You Don’t Bring Me Flowers… Small Kids, Tiny Windows & South Park Nails YELP

Ambassadors,

Hope all is well with everyone!

We’ve seen a drop in our dinner business since June. Lunch and Eleanor’s is stronger than ever and was good too, but ever since June we’ve seen a slight decline with comparable data.  We see the drop specifically with Walk In Guests and Phone in Reservations. Not with online reservations. We have some hunches as to why this might be but no one can give us better insights than our Ambassadors. I’ve set up a 1 Question / 20 Second Survey> that is anonymous, so feel free to be as honest without hurting our feelings. Just know we can handle the truth, we want the truth and need it as the feedback from our most loyal guests has been and will always be our primary catalyst to improve and put our focus in the right places. Thank you in advance. It is invaluable to us.  Click>

Remember the days as kids when we didn’t have these tiny windows to stare at and play games? Can imagine being able to call up The Super Friends or The Brady Bunch on demand while out to dinner with our parents…?  For those of you who yearn for yore, we’ve come up with a Newly Designed Kids Menu that may be a good alternative to the tiny windows. It moved the meter with my nine and six year old. Hope it will for your kids as well.

Creature Comforts Beer Selection and Food Pairings Completed.

It looks amazing! Don’t be surprised if there are beers poured that you won’t be able to get elsewhere.  http://creaturecomforts.bpt.me/  

Muss and I ate there last Thursday night as advertised and the entire experience melted our faces off. It was SO good! The food that Ryan Smith and team are putting out on their tasting menu is mind blowing. It is advertised as five courses, but it is really eight when you factor the amazing amuse (aka gift) courses from the kitchen.  One of our guests told Smith it was on par with his experience at the French Laundry. I came back on Saturday with my family and ate off the a la carte menu and once again everyone was blown away. Nothing about it was “kid food” but our kids loved everything they had. I can’t wait for each of you to try it.

Tickets are now available through late December. Word is traveling fast so find a date that works for you and buy soon.  www.staplehouse.com 

I have not laughed this loud, alone, in a while.  South Park brilliantly lampooned YELP recently and I hope you can understand our point of view as to why I made it required viewing for all our managers.  Watch> 21 min (after commercials)

Wine Tasting Theme for this coming Tuesday is “Comfort Food Wines” which ought to be interesting and helpful as we approach the winter. Hope to see you then if not before.

Enjoy the amazing weather.

To great food, drink & people,

Ryan

PS- Thank you again for taking the survey> !