restaurant Archives

How Atlantic City Failed Revel Casino

stmedia on August 20, 2014

While my agency certainly doesn’t specialize in casino operations, most of our clients are bars, restaurants and nightclubs which happen to make up the vast majority of Revel’s offerings to the public. From the start, I knew this concept casino was a risky move but was hoping that they would be able to pull it off. After all, a lot of people prefer to bet (or แทงบอล
in Thai) online nowadays. The risks were apparently from day one.
When plans for Revel started the idea was to bring a touch of class to the ailing Atlanitc City marketplace. Entertainment and luxury were at the core of the concept. Casino’s similar to Revel are thriving in Las Vegas, take the Cosmopolitan and Wynn casinos, they’re both geared towards millennials with entertainment being at the heart of their business plan. However, the internet has become the go-to place for people looking to make a bet; casino phone games seem to be the way things are going so trying to set up a physical casino in this climate should be challenging. Gambling is an after thought but they’re able to remain profitable by attracting a consumer that isn’t as interested in hitting the tables or betting the ponies. By replicating this same idea Revel planned to bring in and retain this highly sought after demographic. However, they failed to realize the attraction of 100 Free Spins at online casino outlets would mean failure was inevitable.

So why did it fail?

Most conventional media outlets haven’t touched on this and why would they, most of their readers are the same people that would never step foot in a casino without being able to smoke a pack of cigarettes at the poker table. Why would they opt for such a thing when they could smoke freely whilst going on their computers to uk online casinos and get the experience they want there instead? Still, the place did have some merits. With an amazing view of the ocean, natural light beaming through the glass roof, more then a dozen restaurants from famous NYC and Philly chefs and two amazing night clubs from Vegas titans AMG you’d think that Revel Casino was set for A.C. success
Simply put, the majority of consumers that come to Atlantic City aren’t interested in any of the things I mentioned above. They want to be locked in front of penny slots for hours not knowing what time it is, they want to smoke a pack of cigarettes at the poker table, they love to hate their black jack dealer, they want to remove themselves from reality and they love handing their retirement funds to greedy corporate tyrants.
I don’t personally feel like Revel was a terrible idea in Atlantic City, I feel like it was before it’s time. When the baby boomers are in the ground Revel will succeed.
– Rob Wright

Here’s a copy of the closing letter sent to Revel Business Owners…

THANK YOU!
REVEL CASINO & HOTEL
Revel Casino Hotel opened in New Jersey’s legendary shore town,
Atlantic City. Now we say “thank you” to each and every one of our
employees and guests who were part of our Revel family.
We’ll always remember the good friends we met along the way.
We sincerely wish you all the very best, The Entire Staff
and Management, Revel Casino Hotel.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION
YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW
REVEL CASINO HOTEL OFFICIALLY CLOSES
5:00AM, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014
CASINO
• Any Revel Casino chips, free slot play, resort dollars,
slot vouchers and Revel Gift Cards may be redeemed
at the casino prior to September 2, 2014.
• After closure, any person holding Revel Casino chips,
and valid slot vouchers may present those items for redemption
at the Revel General Cashier Office until September 15, 2014,
Monday – Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.
• Access the General Cashier Office by using the parking
garage entrance on New Jersey Avenue, enter through the
employee entrance where you will be escorted by a
Revel Security Officer.
• Thereafter, any person holding Revel Casino chips and slot
vouchers will only have one possible recourse for redemption
through the filing of a proof of claim form with the United States
Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey
at revelcaseinfo.com.
• The “earning” of free slot play will end at 11:59pm on
Monday, September 1, 2014. The redemption of all earned
free slot play will continue through 4:00am on
Tuesday, September 2, 2014.
PROMOTIONAL OFFERS
All promotional offers with valid dates after
September 1, 2014 are cancelled and invalid.
CONCERTS & EVENTS
All events, including concerts, with event
dates after September 1, 2014 are cancelled.
For concert tickets: refunds are at Point of
Purchase only. Internet and phone orders
will automatically be cancelled and refunded.
HOTEL
All registered Hotel Guests must
check out of the hotel no later than Monday, September 1, 2014
at 11:00am. All reservations after September 1, 2014
are cancelled. Room deposits will be automatically refunded.
PARKING
All Revel guests (self and/or valet) must
remove their parked cars from the facility by 9:00am
on Tuesday, September 2, 2014.
To speak with a representative, please call: 609-348-0500
REVEL CASINO & HOTEL
500 Boardwalk, Revel Beach | Atlantic City, NJ 08401 US

Restaurant with an Incredible New Concept

stmedia on August 5, 2014

Truly amazing, a restauranteur in Toronto has opened a new restaurant apply named “Signs“. This new concept doesn’t specialize in burgers with tasty cake buns or have an entire menu under 500 calories, instead it’s the staff that makes this restaurant unique.

