allswell that ends well
I remember when food trucks first took to Twitter, using the real-time social media tool to broadcast their location, specials of the day and to shoot the shit with customers. The social media trend has taken hold of restaurants too, with many boasting Facebook links on their websites. Most of these Facebook pages usually do not show high levels of customer engagement, however. What’s worse, most feel like an afterthought. Who has the time to run a restaurant and update Facebook and Twitter, anyway? I always wonder which PR agency they’ve hired to ghost tweet or which overworked employee they have tasked with logging in to tap out 140 characters with overt cheerfulness.
So what is it about Allswell’s online presence that I like? They don’t even have a real website. (Gah!) But where they lack a dedicated URL, they have a Tumblr which is updated daily with what’s on offer that night. I love that the colors of their logo changes, too, but not the logo. I admit it: I even like the font they use. They have to print out new menus each night anyway, why not post it online? And Tumblr makes it easy to do so.
There are at least two more reasons why Allswell does it for me. The focus is still on the food, the daily-changing menu, but they’re smart enough to let people know about it. Also, their customers are the kind to like being reminded of what’s cooking. Allswell uses Twitter and Tumblr consistently and they’ve made it easy for themselves by linking these two accounts. Every Tumblr posts automatically sends to Twitter.
Using social media to share what’s good, like the chef’s recommendations, needn’t be hard. It just needs to have consistency in the frequency and voice. And if you change up the visuals, even something as simple as the color of a logo, then even better. In the end, a Twitter account with hundreds or thousands of followers will not keep a restaurant in business, but having a grown up version of a spicy McChicken sandwich (their peppery and tender ‘Crispy Chicken Sandwich’ is available during lunch and brunch) and reminding customers what they love about your restaurant even when they’re not inside just might.
Allswell, 124 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn (347) 799-2743
