza Day an unusual food holiday by featuring unique ingredients, and interesting pizza styles.

February 10: National Cream Cheese Brownie Day

Much like pizza, most brownies aren’t considered unique. That said, your culinary team’s interpretation can become a signature dessert (or appetizer

February 13: National Cheddar Day

Is everything better (or “beddar”) with cheddar? No, not everything. But there sure are a lot of menu items that are great with this hard cheese.

I’m confident that you and your kitchen team can find plenty of ways to feature cheddar on an LTO menu.

February 14: Start of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Education Week

This week is dedicated to Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness and education, along with raising funds for charitable organizations looking for a cure. If you think you can organize a charity drive, be it for one day or the entire week, go for it.

One way to execute is to donate proceeds from an LTO item or menu. If you have signature drink or dish, that item can lead the charge for raising charitable donations. This important week has a hashtag, so be sure to include it to spread the word: #AlzheimersDementiaCareEducationWeek.

February 20: National Comfy Day

Sure, operators can go for comfy dress to celebrate this holiday. It can be “cute” to have staff show up in comfy gear, or encourage guests to do so.

Or, operators can go a different direction: focusing on the comfort foods on their menus. Whether they’re traditional or creative takes on comfort classics, a comfort food LTO menu is perfect for February 20.

February 24: National Tortilla Chip Day

Who doesn’t love a tortilla chip, particularly when it’s carrying an array of delicious toppings? You know what to do: highlight your nachos (if you have them on your menu), and get creative with the presentation (we like to go sky high), proteins, and other ingredients.

February 27: National Retro Day

It seems like the phrase, “Everything old is new again,” is always relevant. National Retro Day is one of the best times to dive into vintage F&B recipe books and select classics that work with your theme and resonate with guests. Grasshoppers, anyone?

February 28: National Floral Design Day

Edible flowers are visually appealing, and can also enhance the dining and drinking experience. You know what to do!

Image: Microsoft Designer

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Branding Chaos vs. Chaos Branding

Branding Chaos vs. Chaos Branding

by David Klemt

A scene of absolute chaos and impossible physics inside a maximalist design bar

As realistic as this image appears, this was, indeed, generated by artificial intelligence.

It’s important to understand the marketing terms “chaos branding” and “branding chaos,” and what they mean for your business.

The first thing to realize is that the two terms aren’t interchangeable. One, when a brand executes it successfully, is a positive. The other goes in the opposite direction, and hints at a strategic problem.

In fact, it points to a lack of strategic clarity. And if you’ve been following KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s articles, social media posts, or Hospitality Reinvented podcast episodes, or have attended one of his speaker sessions or webinars, you know strategic clarity is a KRG pillar.

So, what do the two terms mean, and why are they important?

Branding Chaos

Simply put, this isn’t good.

Branding chaos is a lack of clarity (there’s they keyword again) and consistency in branding. Generally speaking, when a brand lacks a clear and considered branding strategy, the result is branding chaos.

This can manifest in many ways, from the overt to the subtle. You’ll find some examples below.

Colors

A brand’s color palette is crucial to its branding strategy. This branding element is so important, in fact, that one of the eight KRG Hospitality playbooks is our branding strategy playbook.

Failing to establish a brand color palette and adhere to it strictly can create branding chaos.

Logo

Have you ever visited a company’s website, social channels, or brick-and-mortar location and seen more than one company logo? Or been handed a business card that had a different logo than the company’s current design?

That’s an egregious branding issue.

Slogans & Taglines

These are just as important to a brand’s identity as the logo. To provide clarity, the slogan speaks to a brand’s mission and is used in advertising; a tagline tends to be punchy and is used to promote brand awareness.

It’s one thing to have a slogan that’s a bit different from the tagline. It’s quite another thing when a brand generates multiple slogans and taglines, and it’s a problem.

Confusion

A great branding exercise is to ask your team members to describe your brand. If you’re not receiving consistent descriptions, your own team is confused about the brand, which is a red flag.

