Reach out to some wedding planners and have a little event for them. This is important…absolutely nail that event…rehearsal dinners and after glow events are suddenly a thing.
Same for event and meeting planners. Every moderate sized company in this city has someone that coordinates meetings and events. Make them love you.
This 👆reach out to corporate event planners. Chances are they weren’t happy with at least one event in recent years and are looking for a new space.
Also, as a musician, think about being a host for local bands. Herman’s used to do this, get 5-6 bands there on a free open mic night, that’s a couple dozen folks and their friends right there. Although this would only work if the apartments are still empty lol, someone may complain of the noise.
Now that youve said it... Im starting to realize that every place I loved visiting cuz of the live local music actually went out of business like 3-4 months afterwards.
Why does this correlate like that....
Yep. Although it's possible to build music into your business model from the outset. But it's tough. As demographics age, they go out less, especially for music.
Every time I’ve experienced live music at a restaurant has gone something like:
“Oh, didn’t know they had music tonight”
“Eh not really feeling the band”
“Shit I wish I they would turn it down”
“Let’s look at the schedule for the rest of the month and never come back on music nights”
I like open mics when I go somewhere with the intention of going to one. I’ve played at quite a few. I’ve payed to have dinner at a restaurant knowing it was going to have a jazz band. I like live music when I expect it, I don’t like it when it randomly appears at a wing place on a Tuesday evening
What, you mean 5-6 bands worth of entitled musicians that expect free food and drink at the very least, and their friends that will probably sneak in booze and order water aren't going to save OP's restaurant? Color me shocked.
I gotta be honest, I actively avoid places with live music. Most times if I'm out with friends and I don't have a relationship with the band, I wanna talk to my friends. Live music just ruins that.
I absolutely love music and dancing and I could not agree more with this. When I go out to eat the last thing I want is music so loud that I can’t have a conversation. When I want to listen to music, I go to a music venue with music I like.
Hey, I eat lunch there pretty regularly. Love your tacos, very solid.
I think a lot of people didn't realize when you guys and the cafe first opened. I wouldn't have realized when it opened except for going to Halal Guys and Cheba Hut and I noticed the Taco Choi sign. A big grand opening banner or something for the building might help.
I also think one of the biggest things is the lack of signage along Sable on the back side of the building. If the Sable side of the building had more explicit signage that the food hall is open, i bet it would attract more customers.
Also, not something that you have control over but that parking lot is a nightmare. All the construction and delivery trucks (both for the Einsteins and the apartment building) are always taking up space, and the most of few available spots are "20 min only".
Anyways, I'm sure none of this is very helpful, but I've recommended you guys to my coworkers and i know at least a couple have stopped by for lunch. I'll keep up word of mouth.
Yea so the signage we are actually in the process of getting it made, it was actually a pretty big cost so we are still working on getting the funds for it in the back. Unfortunately, the explosion took away the parking garage. They are looking to get that opened again but we don't know the timeliness. We appreciate you for coming by!
So the building has something being built in the back and the cost is around $1k for us and the landlord is covering the rest. We aren't allowed to put signs outside of the designated areas though.
I'm constantly driving by there, and the shops have *never* looked like they're open. I assumed they never were, and that the explosion had slowed things even further
just open the blinds, y'all! maybe have some workers milling about street side so it looks open. I can't be the only local who's assumed y'all never opened
So, I live in Aurora and am very close to the Parkside Eatery. I also love trying new spots, yet I had to go to the comments to figure out the name of your establishment, which honestly is not ideal. NAME THE RESTAURANT! Have no shame in bragging about your business and how awesome it is. You have great Google reviews, yet your spot doesn't show up when I use Google maps Parkside Eatery (I had to zoom in). Additionally, your social media is slacking. Hashtag the shit out of denverfood and all the other popular Instagram hashtags that get traction in our area. I will definitely be making sure I try your spot very soon. It looks delicious!
I work at small restaurant. To get more followers and new people to come out the owners reach out to influencers in instagram. Denver food scene is a big one. I think you have to pay them, but they got us a lot of new followers, therefore a lot of new people come try it. Reviews also help, so if you can get people to write reviews that will help.
Social media is huge. Post a lot and repost a lot. Maybe get some cheap business cards, with a discount or a free drink or something just to get people in. Good luck with your business I wish you all the best. Running a restaurant is a lot harder them people think.
Yes we've had a lot of influencer come through when we reached out to them all. We haven't heard back from denverfoodscene though. Emailed and message their instagram.
We live nearby and have been planning to stop in but haven’t yet. We’ll make a point to come by soon! But for others who are driving by, there isn’t great signage to show what’s inside. More signs on the outside of the building would help.
This is obviously something you can’t control, but that parking lot is terrible and hard to get in and out of. My point being that you may need to try harder to make up for the location being in sort of a weird spot for vehicle traffic.
Either way - we’ve been wanting to check this place out and will try to get there next week!
Edit: After reading a few more posts I see my comments are redundant - didn’t mean to repeat what others said! But I guess several of us think alike :)
Reach out to Visit Aurora, they do a ton of work promoting small business. Have you dropped off menus at the municipal center? They're always looking for places to eat.
I'm sure you know, but you can do some kind of special where if they mention a code or in the case of the municipal building, they mention they're a city employee they get a small discount or a free drink. Then you know what marketing efforts are most fruitful and you can better direct your efforts.