Upon entering Signs you won’t be greeted by a hostess that says, “How many people in your party” instead you’ll be waived at by a deaf hostess with an ear to ear smile. That’s right, the entire staff is deaf and the only way to communicate with them is through sign language. As I’m sure you know, it’s hard for people who are def to find work. This is a great new way for them to work a full time job in an environment where they’re surrounded by people are also deaf and diners that are interested in their culture.

The owner says in the video below that he’s been very busy since opening and that he just keeps getting busier and busier. I personally hope this catches on. I would love a place like this in Philly where I could grab dinner and learn a little sign language at the same time.

Cheers,
Rob Wright

Visit Signs

Rittenhouse Row Culinary Collective | Chef Georges Perrier

stmedia on July 24, 2014

For 3 nights only Crow and the Pitcher will be participating in the Rittenhouse Row Culinary Collective. This event runs from 8.5.14 – 8.7.14. Seating times are 6pm and 8:30pm
Special Guest Chef Georges Perrier of Le Bec Fin will be in the kitchen preparing a few of his most popular signature dishes each night
Reservations for this event can be made by calling 267-687-2608 or signing up at this link
7 Course $120
4 Course Fish or Meat, Cheese or Dessert $60
The full menu is as follows;
“Œuf Brouillés,” Summer Truffles
“Galette de Crabe”, Green Beans, Endive, Whole Grain Mustard Emulsion
Black Bass, Crispy Basmati Rice, “Sauce Baumaniere”
Pan Roasted Lamb Loin, “Pommes Anna, Ratatouille,” Thyme Sauce
Pierre Robert, Époisses, Whipped Honey and Raisin Walnut Bread
“Sorbet Framboise,” Chilled Grey Goose Vodka
Floating Island, Poached Meringue, Crème Anglaise
Crow and the Pitcher
267 South 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA
Official event page here
Contact: Rob Wright through the Small Talk contact form here
Rittenhouse Row Culinary Collective

Chef Georges Perrier Rittenhouse Row Culinary Collective Crow and the Pitcher

5 ways to drive business with Yelp

stmedia on June 2, 2014

Make your Business Awesome on Yelp

For those of you that were at the philadelphia bar and nightlife convention you already heard me talk a little bit about managing your reputation online. Having a good reputation is essential for the growth and prevalence of your business. Anything from bad customer service to negative reviews can lead to an undesirable reputation; this explains the number of companies that access reviews management for agencies. Having a stable and respected reputation will ensure sales and drive your business to outgrow competitors. I mentioned working with Yelp to improve your star rating instead of ignoring it. You may also want to try to conduct an SEO audit on your site if you’re concerned that your search rankings aren’t as strong as you’d like as this is another thing that is affecting your company’s reputation and its discovery. Here’s my list of the 5 things you can start doing today that will immediately help to build your online reputation through Yelp.com.

Claim your Yelp Business page. This can be a bit of a process if your email address isn’t @[businessname].com but it’s simple enough to request a pin number in the mail. Yelp has a separate login for business owners, biz.yelp.com
Once you have your Yelp business page claimed you need to make sure that all of the information about your business is 100% up to date. Yelp will guide you through this process making it simple for you complete all of the necessary content. Click the tab on the left that says “Business Information” to get started.
Respond to your reviews. On the left side of the dashboard you will see a “reviews” tab. Click that and then click “respond privately” to every review that anyone has given you thus far. It’s Yelp, so you’re bound to have a few unfavorable reviews, but please don’t think this is an opportunity to set them straight. Simply ask the person to give you another try and promise that they’ll have a better experience the next time they come in. You’re limited to 5 responses per day.

Yelp Review
Add awesome photos. It’s your establishment, why would you want customer photos to dictate the first impression that consumers receive when visiting your Yelp page. Get some amazing food photos taken in natural light and post them where it says “photos”. And make sure you write something in the caption. This will ensure that you’re given the best possible chance to lure new customers into your establishment.

Yelp Photos
Last but certainly not least, add a check in offer. This is the one free tool that yelp has that will drive new customers directly through your door. I love giving away a free drink with a purchase.

Yelp Checkin Offer

Reputation management is one service that I truly love offering at Small Talk Media. There’s something truly rewarding about taking a client’s Yelp page from 3 stars to 5 knowing the impact that has on his or her business. If you have a business with a great product or service but that isn’t reflected online please reach out to us right away. Yelp is just the beginning of a great online reputation.

– Rob

So why did it fail?

Here’s a copy of the closing letter sent to Revel Business Owners…

Visit Signs

Make your Business Awesome on Yelp

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