October 2013

How2Build It From Scratch

Monday nights are not generally regarded as the most thriving night for downtown restaurants (save the few times there may be a home team football game on TV). A few years back, a Roanoke restaurateur decided he was going to make a change to that mentality. Mondays are now known as "Half Price Burger Night" at Martin's Downtown.

Jason Martin decided he'd had enough sluggish Monday nights. His restaurant stays crowded most days - serving great food Monday-Saturday and turning into a hip live music venue later in the evenings. Patrons usually pay full price for the gourmet burgers --- but on Mondays they get a deal.

So how did it start?

"I just decided to do it," said Martin. "It didn't take off immediately, but people came in and word started to spread. Then we got some publicity and even more people heard about it. Pretty soon it had become a signature night for us."

That's what I call "planting the flag".

What Can It Mean4You

When you look closely at what happened with Martin's Downtown, it comes down to a few simple, practical and logical steps.

First Martin recognized the problem. Next, he evaluated an option for addressing the situation.Third, he analyzed the impact of starting a promotion and decided to move forward.Then he kicked it off and began the process of building it up.Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he stuck with it.

"Half Priced Burger Night" grabbed on and stuck. The evidence of his work is easily seen on most Mondays in Downtown Roanoke. While you may initially shy away from addressing your troubling situation, you'll ultimately be in much better shape if you stare it down and deal with it. Then when you make your decision - move forward and make it happen.