Voice

It’s important for a brand to establish its “voice.” To put this in simple terms, a key element of branding is attaching a personality to a brand. Is the brand silly? Snarky? Moody? Serious?

The brand’s messaging, from traditional advertising campaigns to social media posts, must embody that personality, or voice. Think about how jarring it can be for a brand that has established itself as serious or moody to take on a silly voice suddenly.

Consistency

Something as simple as seemingly small inconsistencies on a brand’s website, for example, can be a branding chaos warning sign.

At KRG, we’ve worked with clients who used “night club,” “nightclub,” “gastro pub,” “gastropub,” and even different versions of their brand name. That may seem like a simple error but, if not addressed, it’s a “small” mistake that harms the brand’s identity.

There’s also font mixing, or the use of several fonts on the same website or webpage. And that’s just on a website. Think about how a mix of inconsistent uniforms can affect guest perception.

Successful branding promotes engagement and loyalty, and requires a clear strategy. Or, strategic clarity.

Chaos Branding

Unsurprisingly, traditional branding methods don’t resonate with everyone. Speaking generally, many members of younger, tech-savvy, chronically connected generations find “old” marketing methods unappealing.

Again, I’m speaking in generalities; no demographic is a monolith. It’s crucial to develop a deep understanding of your target audience to communicate with them effectively.

That said, a common belief concerning Millennials and Gen Z is that they don’t trust polished content. Really, I’d say that applies to a significant number of people of all ages.

This is because social media posts and advertisements that are just too polished and slick put some people on the defensive. They immediately become suspicious that you’re only motive is to sell them something, and that your brand perhaps doesn’t share their values.

It’s not a leap to say this is the natural consequence of social media’s ubiquity. If nothing is real life on social media, everything is a trick or hustle.

Enter: Chaos branding.

Authenticity

Chaos branding seems far and away more honest and authentic because it eschews careful curation.

It seems off the cuff, in the moment, and honest. Chaos’ counterpart is curation. When we look at carefully crafted and curated posts, they seem to share the same aesthetic.

Whereas curated posts get lost in a sea of reels, stories, slideshows, and static images, posts that leverage chaos branding can cut through the white noise.

Be the Chaos

Get messy. Go maximalist. Be spontaneous. This is hospitality—every shift is punctuated with spontaneity and chaos. Embrace that, and share the reality of your brand’s day-to-day vibe to show people what they can expect when they visit.

To provide a solid example, Wendy’s snarky social media presence, complete with the audacity to roast rivals and even its own fans, has mastered chaos branding.

And if you really want to go hard, there’s unhinged branding. The image at the top of this article? It’s unhinged.

One way to leverage unhinged branding, if it matches your brand authentically, is to ask AI to make a video for your brand. If it’s just…unstable, you’re on the right track. But…it must be cool.

Takeaway

Branding and marketing require strategic clarity. That’s non-negotiable for operators who want to achieve long-term success and craft a legacy.

Our eight playbooks are bespoke documents that provide a roadmap to success built on strategic clarity.

However, chaos has a place in clarity, as at odds as those concepts may appear. Savvy operators can succeed with chaos branding if they make it a part of their well-crafted, carefully considered strategy.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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Program for Unique Holidays: January 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2025

by David Klemt

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your January 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, January boasts celebrations of birds, tempura, a French comfort dish, and gift cards. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

It’s also Dry January, which is embraced by a vast array of people: non-drinkers, the “sober curious,” the newish “zebra stripe” consumers, the health conscious… Whatever their motivation, these guests still need an amazing experience at your bar or restaurant. And you may recall that Whistlepig launched Dank January last year, releasing the limited-edition Dank & Dry Old Fashioned Cocktail. This was a non-alcoholic bottled cocktail made with rye “non-whiskey,” and enhanced with non-psychoactive terpenes. If you visit their site, they may have something planned for 2025.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our December 2024 holidays list, click here.