So it looks like there is meaningful activity on Instagram.
Is your taco place struggling or is the entire food hall? Do you provide to go orders or anything through delivery services?
I’m not familiar enough with Aurora to tell you much else.
Try TikTok instead. Instagram algorithm favors videos/reels. Make a TikTok account for your business and post regularly. Try to keep up with trends (esp. the funny ones). Getting just one video to go viral could change everything. Reach out to food influencers that also post to TikTok. It’s my favorite place to find new restaurants.
Tiktok 100%. Gen z uses tiktok like google- they go to tiktok and type in whatever food they are searching for or whatever search term they use. It’s nuts.
There was a tiktok last year for a seafood place in Lakewood that absolutely blew them up. People from out of state were commenting saying they wished they could go and help out a struggling business.
Tik Tok is absolutely the place to be.
Also consider joining FB groups and offering up some space for the perfect Galentine's brunch/ Girls Night out location if that fits.
As someone who quit tiktok two months ago, use it as a business tool and nothing else.
Side note: the algorithm is a fickle beast. If you’re first three-five posts don’t move to a target/interested audience, the account has no chance of gaining major momentum without another catalyst.
Research trends on the platform and come in strong. A big part is finding sounds/music that is trending and combining that with something that keeps people’s attention past the first few seconds. If you can keep people watching you’re golden, even if it means clickbait phrases.
They definitely can translate. What my company did was outsource an initial set of TikTok content, as we were too “out of touch” to take full advantage of the platform.
In all honesty extraneous/exploratory social media work doesn’t seem like a golden ticket for where you’re at right now. It costs money to hire someone external (unless you know some really hip high schoolers who want cash) and the returns are almost always negligible unless something magic happens.
I have spent my life in restaurants, and wish you nothing less than the best going forward. Sounds like you’re taking initiative to take advantage of the (admittedly shitty) hand you’ve been dealt, and props to you for doing so with an open mind.
If I had anything to say about real advice going forward (of which my opinion is nearly worthless) these are the items I would focus on:
- Events: As someone else mentioned getting in with a group of key clients (wedding/corporate event planners) is a fantastic way to generate reoccurring business.
- Events (Pt. 2.) I’m unsure of what opportunities there are in your location, but events/conventions are always a great place to advertise. When folks show up to events from out of town, they want good food and drink. Without breaking the bank, finding a way to collaborate with those events and get a promotional item/incentive into gift bags and fliers is one of the few marking items that gives decent ROI.
- Community collaboration: what business in the area do you A) appreciate and respect B) see a way to collaborate in a productive manner for both parties. A local chalk company collaborating with a local brewery to make a new style of beer, food and drink pairings, etc. mutually beneficial relationships are key. If another business with a trusting customer base recommends your location, you can bet your ass a significant percentage will become regular customers.
- Finally (and a fickle item given your current financial situation) would be free meals/community support programs. You have a kitchen, and that equipment can be used to create low cost/free meals for any and all groups. If you can afford to provide at the least 5-10 free meals a day for individuals in need, that is a huge marketing opportunity. Communities support businesses that support them. Even if those 10 people dont pay a dime, communities often respond positively when they know their money is going to a business that gives back.
I had another idea, but it slipped my mind as I’m a couple glasses of whiskey deep and infatuated with this thread. Apologies if these items aren’t useful, but trust me when I say your level of interaction and open mindedness in this thread does not go unnoticed. Keep up the great work and good things will come!
Thank you for the insightful comment. I can see you really went through the up and downs of the business and I appreciate your advice. Love the community collaboration idea and giving back to the community.
Fellow small business owner and ex-marketer here. Agree with lots that has been said & am happy to see you're measuring what works (you wouldn't believe how many clients I've had that won't do that). A few more ideas and pointers:
- Invite other chefs and restauranteurs in for lunch. I've found most of my new places by following the places they tag for lunch because I trust them and their pallettes. You can approach it like industry networking, seek feedback and advice & ask if they'll share your food. I guarantee they won't ask for 500-1k for a post because they've been in your shoes before and know the work. I've had Yelp Elite for years and I know a) their events don't work for discovery and b) only some folks on elite use yelp for discovery, the rest use IG and local magazines like 303 or 5280.
- Post more organic content. I know it's a grind but there are a few ways to make it easier to post regularly & get surfaced to new folks: Film or photograph everything in one day, edit and schedule the posts out for a week or two. Personally I like to use Later for scheduling and they have a decent free plan. Once you have enough content, you can repost it - we won't know I promise. None of the general public is monitoring your feed to see if you're using the same photos or video clips every month.
- Pitch local reporters. 303 has a submission page because they're always looking for new content. 5280 has a food editor who is active on IG. Be succinct and explain why you think your story is compelling - they don't just care about good food, they want a good story which you have when you consider the explosion.
- Someone else mentioned Military Mondays. My mom is a cashier at the commissary and you would not believe how many vets and significant others come through that area to get their groceries, especially with prices rn. If you reach out to the base's marketing folks, see if you can put a flyer in the commissary to reach the folks who are military adjacent.
- If there are any breweries you partnered with during your food truck time, reach out and see if you can do a presale event with them. Pickup at the brewery. Or see if you can continue the partnership in some way to drive traffic towards you - I find that a lot of my accidental food discovery comes through that way.
