[mattm]

I belong to a bicycle and triathlon group in my home town. We have a sponsor that is a local restaurant. We start and end our group rides at this restaurant to bring business their way. We also have about four functions a year either at this restaurant or catered by this restaurant. This activity combined with the members of our group trying to frequent this restaurant more often seams to be a good value for their marketing dollars.

What I have noticed and find even more interesting is that this restaurant and one of the running shoe stores that also supports our group have started advertising for each other in their stores as well as in e-mails that they send to their customers.

Does anyone have any other ideas about how to leverage groups to increase sales?

I know that book groups are always looking for quiet comfortable places to have their meetings. Has anyone figured out a way to contact these groups and schedule rooms during your slow times?

[lunchguy]

i have had luck in nurturing business from local entities like
hospitals, corporations, city functions for the police, fire dept. , visiting dignitaries, ducks unlimited, and other groups, fraternities, clubs etc. those entities usually need some kind of catering or a place to hold award dinners and other celebrations throughout the year. ( i live in a small town, so it's easy for me, hehe. ) i have found that groups like these are very receptive if you have a passable setup for functions and a good reputation for good, fast, clean, and friendly foodservice. i also think that having your kitchen at least partially visible to the customers, so they can see the cooks working, is a good idea. i have no problem with being watched by customers while i work. it's fun. they can also trust that no one is going to do something unnatural to their steak, when they send it back the third time hehe.

lunch guy

[lunchguy]

it's alot easier in my small town to nurture business from groups and such because we who belong to these groups and businesses all interact with each other in some way outside of these groups. so it's easy for me to set up a deal for several groups for one event just by walking down the street during certain times of the year, hehe. also talking with construction crews to set up times and food to go for lunch so they don't have to leave the jobsite, hehe. set up near by office buildings for a lunch and delivery deal.
all you really have to do is give them a good show, provide what they want, and groom business from solid entities(usually those with lots of money, hehe), and proudly promote yourself with advertising.
anyways that has worked for me in the past.

lunchguy