"It's ShowTime, Baby and You're the Show"

Part I

Orchestrate an Experience

"Theater is not an act of separate elements arithmetically cumulative, but an art which might be seen to form a single organism."
- Harold Clurman, On Directing

"Orchestrate, orchestrate, dance to the music!" My Uncle Fritz would say, "Whadda ya mean, Orchestrate? This ain't the Symphony" Dear Uncle Fritz, you are exactly, if crudely, correct. All right, let's say, "Build an experience like a sandwich." Better? Every element (the breads, the condiments, the meats, the cheeses, the vegetables, the relishes, the garnishes, the plates, the prices, the accompaniments) works together, and it is deliberate. Think of it as a recipe, only it's living.

Define(or refine) the experience so that it is the perfect fit for your guests, your venue and your cast of associates. And think 'memorable'. 'Memorable' is what is unique to you and special to your guest. To refresh your memory on 'memorable', refer to Know Your Guest Part I (Volume I issue 1).

WARNING: This experience building does not require a marketing guru or 'the creative guy' in the office. It's a process. Believe me, you can do this! Operations people can wipe their collective brows.

Document the Current Story
Create a 'Zone by Zone' map. Take the floor plan of your restaurant. Outline areas that are discrete sections. Name them (Lobby, Food Display, Host Desk, etc.). Define your 'key staff'. Who they are is up to you. Is it limited to executives? Does it include cooks and servers? There have been debates, timeless and shortsighted, between Operations, Marketing and Finance about how to deploy funds and resources within the restaurant. If your organization has these ongoing turf battles, you might want to include a key representative from each one. Take your key staff and slowly walk your restaurant. Start outside in the parking lot or at the entrance to your establishment. Pretend you are a new customer. As you move from space to space, ask this question: "What are they trying to tell me in this space?" Do not criticize or judge what you see, even as you realize the 'they' is you. Simply write it down. Take each section separately. In some instances, you'll see mistakes. Document. Other times, you won't see anything. Document. You'll see stuff you will love or hate. Document. What is this restaurant telling the guest, with this decor, this section, this marketing and these details? You are a sleuth on a mission to piece together the current story, whatever the heck it is. No judgements, recriminations or tantrums. Just write it down, 'zone' by discrete 'zone'.

Review Your Story: What to Keep, What to Add, and What to '86'
You have what you have. Right. Now, sit down with your key staff or associates. Ask this question: "What do you want the guest to say is the one thing that they really love about our restaurant? What do we want it to be?" Get veerrrry specific. No "Our service". That's way too general. Make them give the details of the guest experience they think 'makes the difference'. Give everybody a chance to input. Next, ask: "What are our most important operational values for every staff member to embody?" Again, specificity is required. No "We care about quality". You're outlining your play and creating a set of 'cast characteristics'.

Write your story down. Column A: What aspects do you want the guest to love above all, Column B: What operating values are most important for the staff to embody, Column C: Currently, what is done in each section or 'zone' of the restaurant. Does your operation embody the items in the first two columns? Column D: What research confirms what the guest actually thinks and feels? At this point, no idea is a bad idea. Get everyone's thoughts on sheets of paper, and put them up around the room. Cull the list by combining ideas or suggestions that are essentially the same.

"Staging experiences is not (just) about entertaining the guest, but engaging them."

- The Experience Economy, Pine & Gilmore

Red Clay in Boston is a terrific case history. Michela Larson, Jody Adams, Karen Haskel and Gary Sullivan are as smart and savvy a quartet as there is. They followed the steps and discovered literally hundreds of details they could add (or excise) that made the story more compelling. They fine-tuned an excellent eating experience and 'turned up the dial'. More kudos, more applause and more business.

Now, you're ready to rewrite your story. How? --> GO

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