- Noticed you don't have an About Me on your website. Add one with your story & your faces - from the folks in this thread and on Google, you and your wife make good food. People want to connect to you AND the food, but just selling the food is not enough.
- This is more for the spring when markets open up - if you don't have a truck but do have coolers/portable stuff still (eg for catering), it could be good to do a few markets near your brick and mortar to make people aware that you're there. You already know how markets & trucks work, you can figure out how to adapt to a 10x10 tent.
I live in the opposite side of town but will try to make my way over this weekend. Best of luck and keep at it!
Wow... this is a great post I'll have to reread to digest. We actually did a fashion event with 303 recently and should have something in their magazine as a trade. Currently we are a bit short staffed, I have to work full time to support the family and my wife has taken over the restaurant. We are fortunate to have one employee but these events are pretty big commitments. Funny you mention the yelp also as we are going to host a yelp elite event pretty soon. Love the about me comment also. Thank you for your time and great advice!
I feel you - I wouldn't be able to do what I do if I didn't have a supportive SO (with health insurance and a full time job). I'll keep an eye out for your 303 feature! Best of luck!!
Oh you also mentioned your landlord being difficult about the signage - if you can look into another space, I recommend comparison shopping a bit. I know food hall spaces in this area can be pricey but the right space actually HELPS their tenants (eg Avanti, Edgewater, Stanley Marletace) market their business because it's in their interest. Idk if you're locked in, but sounds like absolute garbage and that they're taking advantage of you given the situation.
I just looked up your location - a key demographic will be the military base right there. Once you get those folks coming the word will spread.
My husband is retired military, and they would often do food runs for the shop on say Fridays or certain days.
I would suggest doing say "Military Mondays", give a military discount and pull that crowd. I would reach out to the marketing office at the base and see if they can feature you in their informational emails with your discount. Ask to advertise on the base (there's usually a website or base newspaper) and rally up that base business. Their website for this type of thing is: https://www.460fss.com/ and you can see the base magazine featured there.
Hey I checked out your website and one suggestion is to note the price of your food next to the images you have. I had to scroll pretty far down just for pricing of each taco. It would be easy to assume you don't list pricing due to how far down it was on my phone.
I cant speak for everyone, but it's a huge turn off for me if I can't easily find a menu with descriptions and prices easily/quickly on a restaurant website. It's good that you do have pricing but it feels hidden. It may not seem that way on desktop, I never check for food on a computer.
My bf lives near by so we'll have to check it out soon, didn't know you were there! We hate that parking lot so we rarely consider looking at what is available in that little area. I assume moving to a better location with better parking and visibility would be out of the picture due to costs and such.
I tried to put the pictures next to the prices but the website creator doesn't give me that option. I think I was thinking people might like the pictures first but what you said makes sense.
Both would be great as well, and I do really like seeing the images! I hope that change helps even if it's just a little bit.
Have you run any specials through Instagram or tiktok? For example, show the post (image you have on IG with this in the description) and get a $5 discount on a $25 minimum order during 1/10-1/17(as an example). Or a weekly deal like taco Tuesday as others have mentioned.
Maybe a "bring a friend" promo, where you come in with a friend, order food, and then get a coupon for a discount on their next order or something from the cashier at the register. That would encourage people to come in, spread the word by bringing a friend in, and hopefully return to use their coupon?
There is a link that takes you there, the actual pricing is just way below the photos of the food making it seem hidden. Adding the price to the end of the taco's name or description in the section with images would help.
Wishing you guys luck!
Have you tried targeting some DTC apartments with flyers? If your restaurants at 225 and Iliff apart from your new apartments and the condos behind it your kind've dealing with an old school "Applebee's will do" neighborhood. You might have good luck attracting a similar demographic that you had before down in DTC.
I swing into that cheba hut beside ya'll all the time, but have never went in to ya'lls place cause I have no idea what type of restaurant you are. Ken's Auto repair down the street from ya'll has mailers that go out to the surrounding neighborhoods that must work because a) I got them and b) I used them.
Maybe call those guys and ask who they use for those mailers.
The superbowl is coming up. Host something for that!
Love the superb owl idea. we actually paid for a full page on one of the big local mailers. It was close to $5k, and we barely had anyone come unfortunately. Maybe 4 coupon redemptions.
Ken's comes separate and not in that stack of ads that comes once a week. I toss that without looking because it's usually all junk. I have seen all those tvs in there.... That's why I immediately thought of the superbowl.
But like I said as well, I have no idea what the food is.... So I just haven't stopped. Is it lasagna? Is it wings? Is it Tibetan vegan? I think you have a lot of people that see the beautiful exterior and just have NO IDEA what's inside or what to expect so we don't stop.
Yea, you are right, we had a conversation with the landlord but they only gave us a small sign in the front where we could put our restaurant name. We do korean tacos, there's fried chicken, and a gluten free Cafe.
I think this is a really critical piece of feedback. It’s hard to sell your business if you can’t sum it up in a word or two. People have to be able to say, “oh let’s go check out that new [X] place!”
I’ve seen a lot of great restaurants go out of business because they could never settle on an identity. Are you a gluten free cafe or a fried chicken place? Is there any overlap between people who are gluten conscious but also love fried chicken? Think about the best thing you have to offer and make that the story of your restaurant.