January 5: National Bird Day

The Jungle Bird. Grey Goose. Famous Grouse. Redbreast. Eagle Rare. Wild Turkey. Kentucky Owl. Chicken wings. Duck fat. Use this holiday, which falls on a Sunday this year, to feature your bird-themed drinks and foods.

January 7: National Tempura Day

When it comes to comfort foods, battering and frying are winning partnership. If you can batter and fry it, put it on your menu, and promote it.

January 9: National Cassoulet Day

Did you know that less than one percent of restaurants have cassoulet, a warm and comforting French dish, on their menus in the US? Seems like an opportunity for a savvy operator and kitchen team to fill a gap.

January 11: National Milk Day

This is the day to promote your bar team and their skill crafting milk cocktails. The Coquito, Bourbon Milk Punch, the Grasshopper, the Mudslide… National Milk Day is easy and fun to celebrate.

January 12: National Mocktail Week Begins

If it hasn’t yet achieved ubiquity, Dry January has certainly reached proliferation. This week, National Mocktail Week (which runs through January 18), is the time to show that you’ve crafted a carefully considered zero-proof drink menu. Remember, some sober guests find the term “mocktail” disrespectful, so consider using a different term.

January 17: National Bootlegger’s Day

This is the holiday to celebrate brands or cocktails that have survived prohibition, were created during prohibition, or produce or feature moonshine.

January 20: National Use Your Gift Card Day

Are gift cards an element of your marketing and branding strategy? Do you see them as a viable revenue channel? If so, this is the day to encourage people to come in and redeem them. Send a targeted email campaign, and include a link to your restaurant’s reservation system.

January 21: Squirrel Appreciation Day

Did you know that it’s believed squirrels plant three billion oak trees every year? Well, you do now.

I’m sure you’ve gotten ahead of me already regarding what I’m going to recommend you do to celebrate this holiday: put the classic Pink Squirrel on your menu. And why not? This iconic cocktail has been around since the 1940s, and may inspire an upcoming Drink Donnybrook.

January 24: National Beer Can Appreciation Day

Creative beer can design goes hand in hand with craft beer brewing. In fact, the approval of can designs in the US is quite an important process.

A lot of thought goes into beer can design and particularly eye-catching labels deserve more than a passing glance. Feature the most creative and attention-grabbing beers on your menu on National Beer Can Appreciation Day. You should definitely feature them on your social media channels.

January 30: National Croissant Day

The humble but delicious, flaky croissant is a tasty canvas. Sure, you can just offer croissants, but what about going harder and offering an array of croissant sandwiches or desserts? Bacon, egg, and cheese. Plant-based sausage, plant-based egg, and plant-based cheese. Nutella…croissants are light, flaky, butter, and fun.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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Program for Unique Holidays: December 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: December 2024

by David Klemt

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your December holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, December boasts celebrations of flavored vodka, mountains, a famous fruit salad, and iced cookies. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our November 2024 holidays list, click here.

December 6: National Bartender Day

Short of scheduling bartenders off (should they want the day off, of course), what else can you do for your bar team to celebrate them?

Driving traffic to your bar and encouraging generous tips could be nice. Hit your social channels and suggest your followers come visit their favorite bartenders.

December 7: National Rhubarb Vodka Day

Tart when raw, sweeter when cooked, rhubarb most often delivers a bright flavor profile. Producers of rhubarb vodkas sometimes focus solely on the vegetable, others combine it with lemons and other ingredients to create complex, balanced expressions.

Two products to look into come from Mammoth Distilling and Chase Spirits Co. Of course, if you don’t mind missing the holiday this year, you can produce your own, and it only takes about a month to achieve the maximum effect.

December 9: National Pastry Day

Is your kitchen team skilled in the art of pastries? In fact, do you have a pastry chef on the team? If so, this is the day (and remaining month) to let them flex their creative pastry skills for starters, mains, and desserts.

December 11: International Mountain Day

This holiday is meant to celebrate not just mountains but the role they play in our lives. For example, the bounty of botanical ingredients we can find in mountainous regions. And, of course, the effects mountains can have on distillation and aging.

