Case Study: The Restaurant Idea Factory Show — Driving Action For Restaurant Owners

The Restaurant Idea Factory show (aka “RIF”), a podcast and video series aimed at restaurant managers, operators, and owners, has been able to attract a large and dedicated audience through its ability to share ideas, create action, support transformation, and build relationships within the industry. The show features discussions on a variety of current topics that are relevant to the restaurant industry, including employee engagement, food delivery, supply chain issues, guest experience, and customer reviews.

One shining example of the impact that the RIF has had is Joshua Binning, owner of Lucha Cantina in Rockford, Illinois. In his own words, Joshua states: “Thanks for the input on delivery. I turned on Toast Delivery through DoorDash. We’ll see how it goes. I also just went back to 7shifts from Sling based on your show. I have Friday’s show on right now as I’m putting down chairs and you’re talking about supply issues.”

Jordan Boesch, CEO of 7shifts says of Joshua’s actions, “Excited that he’s a reclaimed client. Little victories are what we need to live for!”

Marqii works to improve restaurants digital presence as well as their ability to engage with their audience by managing online reviews. After hearing Marqii CEO, Avi Goren and RIF co-host Shawn’s thoughts on presenting reviews to staff as a learning opportunity, Joshua quickly took action.

To quote Joshua, he states: “Listening to a podcast from @restaurantideafactory and they were talking about reviews. Got me thinking that my team might not ever see them, so I thought I’d make a review wall. Granted many “reviews” are just stars but some people give us actionable feedback. I want my staff to see that.”

Many immediately actionable ideas come from within RIF segments as well, on topics such as robotics, beverage segmentation, marketing and many more. While engaged in a recent marketing segment, Joshua had this to say to us: “Saturday morning and I’m putting down the chairs and I have your podcast in my ears — seems I’ve written you that a few times now. Anyway, you guys mentioned marketing to Airbnbs so I immediately texted an acquaintance in Texas who does that for a living. I asked him for the best way to get in touch with the properties. He told me and a half hour later I was having text conversations with owners. They loved the idea of me marketing to their guests. Heck, one of them had been in for dinner last night. Five hours later and I’m finishing a design on a rack card that will go on the kitchen counter of a dozen or so Airbnbs near my restaurant. This will be in place by next weekend. Thanks for providing content that gets me working.”

This case study demonstrates the ability of the Restaurant Idea Factory show to create real and tangible change within the restaurant industry. By providing actionable insights and ideas, the show has been able to drive development and growth for its listeners. The creation of a review wall, activating a Toast integration, re-engaging 7shifts, and marketing to Airbnbs, as mentioned by Joshua, are prime examples of the show’s ability to inspire action and drive conversions.