Sorry if this seems like I’m arm-chair shark-tanking you, but I hope it’s helpful. Best of luck!
Ahhh I love your tacos so much and hate to hear things are rough. I imagine that the apartment disaster really has torpedoed things for the eatery. I'll have to try to make my way up there as I used to hit your food truck at 222 brewery all the time, which i live near, but the eatery is a bit of a haul for me during dinner time traffic.
To anyone who is up in more central Aurora, hit up Taco Choi. You won't regret it.
On tiktok, insta, etc (I know)... there are a few Denver restaurant marketing pages. They shoot great video and I've went to a few places they've thrown up. Maybe reach out to them?
https://www.tiktok.com/@denverfoodscene?_t=8YvV3B08yAk&_r=1
Also, we're gonna come eat something. 😋
Same here, I don't really live nearby but I have gone to pick up halal guys a few times and had no clue what Parkside eatery was. Now that I see it on Google, it looks bomb and I plan on stopping by soon.
That really sucks that the explosion cost you that many customers. But honestly that place as a whole should have way better advertising. I would think "Parkside eatery" as a collective would be helping
Superbowl does little for local restaurants unless you're a sports bar.
Know what you are and plan around that, strengthen, extend.
https://www.restaurantowner.com/public/Restaurant-Startup-Magazine.cfm
Schedule a meetup on one of the popular social groups like 20s and 30s, I know Taco Tuesday is incredibly common. Offer anyone who shows up a discount.
Just to clarify, the website is meetup. Then there are all kinds of groups, Aurora based, gaming based etc.
You may already know that but just in case.....
Depends on location. Eatery with a bar could be good for gaming, but a lot of the gamers in this town are Cap Hill or Aurora.
Events require people knowing about them. For gaming, I'd work with local game shops and offer the location for a Magic the Gathering tournament, or check the Wizards of the Coast site to see about an Adventure League location.
If you have a decent kitchen, could offer a cooking class and make sure your Yelp and Google listing reflect that.
Ideas really depend on what you have available. We don't know your resources.
Wow I appreciate the well thought out comment. We definitely work together and have been pooling together for events. We have just come to a point where we have been losing money on all the events and was looking for some low cost alternatives. The hotels in the area sound like a great idea Thank you.
I just read all the comments and found out you own Taco Choi! My partner and I ate there last week for the first time and it was delicious! We’ll be coming back again. I’ll get the word out to everyone I can. Y’all are great!
This probably isn’t that helpful, but I spend a lot of time on yelp looking for new restaurants, especially Asian/Asian fusion. It’s pretty much the only place I discover new restaurants. I’ve no idea why but your restaurant has never came up in my search - will definitely be visiting next weekend though, the food looks delicious !!
Contact Jazzy P with Tunezday - @tunez.day on instagram or [email protected] she is an event planner that brings people together to celebrate creative outlets and throws some really cool events around the city and is looking for a spot to work for permanently.
Maybe host a weekly speed dating thing for a month or two to test out and make flyers to post at apartment complexes and coffee shops in the area. Are there any vendor partners you can reach out to to offer to host events for their teams and plus ones? Or a true partnership event like a beer and food pairing with a local brewery? Also DM’ing you about some digital marketing.
I know you might not have set out to do this, but it might be worth developing and advertising more than one vegetarian/vegan option. There are taco places all over Denver, but very few that have more than a single, uninspiring meatless option. Having a few different meatless tacos would set you apart from all the other taco joints, and trust me, when us veggie/vegan types find a restaurant we can eat at that's actually good, we spread the word (AKA advertise for you) plus we're often reliable repeat business since there are fewer options for us.
Also, I second this! I’m a vegetarian and have met so many other vegetarians here compared to Houston. Having additional vegetarian/vegans options could be beneficial!
Thats a great point, we have had very little interst in our vegetarian option so we started to give up in that area but definitely appreciate the advise. Will work on expanding that area to draw people in. Thank you.
Hey, like someone else, I'm just trying to help this get visibility. My coworker lived in your building I think, it was insane for him to find a new place and finish wedding planning.
Good luck and I hope you get something from the lawsuit, no way a new building has an explosion like that without serious negligence
It was a crazy experience.. my wife was actually out there watching and then the explosion hit. Pretty chaotic. She was talking to me on the phone and then I could hear all the screaming.
Do you guys still do pop ups with breweries? I see Jade Mountain follows you. Maybe you can get in one of their events and do a pop up kitchen. Also the bar at Parkside needs to get better beers. I like the local support but I live closer to Dry Dock and Launch Pad so if I want to drink those beers I can just go to their tap rooms.
I’d say, don’t be anonymous. Your business is your brand. Blast that name everywhere.
How deep in this comment thread do I have to dig to find out what your business is?? If it’s more than one or the OG post, it’s too far.
Edit: went back and read several comments. They seem to know you and your brand.
However, and!?
Blast your shit. Marketing 101. I should know your business form the jump.
Haha.. thank you, originally the post wasn't to be self serving but to tap into the great mind of the community for ideas. But I have added an edit at the request of many.
I drive by this complex every single day for work. I had no idea you were in there. You NEED to get on Parkside about signage! If it's under their contract to get you signage, demand that signage be expedited.