On this holiday, look to your back bar and kitchen. Whiskeys like Stranahan’s and TINCUP leverage the mountains, as do gins like Rainier Mountain Fresh Gin and the aptly named Mountain Gin. There are also tequilas like Mijenta and Teremana. On the kitchen side, look into local suppliers who forage in mountainous areas for items you can feature in dishes.

December 12: National Ambrosia Day

You know it. You love it…or maybe not. It’s a classic: ambrosia, the fruit salad that either activates your nostalgia or makes you recoil.

There are a few ways to approach this holiday. One, you can reproduce a family recipe for ambrosia, if you have one. Two, you can look up an old

December 16: National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

I think this is one of those holidays that’s self-explanatory. Look at your menus and ask yourself, “What if I covered that in chocolate?”

December 21: National Coquito Day

Look, I get it: eggnog is a classic. Sure, there are people who like eggnog, and seek it out in December. However, there’s also the coquito, which is, in my opinion, a far better drink.

You can learn more about the coquito in an article I wrote about it a couple of years ago. And after you read that one, read about the carajillo, another cocktail that shines in December (and the rest of the winter months).

December 23: National Pfeffernüsse Day

Cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, anise, mace, cloves, and sugar come together in a tidy package called pfeffernüsse. This iced cookie is perfect for the season, and if your kitchen has baking and dessert skills, they should be able to produce these fantastic cookies. Pfeffernüsse, as you may imagine, work well as a dessert and with after-dinner drinks.

December 28: National Card Playing Day

It’s very likely that the card- and board-game playing guests who frequent your restaurant, bar or hotel got some new games this month. If your concept encourages guests to gather and play such games, this is an excellent holiday for them to visit your spot and try out their gifts (while eating and drinking with friends and family).

December 30: National Bacon Day

It’s bacon. Go HAM and feature bacon everything, including drink garnishes.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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Program for Unique Holidays: November 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: November 2024

by David Klemt

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

I don’t know why but AI seems to think anyone who owns a restaurant or bar has a beard. AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your November holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, November boasts celebrations of the bold and pungent, Gose beer style, stuffing, and metal. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our October 2024 holidays list, click here.

November 8: Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day

This is the day to shine a spotlight on menu items that are heavy on aromatics, intense flavors, and presentations that demand attention.

November 9: Chaos Never Dies Day

If your bar or restaurant has a chill, relaxing vibe, this may be a great holiday for you and your guests. Chaos Never Dies Day is about mindfulness, relaxation, de-stressing, and, if healthy, socializing with friends and family.

Encourage your guests to visit your venue, silence their phones, and escape for a while.

November 10: Area Code Day

Area Code Day is an excellent time to celebrate your community. Showcase the local producers and collaborators with whom you partner, for example.

November 11: National Metal Day

Does your bar play metal? Do you feature live metal bands? Would you say your overall theme and ambiance is metal? Have I got a holiday for you…

November 15: National Philanthropy Day

Organize food, coat, or clothing drives. Highlight a charitable organization that your bar, restaurant, or hotel supports. This is one of the best days of the year for you and your guests to get involved with organizations that improve the community.

November 17: International Happy Gose Day

Several centuries old, Gose comes to us from Germany. Generally speaking, this wheat beer is tart, sour, spicy, and salty. Of course, craft brewers love to make styles their own, so there are Goses out there with other dominant characteristics.

Fans of this style of beer will tell you that it pairs well with everything. However, when developing your Gose promotion, keep grilled meats, seafood, roasted root vegetables, and tangy, powerful cheeses in mind.

November 21: National Stuffing Day

We all know that person whose main food focus on Thanksgiving (American, Canadian, or otherwise) is stuffing (or dressing, depending on preparation and pedantry). Sure, the other dishes are great, but they may just stab someone in the hand with their fork if they get between them and stuffing. In fact, we may be that person.

