What better way to celebrate National Avocado Day than listening to The Graphic Element on the podcast Holy Guacamole? Many thanks to Martha Lucius, a seasoned restaurant consultant, for inviting us to chat on her unique podcast created to serve independent restaurants during the pandemic.
We talked about contactless menus, QR codes, outdoor dining and creative menu design options. You can listen to the full podcast or read the transcript summary below. Whichever option you choose, we hope you find one or two gems to get your business back on track during these challenging times.
Contact us at any time if you need help exploring any of these ideas!
Listen to the podcast below!
TGE: When the shutdown first happened, we offered free brainstorming sessions to our clients in dealing with the closures.
California was late to open and were as a State very careful in the beginning. But just a few days go, Governor Newsom stopped all indoor dining again. But outdoor dining was still allowed.
TGE: Our offices are in downtown Manhattan Beach and it is a tourist area in the summer. But there is not a lot of outdoor dining. When this shutdown first started, restaurant owners went to City council to ask them if they could takeover the meter areas in front of the restaurants. They requested permission to construct platforms for outdoor seating. The end result had a European vibe heading to the beach, lovely outdoor seating under umbrella skies. Those businesses that were successful in utilizing this outdoor space were able to salvage their business during this second round of shutdowns.
ML: Here in the inner city where corridors are pretty tight, that people are closing streets and spreading out seating from the sidewalk into the street. Closing the street and putting out cones and so forth. Lots of creativity. It seems to be cooperation on the city side and hopefully you’re seeing that on your side, too? That the city is not out ticketing businesses.
TGE: It had to be approved by the City and the downtown business area. For restaurants away from the beach area, if you have a parking lot, that’s another opportunity to open outdoor dining. Everyone should think about something like that and plan for it. This is going to be the norm for awhile so best to look for these opportunities now. Also get your delivery situation locked up.
ML: Here in Baltimore we have a company that rent tents and since they’re not using them for parties, they set them up for restaurants and leave them up for months.
I’m excited to talk about contactless options. I’ve had some experience now with eating in restaurants and formed strong opinions about how restaurants have come up with ways to minimize contact. Some are doing it really well. Some are not thinking it through. Can you explain what you’ve been able to do?
TGE: We went from regular menus to paper menus, all disposable, so nothing is on the table. We got creative with that as some clients have large menus. We’ve had to streamline and cut down. One client went from a 12 page menu to double-sided tabloid size. When it’s appropriate, we have designed menu boards that you just walk up to.
ML: That’s very classic. Is that like a chalk board?
TGE: We’ve used many different kinds of designs including digital chalkboards. They’re printed relatively inexpensively and you can hang them or use velcro. We have bar locations that used TV screens. For sit down restaurants, printed QR codes work well. You scan and order from your phone. Just another way where you only contact your phone and nothing else.
ML: Is any one of these options appropriate for formal dining experience?
TGE: This is all for the customer’s benefit. Many of the restaurants have both the menu and the QR code. The servers are masked and still available.
ML: Can you hang menus outside or what can you do?
TGE: You can certainly put it outside. The material you choose can work outside, fabric or heavier plastic. We’ve had frames built for use outside. Easy to change out the menu.
ML: Have you delved into take away menus? How do they differ from the dine-in menus?
TGE: They pretty much mirror each other now. Some were doing packaging like BBQ packaging when it was just take-out. There were interesting options where they would give you all the pizza ingredients and you can cook it at home. It was a hybrid of prepared food and something you could make at home.
ML: Certain menus are better for take-out. One restaurant completely pivoted during the pandemic when they realized their food would not carry over well as take-out.
TGE: One of the more creative restaurant marketing ideas was through the use of Zoom. They were marketing these dinner parties that you would pre-order. Pretty pricey. But you’d get everything including wine. They would host these smallish dinner parties via Zoom. They had sommaliers and you’d go through each of the courses together. The box had everything to prepare a four course meal including chocolate cookie dough. It was just incredible.
ML: That’s really high touch.
TGE: You would pick up the food in the morning and then have dinner at night with random strangers or friends.
ML: Now that things are starting up, how has this affected your business this year? I know I hadn’t planned on doing a podcast but here I am.
TGE: And I think it’s great. Just hearing someone mention something always can spark an idea for another restaurant owner.
ML: So many applications can use the same idea and turn it into their version of that.
TGE: We were busy when we got word that our restaurant clients were re-opening. We had a big rush at the end of May to get them ready. They’re now on auto pilot. We’re working on a couple retail products from a brewery. We’re all just waiting to see what happens next.
ML: Will you be willing to share any client names so we get a concept of the kind of work that you do?
TGE: We’ve been really honored and lucky to have the opportunity to work on a few celebrity brand collaborations. The first one was two of the founding members of the rock band KISS, frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. They founded the franchise concept Rock & Brews. It started out in California and now they’ve branched out to multiple franchises across the country. It’s rock inspired with a great menu, family and dog-friendly. The other one is with George Lopez. We created the entire brand for George Lopez Chingon Kitchen, an authentic Mexican inspired by his grandmother.
ML: I’m going to give a nod to the beautiful graphics you created for that.
TGE: Thank you! That was really really fun. We chose authentic Mexican imagery and it’s a brand that was able to transfer from one location to another. It’s in two casinos and another one in the Brews Hall. The third concept with the Brews Hall was with sportscaster Colin Cowherd’s The Herd with Burgers, Bets and Brews.Â
ML: Was there anything else you wanted to share about your business right now that you’re seeing for graphic designers and for creatives that would be helpful?
TGE: Yes. With the current state of the restaurant industry, the virus, and the unknown immediate future, we also have another niche that we work in which is retail packaging. We noticed that food service clients… We just finished a Keto bread design with a very large bakery that’s been in business since the 60’s that services places like Disneyland, Hilton hotels and all kinds of food service businesses. Their business was obviously impacted and we just did a retail Costco product for them. It got me thinking there might be avenues for restaurants with signature sauces or things like that where they can spin some of that up to retail. Brands can even sell them at the restaurant. We worked with another restaurant in New York, a famous bagel restaurant. We did an Everything Seeds jar and they’re launching that in the restaurant first before taking that into retail. That was a concept that might translate into something.
ML: There’ll be a few podcasts coming up on local food purveyors. The whole concept of farmers and purveyors that were supplying restaurants that are now pivoting. And what you’re talking about, branding and packaging are becoming increasingly essential as they’re stepping in there. They’re not just putting into a jar and throwing on a Staples label. They might do that the first week but can we please have something better the second week.
TGE: Right. And there are a lot of specific FDA guidelines that we’re familiar with that we can help educate them on.
ML: Packaging for carry out now and then adding retail component later.
TGE: You gotta think ahead and get creative. Keep thinking about what’s possible and prepare for it so you’re not blindsided.
ML: Restaurants have been great at pivoting. It’s hard to watch what they’re going through. Whatever we can do to help is super important. Please give us your website.
TGE: Sure. It’s TheGraphicElement.com. You can find samples of our work there and contact us there as well as social media.
ML: How many staff do you have and are they doing okay?
TGE: Yes. They are all still working remotely. There are six of us and we’re all doing okay. I’ve been in the business since 1990 and The Graphic Element was started in 2003.
ML: I’m really glad to hear about all the things you are doing.
TGE: Thanks, Martha. Thanks for having me!