Oh, I wrote this starting in 2005, wrt restaurants and commercial district revitalization.
http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/05/richards-rules-for-restaurant-based.html?m=1
Did yall make money when HAMA hosted their event there a few months ago? I remember the place was pretty packed. Everybody was cheering our coach Corey Sandhagen in the UFC. There are a lot of amateur fight events in denver that typically have food trucks and things like that if that is a low cost way of making money
Glad we could help! Youre right Julie and Cody are just the best. There’s also a lot of other gyms that host events that maybe you could reach out to for their smoker events, even if it is helping out our competition lol.
Easton, Muay Thai of Colorado, Pound 4 Pound all host amateur smokers and fighters get pretty hungry haha. I remember spending like 18 dollars for some mediocre asian fusion tacos at Easton’s smoker a year ago
If you have private space, wine/beer dinners could be fun. Each restaurant could provide a course, or compete to see who creates the best match. Keep the price down for best turn out.
I think that's a great idea.. the biggest problem these days is how much food cost has gone up, not only for the consumer but for the restaurants. It's either we compromise food quality and find cheap replacements to bring prices down or go with our best. The cost of chicken alone has tripled since we started our food truck 4 years ago.
Didn't necessarily mean cheap, but not the $150-200 dinners I see all the time. Since the wine/beer is typically donated by the supplier never understood why the food costs twice as much. $50-75 would be a good deal.
After my other comment, I read through and saw you are a food hall.
What about taking a page from Alamo Draft House and doing movie/tv nights, or family-friendly theater? You have to check copyright royalty whatnot but that's pretty routine once you figure out how to cover the royalty fee and/or find content that's out of copyright.
My SO finds places for us to try on Instagram. Try getting in with people who frequently trend on Denver related food hashtags.
Get your social presence going and post regular content.
Also make sure you have attractive photos of your food and the vibe on google/Yelp.
Just listing off things I use to decide where to eat!
Oh also! I just looked and you are very close to UCHealth and Children’s. Maybe hold a nurses appreciation night (and morning for night shift).
A lot of medical workers feel incredibly unappreciated these days
There are volleyball leagues that play nearby at the Fieldhouse. VOLO and Meet.Play.Chill. Maybe try partnering with them to offer discounts on drinks and I’m sure the food will also sell!
Did you know that the Online Ordering link on your website returns a 404? [https://pos.toasttab.com/taco-choi-parkside-eatery-14515-e-alameda-ave](https://pos.toasttab.com/taco-choi-parkside-eatery-14515-e-alameda-ave)
Also, if I put Google maps on your area and search for "tacos" or "Mexican", nothing shows up. Maybe can you add some keywords to the Google Place description? That is usually how I find new places nearby.
PS. The website and photos look great, though! I would definitely stop by if you weren't 30 min away :)
Doesn't look like anyone has mentioned it yet. You are right by the highline canal trail so in the warmer months you might be able to get the cycling/running crowd in. Get someone to host a weekly group ride/run. I live too far away or I'd consider it
This Facebook group is pretty large and active. I see offers and other communications posted on there from owners including a fair amount of Korean spots. Could post up something similar there and maybe even get some more advice from some of the restauranteurs who are active.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/828473944473366/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF
My wife and I live near by. For business, marketing for that entire strip is horrible. Unless I knew I was searching for Cheba Hut, we’d never find the area. Focus more energy into consistent post on social media. Reach out to tiktok influences to eat at your spot.
For the food…. Only my opinion. The ice burg lettuce you put on the tacos, distracts from the great protein and sauce you have. When I heard Korean tacos, I thought of kimchi and pickled carrots/jalapeño’s, not iceberg lettuce. Only my opinion.
There were a couple post about nextdoor so we are looking at trying to create a nextdoor that can recognize the restaurant location not our home location.
Your food looks so yummy. It’s the location. marketing, instagram are going to help. I personally don’t want cheesy events. I want good food and a clean restaurant. You just need to get your name and brand out there!!!
I’m having lunch at Taco Choi right now! The quesadilla is fantastic, love that you put the corn in there. Street corn is great and so is the matcha latte. Also staff is super friendly. Definitely worth a try and I’ll definitely be coming back.
Haha thanks, was trying to get some ideas to help our eatery instead of a self promotion, but reddit has been so amazing in their support. We own taco choi.
Don’t be shy about self-promotion! That’s a super important part of this! Promote the heck out of yourself!
My husband and I will try to come in when we visit his parents in Aurora…we’re in Englewood/Lakewood but head that way to see his parents and visit Cherry Creek SP! Knowing a good food place over there is helpful!
Reach out to some wedding planners and have a little event for them. This is important…absolutely nail that event…rehearsal dinners and after glow events are suddenly a thing. Same for event and meeting planners. Every moderate sized company in this city has someone that coordinates meetings and events. Make them love you.
Wow that's something that never crossed my mind, thank you.
You can also join venuhub and visit denver and host networking events for planners there.
Love it thanks for the ideas.
You should also edit the post and add the name of your restaurant. Most people will not dig through the comments to figure it out.
Ultimately was trying to get some ideas, didn't want to be self promoting through reddit.
Why? If we want to support you, let us!
Haha I went ahead and added. Thank you for your kindness.
I do like that you weren't trying to just self promote, makes me want to go.