In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, task your kitchen with creating an irresistible stuffing (or dressing), and preparing it in multiple ways: waffled, sandwich, etc. Who knows? It may just lead to Thanksgiving Eve takeout orders.

November 22: National Farm-City Week

People celebrate this week to honor the farmers who help make American Thanksgiving possible. Of course, farmers deserve recognition for more than just one holiday.

This is a fantastic time of year to call attention to the farms and farmers with whom your restaurant partners.

November 29: Sinkie Day

Okay, so this one could be interesting. With all the prep and formality that can go into some people’s Thanksgiving celebrations, Sinkie Day offers welcome casualness. In simple terms, it’s about grabbing a bite while standing over a sink. Basically, rejecting a dining table, and eating anywhere else.

One spin you and your restaurant team can put on Sinkie Day is to highlight the items on your menu that are transported and eaten just about anywhere easily.

November 30: National Mason Jar Day

Cocktails, their alcohol-free counterparts, soft drinks like teas and sodas, kombucha, desserts, even salads… There’s a lot a creative bar or restaurant team can do with menu items, mason jars, and presentations.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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Program for Unique Holidays: October 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: October 2024

by David Klemt

"Think about things differently" neon sign

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your October holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, October boasts celebrations of the cheeseburger, the double cheeseburger, cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, beer, and guacamole. Those are fantastic F&B holidays sure to appeal to your guests. However, you can still celebrate some “out there” holidays to get people’s attention and draw them to your business.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our September 2024 holidays list, click here.

October 1: The New National Taco Day

That’s right; National Taco Day has changed! You can read my article addressing this change here for more details, but what you need to know is that from today onward, National Taco Day will always fall on a Taco Tuesday.

October 2: Walk Your Dog Week

If your venue is dog friendly, and you operate in at least a decently walkable city or town, this is a great week to invite your guests to pop in for a dog treat, a bite, and a drink with their best friends.

October 4: Plaidurday

This day is dedicated to plaid. Plaid shirts, plaid pants, plaid shoes, plaid hats, plaid coats, plaid scarves, kilts featuring a tartan… If it’s plaid, encourage your guests to come by your place while they’re wearing it.

October 11: It’s My Party Day

Okay, this is an odd one. Really, it’s all about nostalgia. Technically, it’s about people revisiting their sweet sixteen parties, which is incredibly specific. Personally, I’d tap into your understanding of your guests and come up with a nostalgic theme that will appeal to them. After all, October is all about dressing up and themed parties.

October 12: National Motorcycle Ride Day

If your venue is motorcycle friendly, encourage your guests who ride to organize a ride, with a stop at your business to relax and refuel.

October 15: National Chicken Cacciatore Day

Recently, we addressed the importance of putting your spin on classic comfort foods. Chicken cacciatore, a recipe that’s about 600 years old, certainly falls into this category; it’s a classic comfort food, and your kitchen team can certainly put their own take on it.

October 21: Apple Day

We also addressed applejack, America’s first native spirit, just yesterday. Sure, you can do caramel apples or apple pie to celebrate this day, but I think you should bring your bar team into the mix, and create an LTO menu featuring applejack cocktails.

October 24: National Food Day

It sounds like this holiday is incredibly open ended, doesn’t it? A blank slate for any cuisine or food item you want to program a holiday promotion to leverage.

However, it’s specifically focused on featuring natural foods. For tips on how to build a natural, farm-to-table menu, check out KRG Hospitality chef consultant Nathen Dubé’s article here.

October 25: Chucky, the Notorious Killer Doll Day

I’ve included this because, wow, is it specific. It’s also a great day to play the Child’s Play movies and Chucky television show, within the confines of the proper licenses, of course.

October 30: National Candy Corn Day

Candy corn sucks, and if you agree (which means you’re correct), you’ll use this day to campaign against this food crime against nature.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

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Raise Your Glass to Canadian Beer Day

Raise Your Glass to Canadian Beer Day

by David Klemt

An AI-generated image of three pint glasses filled with beer sitting on Canadian flag coasters on a picnic table, with a mountain, lake, and Canadian flag in the background

This is an AI-generated image, but I still want to visit and drink those beers.

