This incident could have been disastrous for this restaurant, but cooler heads prevailed.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees ordered takeout at Del Mar Rendezvous, a Chinese restaurant in San Diego, CA, where he used to live and where he is still involved in the community.  The order was in excess of $70.  Somehow, a picture of the receipt got into the hands of a website called The Dirty.  The website posted the photo and called Brees a cheap (insert expletive) for tipping three dollars on the order. 

Daniel Shalom Schreiber, one of the partners of Del Mar Rendezvous, did several smart things very quickly.  1) He took responsibility for the incident and apologized to Brees for the unwanted attention.  2) He determined the receipt did not come from the restaurant staff (it sounds like a rogue guest snapped the photo during the brief moment the receipt was exposed).  3) He wrote and posted a very classy letter on the restaurant’s website explaining the situation, apologizing to Brees again, praising  him for his benevolence in the San Diego community, and also pointed out that the tip was, in fact generous, as most customers don't tip for takeout at his restaurant.  4) He donated $888.88 to the Brees Dream Foundation (eight being a lucky number in Chinese culture). 

In our opinion, Schreiber took a potential disaster and turned it into a PR success by being calm and thoughtful.  For that, we give him a NetWaiter salute.  In addition, his personal donation to the Brees Dream Foundation was above and beyond the call of duty.

Let the record reflect that THIS WAS A TAKEOUT ORDER.  Tips on takeout orders are not typically expected, because the level of “service” (if any) is miniscule, especially compared to dine-in orders.  As most waiters/waitresses would acknowledge, any tip on a takeout order is appreciated, regardless of the amount.  Mr. Brees, it doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many passing yards you throw, your tip should NOT be considered small.  The irony is, if no tip was left, there probably wouldn’t be any controversy.  Regardless, it sounds like Mr. Schreiber and the restaurant staff certainly do appreciate your business and tip.

 If true, it’s unfortunate that a rogue guest thought it was important to 1) take a picture of Brees’s receipt and 2) get it posted online in an attempt to embarrass him.  That’s completely classless.  For that, we think you’re a jackass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millennials – adults 18 to 35 years old – are the ideal candidates for restaurant online ordering.  Many of them don’t remember a time before the Internet.  Most of them have a connected device within arm’s reach, day or night, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.  Restaurant online ordering is natural for them.

There are, however, some things you need to know about this group – things that can make a difference for your restaurant and your online ordering business…

20% Less.  Millennials, as a group, currently eat out 20% less than other demographic groups. The Great Recession affected them profoundly.  They aren’t afraid to cook for themselves; however, they don’t like to cook all of the time.

The Amazon Generation.  Millennials don’t remember a time when there was no Amazon.com.  The result: they expect a user-centric, friction-free experience with their business transactions.

Loyalty.  Millennials are loyal, so much so that they don’t need or care a lot about loyalty programs.  A friction-free experience is much more important.  As a group, millennials are the least likely to review sites such as Yelp when making decisions.  They know what they want.

Window of Opportunity.  More than 50% of millennials make their buying decision in the six-hour window before they eat, with 29% of that group admitting that the window is closer to one-hour.  17% of millennials don’t even plan that far in advance.  Getting your message to them when they are deciding is important.  Millennials also like businesses that communicate with technologies they prefer – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Key Lessons:
•    Millennials expect consistent and convenient service more than discounts and loyalty clubs.
•    Communicate frequently and with the right platforms to reach millennials.  Stay top-of-mind so they choose your restaurant whenever they decide to place an order.
•    Make your takeout and delivery as convenient as possible.  Millennials may dine at restaurants less, but they don’t always want to cook for themselves.  Your restaurant’s online ordering site is the key to their dilemma.