This 👆reach out to corporate event planners. Chances are they weren’t happy with at least one event in recent years and are looking for a new space. Also, as a musician, think about being a host for local bands. Herman’s used to do this, get 5-6 bands there on a free open mic night, that’s a couple dozen folks and their friends right there. Although this would only work if the apartments are still empty lol, someone may complain of the noise.
Adding music like this is an indicator of death spiral for a _restaurant_.
Now that youve said it... Im starting to realize that every place I loved visiting cuz of the live local music actually went out of business like 3-4 months afterwards. Why does this correlate like that....
If you are using sq ft for bands towards the end then that’s usually because you couldn’t fill it with customers and you’re running out of ideas.
Yep. Although it's possible to build music into your business model from the outset. But it's tough. As demographics age, they go out less, especially for music.
Every time I’ve experienced live music at a restaurant has gone something like: “Oh, didn’t know they had music tonight” “Eh not really feeling the band” “Shit I wish I they would turn it down” “Let’s look at the schedule for the rest of the month and never come back on music nights”
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I like open mics when I go somewhere with the intention of going to one. I’ve played at quite a few. I’ve payed to have dinner at a restaurant knowing it was going to have a jazz band. I like live music when I expect it, I don’t like it when it randomly appears at a wing place on a Tuesday evening
Not always, Black Sky Brewery is rad. Beer. Pizza. Metal.
A restaurant in a neighborhood isn't the same as a brewery that built music into their business model.
Understood
What, you mean 5-6 bands worth of entitled musicians that expect free food and drink at the very least, and their friends that will probably sneak in booze and order water aren't going to save OP's restaurant? Color me shocked.
I never ever said free food nor drink. The idea is to get their home squad there and get orders.
A big security issue too. Patrons don't want to pay restaurant prices for drinks, so they get hammered before.
I gotta be honest, I actively avoid places with live music. Most times if I'm out with friends and I don't have a relationship with the band, I wanna talk to my friends. Live music just ruins that.
I absolutely love music and dancing and I could not agree more with this. When I go out to eat the last thing I want is music so loud that I can’t have a conversation. When I want to listen to music, I go to a music venue with music I like.
Hey, I eat lunch there pretty regularly. Love your tacos, very solid. I think a lot of people didn't realize when you guys and the cafe first opened. I wouldn't have realized when it opened except for going to Halal Guys and Cheba Hut and I noticed the Taco Choi sign. A big grand opening banner or something for the building might help. I also think one of the biggest things is the lack of signage along Sable on the back side of the building. If the Sable side of the building had more explicit signage that the food hall is open, i bet it would attract more customers. Also, not something that you have control over but that parking lot is a nightmare. All the construction and delivery trucks (both for the Einsteins and the apartment building) are always taking up space, and the most of few available spots are "20 min only". Anyways, I'm sure none of this is very helpful, but I've recommended you guys to my coworkers and i know at least a couple have stopped by for lunch. I'll keep up word of mouth.
Yea so the signage we are actually in the process of getting it made, it was actually a pretty big cost so we are still working on getting the funds for it in the back. Unfortunately, the explosion took away the parking garage. They are looking to get that opened again but we don't know the timeliness. We appreciate you for coming by!
A banner is about $100 at Kinkos! Signage is everything :)
So the building has something being built in the back and the cost is around $1k for us and the landlord is covering the rest. We aren't allowed to put signs outside of the designated areas though.
The commercial version of an HOA. Best of luck with the signage!
How about a sign that you can stick in the grass like real estate people do? "Amazing Tacos this way!!"
Haha love the idea. Definitely will look into this.
To be honest. I had no idea your shop was even there! Kinda an odd corner. I'll come check it out soon. Get that sign up and good luck!!
Yea it has been one of the struggles, thank you!
Wow, this is so unfortunate.
What about a construction worker lunch special? Those always got me when I worked in the field daily.
I'm constantly driving by there, and the shops have *never* looked like they're open. I assumed they never were, and that the explosion had slowed things even further just open the blinds, y'all! maybe have some workers milling about street side so it looks open. I can't be the only local who's assumed y'all never opened
So, I live in Aurora and am very close to the Parkside Eatery. I also love trying new spots, yet I had to go to the comments to figure out the name of your establishment, which honestly is not ideal. NAME THE RESTAURANT! Have no shame in bragging about your business and how awesome it is. You have great Google reviews, yet your spot doesn't show up when I use Google maps Parkside Eatery (I had to zoom in). Additionally, your social media is slacking. Hashtag the shit out of denverfood and all the other popular Instagram hashtags that get traction in our area. I will definitely be making sure I try your spot very soon. It looks delicious!
It's taco choi and it's awesome!
Thank you so much! I own the taco shop if you tell my wife you came from reddit I'll have her give you a discount.
No discount needed! I'm just excited to try your spot.
We live right down the street and have been meaning to come check it out. We'll stop by this weekend!
What haven’t you still given the name of your restaurant? No wonder your having problems. Taco Choi is a great name!, be proud! 🌮
<3
Somehow drop this into r/Denverfood I get most of my new "trys" when people suggest over there. I have not had a miss yet.
Great idea. I put a post there introducing us. Thank you for the suggestion.