Operators and their guests will raise their glasses and celebrate Canadian beer on October 9, also known as Canadian Beer Day.

This year represents the sixth-annual Canadian Beer Day. Beer Canada created the holiday, with first event launching in 2019.

Not only does this beer-centric holiday honor one of the world’s most-popular drinks, it’s a day to observe its impact on Canada. According to the Beer Canada website, which is an excellent resource that I recommend everyone visit, brewers in the country employ 21,000 Canadians directly.

Zoom out and that number jumps to nearly 150,000 Canadians overall. There are farmers, bartenders, retailers, truckers, designers, and many other people whose employment relies on beer production. Further, almost 90 percent of beer purchased in Canada is brewed locally.

Each year, Beer Canada crafts a theme to go along with Canadian Beer Day. This year, that theme celebrates the cultural significance of the nation’s beer culture.

As an American, I think I’m qualified to say that people have seemed more divided over the past decade than in recent memory. At least, that’s what we’re often being told in the US, Canada, and other countries.

But think about how powerful gathering in pubs and bars has been for breaking down barriers. Having a beer with a stranger and finding middle ground can lower temperatures, and go a long way toward healing communities.

We should all strive to get back to that simple, comforting practice.

“Local” Impact

I may date myself a bit here but I remember the first Canadian beer I ever tried. Growing up in the Midwest in America, it was common to have friends who visited or had family and friends in Canada.

One day in the Nineties, some friends of mine and I got into a lighthearted debate about beer. One of our friends, who had just come back from a trip to Canada, scoffed at our light American pilsners and lagers, stating that we were essentially drinking water.

Then, he opened a cooler and pulled out bottles of Moose Drool Brown Ale. Not long after that moment, I’d be introduced to Moosehead and Labatt.

I still think about that first sip of Moose Drool, particularly when a beer debate heats up. I’m just one person but Canadian beer has had an impact on little old American me.

Canadian Beer

Head to Montréal, Québec, and you can visit the Talon Vaults, the archaeological remains of Canada’s first commercial brewery.

This important bit of beer-brewing history dates back to the late 1660s, when La Brasseries du Roy was opened by Jean Talon in Québec City. However, beer brewing in Canada dates back to at least the 1620s.

In 1786, the legendary John Molson established the Molson Brewery, also in Québec City. I think we all know how significant the Molson story is to Canadian beer.

Today, there are more than 1,300 breweries operating and employing people across Canada. Most are located in Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, and Alberta. Although, there at least a single brewery in every province. For example, there’s one brewery in the Northwest Territories, and one in Nunavut.

Per Statista data, the Canadian beer industry generated $18.43 billion (US $13.6 billion) in 2023, with $7.8 billion (US $5.8 billion) coming from restaurants and bars.

Those are big numbers being put up by just 1,300 breweries.

Celebrate in Style

Along with having a beer and getting to know someone, a great beer and food pairing can improve your day.

So, I asked Nathen Dubé, our chef consultant at KRG Hospitality, for some of his favorite beer pairings. And, wow, did he deliver.

Check out his recommendations below, and consider using them for a Canadian Beer Day limited-time-offer menu.

Let’s start with his favorite personal pairing.

“One of my favorite beer and food pairings is a robust, malty, Canadian brown ale with a perfectly grilled bison burger topped with aged cheddar, caramelized onions, and a touch of maple bacon,” says Nathen. “The rich malt character of the brown ale complements the hearty, gamey flavor of the bison, while the subtle sweetness from the caramelized onions and bacon plays beautifully with the ale’s caramel notes. The cheddar adds a creamy, sharp contrast, making each bite and sip a delightfully balanced experience.”

Now, let’s jump into Nathen’s LTO suggestions. This Canadian Beer Day, he recommends crafting unique, gourmet poutines.