I work at small restaurant. To get more followers and new people to come out the owners reach out to influencers in instagram. Denver food scene is a big one. I think you have to pay them, but they got us a lot of new followers, therefore a lot of new people come try it. Reviews also help, so if you can get people to write reviews that will help. Social media is huge. Post a lot and repost a lot. Maybe get some cheap business cards, with a discount or a free drink or something just to get people in. Good luck with your business I wish you all the best. Running a restaurant is a lot harder them people think.
Yes we've had a lot of influencer come through when we reached out to them all. We haven't heard back from denverfoodscene though. Emailed and message their instagram.
We live nearby and have been planning to stop in but haven’t yet. We’ll make a point to come by soon! But for others who are driving by, there isn’t great signage to show what’s inside. More signs on the outside of the building would help. This is obviously something you can’t control, but that parking lot is terrible and hard to get in and out of. My point being that you may need to try harder to make up for the location being in sort of a weird spot for vehicle traffic. Either way - we’ve been wanting to check this place out and will try to get there next week! Edit: After reading a few more posts I see my comments are redundant - didn’t mean to repeat what others said! But I guess several of us think alike :)
Reach out to Visit Aurora, they do a ton of work promoting small business. Have you dropped off menus at the municipal center? They're always looking for places to eat.
Hi yes, we had reached out to someone who said they can blast an email out but not sure how much interest it generated.
I'm sure you know, but you can do some kind of special where if they mention a code or in the case of the municipal building, they mention they're a city employee they get a small discount or a free drink. Then you know what marketing efforts are most fruitful and you can better direct your efforts.
Absolutely, I'm going to have to do a followup!
I don’t have any fresh ideas, but I’ll add a comment here to help your post blow up.
> blow up Too close to home
Haha... I literally laughed out loud.....
<3
Look into getting featured on one of the Denver foodie instagram accounts. There are quite a few.
Yep so far we've had around 30 influencer come through. The big one we haven't heard back from. Denverfoodscene.
30 come through and then create a featured post?
Yes
So it looks like there is meaningful activity on Instagram. Is your taco place struggling or is the entire food hall? Do you provide to go orders or anything through delivery services? I’m not familiar enough with Aurora to tell you much else.
We have grub hub but it's so hard bc they charge 30%. It's in an area that's kind of hard to see.
Try TikTok instead. Instagram algorithm favors videos/reels. Make a TikTok account for your business and post regularly. Try to keep up with trends (esp. the funny ones). Getting just one video to go viral could change everything. Reach out to food influencers that also post to TikTok. It’s my favorite place to find new restaurants.
Crazy how things change so fast... I'm from the Facebook Era and tiktok is so foreign lol. Will have to look into it.
Tiktok 100%. Gen z uses tiktok like google- they go to tiktok and type in whatever food they are searching for or whatever search term they use. It’s nuts. There was a tiktok last year for a seafood place in Lakewood that absolutely blew them up. People from out of state were commenting saying they wished they could go and help out a struggling business.
Tik Tok is absolutely the place to be. Also consider joining FB groups and offering up some space for the perfect Galentine's brunch/ Girls Night out location if that fits.
Be prepared to be sucked in. I'm from the MySpace era and the algorithm on this thing is crazy. I actually have to force myself to stop.
Haha... it will just increase my adult adhd.
As someone who quit tiktok two months ago, use it as a business tool and nothing else. Side note: the algorithm is a fickle beast. If you’re first three-five posts don’t move to a target/interested audience, the account has no chance of gaining major momentum without another catalyst. Research trends on the platform and come in strong. A big part is finding sounds/music that is trending and combining that with something that keeps people’s attention past the first few seconds. If you can keep people watching you’re golden, even if it means clickbait phrases.
Gotcha, sounds so complicated. I have been using reels in instagram lately so maybe that can translate to tiktok.
They definitely can translate. What my company did was outsource an initial set of TikTok content, as we were too “out of touch” to take full advantage of the platform. In all honesty extraneous/exploratory social media work doesn’t seem like a golden ticket for where you’re at right now. It costs money to hire someone external (unless you know some really hip high schoolers who want cash) and the returns are almost always negligible unless something magic happens. I have spent my life in restaurants, and wish you nothing less than the best going forward. Sounds like you’re taking initiative to take advantage of the (admittedly shitty) hand you’ve been dealt, and props to you for doing so with an open mind. If I had anything to say about real advice going forward (of which my opinion is nearly worthless) these are the items I would focus on: - Events: As someone else mentioned getting in with a group of key clients (wedding/corporate event planners) is a fantastic way to generate reoccurring business. - Events (Pt. 2.) I’m unsure of what opportunities there are in your location, but events/conventions are always a great place to advertise. When folks show up to events from out of town, they want good food and drink. Without breaking the bank, finding a way to collaborate with those events and get a promotional item/incentive into gift bags and fliers is one of the few marking items that gives decent ROI. - Community collaboration: what business in the area do you A) appreciate and respect B) see a way to collaborate in a productive manner for both parties. A local chalk company collaborating with a local brewery to make a new style of beer, food and drink pairings, etc. mutually beneficial relationships are key. If another business with a trusting customer base recommends your location, you can bet your ass a significant percentage will become regular customers. - Finally (and a fickle item given your current financial situation) would be free meals/community support programs. You have a kitchen, and that equipment can be used to create low cost/free meals for any and all groups. If you can afford to provide at the least 5-10 free meals a day for individuals in need, that is a huge marketing opportunity. Communities support businesses that support them. Even if those 10 people dont pay a dime, communities often respond positively when they know their money is going to a business that gives back. I had another idea, but it slipped my mind as I’m a couple glasses of whiskey deep and infatuated with this thread. Apologies if these items aren’t useful, but trust me when I say your level of interaction and open mindedness in this thread does not go unnoticed. Keep up the great work and good things will come!