Traditional Poutine

Beer Pairing: Local Pale Ale

Description: Hand-cut fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and a rich beef gravy. The pale ale’s mild bitterness cuts through the gravy’s richness, while its effervescence balances the cheese’s creaminess.

Butter Chicken Poutine

Beer Pairing: Indian Pale Ale (IPA)

Description: Fries smothered in creamy, spiced butter chicken sauce, topped with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt. The hoppy and citrusy notes of the IPA enhance the spices in the butter chicken, creating a vibrant and aromatic pairing.

Pulled Pork BBQ Poutine

Beer Pairing: Smoked Porter

Description: Crispy fries loaded with slow-cooked pulled pork, tangy BBQ sauce, and cheddar cheese. The smoked porter’s roasted malt flavors complement the smoky pork, while its subtle sweetness balances the BBQ sauce’s tang. This poutine can be—or rather should be—prepared and served individually. As a general, Nathen always thinks the darker the beer, the stronger the cheese. On the other flavor profile side, the lighter/fruitier beer, the lighter the cheese.

Be sure to add these tempting poutines to your LTO menu, and visit the Canadian Beer Day website to download their digital and social media assets. Cheers!

Image: Microsoft Designer

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National Taco Day Makes its Move

National Taco Day Makes its Move

by David Klemt

A closeup photograph of four street tacos with meat, onions, and cilantro in soft corn tortillas

I call this a good start.

I don’t know how to break this to you, so I’m just going to say it: National Taco Day, one of the world’s most important holidays, has made a big move.

For the past 15 years, National Taco Day has been celebrated on October 4. That means that since its inception, the annual holiday that celebrates the taco has only fallen on a Taco Tuesday three times.

In fact, it didn’t even fall on Taco Tuesday until its third year, in 2011. National Taco Day didn’t repeat the feat again until 2016, and then 2022. Had the date remained the same in perpetuity, we wouldn’t get another National Taco Day on a Taco Tuesday until 2028 at the earliest.

Starting this year—in a week and a half, in fact—National Taco Day will fall on the first Tuesday in October.

I’m going to share my thought process after I first found out about this news.

How did I learn about this massive change? Via a post by Smirnoff. You see, National Taco Day and National Vodka Day have been linked since they each first launched in 2009.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Smirnoff (@smirnoff)

It seems that Smirnoff is none too pleased with this news, though they’ll reunite with National Taco Day in 2028.

My first reaction was “I can’t believe this is news,” for a few seconds. That evolved into “I can’t believe this took so long to resolve” rather quickly.

And then I told the KRG Hospitality team about this news.

Finally!

I’ve always thought “Why isn’t National Taco Day always on a Taco Tuesday?” when the holiday has come around.

Finally, someone has acted to rectify this oversight; Taco Bell appealed to National Day Calendar to change the date. It may seem to trivial for a fast-food giant (or anyone else, for that matter) to petition to have a holiday’s date changed when it isn’t a legal holiday.

However, according to a Taco Bell press release addressing this National Taco Day news, it’s rare that National Day Calendar makes such a change. The release goes on to quote Marlo Anderson, the founder of National Day Calendar, which launched in 2013.

“For years, we’ve celebrated National Taco Day on October 4th, but it’s always felt like there was a bigger opportunity to align it with something even more special—Taco Tuesday,” said Anderson.

Interestingly, another fast food chain is credited with creating National Taco Day: Del Taco. Keeping the trivia going, “National” reportedly doesn’t actually pertain to any one country; it’s just what the holiday is called.

While this news is certainly another win for Taco Bell and their, well, obsession with Taco Tuesday (understandable, of course), it’s a win for everyone who loves tacos.

Operators need to pull out all the stops for October 1, the first of the newly revised National Taco Day celebrations. Task your kitchen team with creating LTO tacos, crafting a super-premium version of your signature taco if you have one, and ensuring there are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options to appeal to every single taco-loving guest.

Let’s go all out!

Image: Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

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