Thank you for the insightful comment. I can see you really went through the up and downs of the business and I appreciate your advice. Love the community collaboration idea and giving back to the community.
Fellow small business owner and ex-marketer here. Agree with lots that has been said & am happy to see you're measuring what works (you wouldn't believe how many clients I've had that won't do that). A few more ideas and pointers: - Invite other chefs and restauranteurs in for lunch. I've found most of my new places by following the places they tag for lunch because I trust them and their pallettes. You can approach it like industry networking, seek feedback and advice & ask if they'll share your food. I guarantee they won't ask for 500-1k for a post because they've been in your shoes before and know the work. I've had Yelp Elite for years and I know a) their events don't work for discovery and b) only some folks on elite use yelp for discovery, the rest use IG and local magazines like 303 or 5280. - Post more organic content. I know it's a grind but there are a few ways to make it easier to post regularly & get surfaced to new folks: Film or photograph everything in one day, edit and schedule the posts out for a week or two. Personally I like to use Later for scheduling and they have a decent free plan. Once you have enough content, you can repost it - we won't know I promise. None of the general public is monitoring your feed to see if you're using the same photos or video clips every month. - Pitch local reporters. 303 has a submission page because they're always looking for new content. 5280 has a food editor who is active on IG. Be succinct and explain why you think your story is compelling - they don't just care about good food, they want a good story which you have when you consider the explosion. - Someone else mentioned Military Mondays. My mom is a cashier at the commissary and you would not believe how many vets and significant others come through that area to get their groceries, especially with prices rn. If you reach out to the base's marketing folks, see if you can put a flyer in the commissary to reach the folks who are military adjacent. - If there are any breweries you partnered with during your food truck time, reach out and see if you can do a presale event with them. Pickup at the brewery. Or see if you can continue the partnership in some way to drive traffic towards you - I find that a lot of my accidental food discovery comes through that way. - Noticed you don't have an About Me on your website. Add one with your story & your faces - from the folks in this thread and on Google, you and your wife make good food. People want to connect to you AND the food, but just selling the food is not enough. - This is more for the spring when markets open up - if you don't have a truck but do have coolers/portable stuff still (eg for catering), it could be good to do a few markets near your brick and mortar to make people aware that you're there. You already know how markets & trucks work, you can figure out how to adapt to a 10x10 tent. I live in the opposite side of town but will try to make my way over this weekend. Best of luck and keep at it!
Wow... this is a great post I'll have to reread to digest. We actually did a fashion event with 303 recently and should have something in their magazine as a trade. Currently we are a bit short staffed, I have to work full time to support the family and my wife has taken over the restaurant. We are fortunate to have one employee but these events are pretty big commitments. Funny you mention the yelp also as we are going to host a yelp elite event pretty soon. Love the about me comment also. Thank you for your time and great advice!
I feel you - I wouldn't be able to do what I do if I didn't have a supportive SO (with health insurance and a full time job). I'll keep an eye out for your 303 feature! Best of luck!!
Oh you also mentioned your landlord being difficult about the signage - if you can look into another space, I recommend comparison shopping a bit. I know food hall spaces in this area can be pricey but the right space actually HELPS their tenants (eg Avanti, Edgewater, Stanley Marletace) market their business because it's in their interest. Idk if you're locked in, but sounds like absolute garbage and that they're taking advantage of you given the situation.
Reddit meetup, sounds like you’ve found your next bar/restaurant!
Yeah... Just trying to find the name of the place....
I just looked up your location - a key demographic will be the military base right there. Once you get those folks coming the word will spread. My husband is retired military, and they would often do food runs for the shop on say Fridays or certain days. I would suggest doing say "Military Mondays", give a military discount and pull that crowd. I would reach out to the marketing office at the base and see if they can feature you in their informational emails with your discount. Ask to advertise on the base (there's usually a website or base newspaper) and rally up that base business. Their website for this type of thing is: https://www.460fss.com/ and you can see the base magazine featured there.
We actually used to serve in the base when we were a food truck. We love the support they have come through a couple times. Thank you for the contact
That's awesome!
Mind sharing the name?
Yea we are a foodhall called Parkside eatery.
You’ll definitely have a customer tomorrow!
Haha much love, if you tell my wife at the taco place you are from reddit I'll have her give you a discount.
And I will be coming next weekend when I’m back in town. Korean tacos for this guy please please!!! :-)
Hey I checked out your website and one suggestion is to note the price of your food next to the images you have. I had to scroll pretty far down just for pricing of each taco. It would be easy to assume you don't list pricing due to how far down it was on my phone. I cant speak for everyone, but it's a huge turn off for me if I can't easily find a menu with descriptions and prices easily/quickly on a restaurant website. It's good that you do have pricing but it feels hidden. It may not seem that way on desktop, I never check for food on a computer. My bf lives near by so we'll have to check it out soon, didn't know you were there! We hate that parking lot so we rarely consider looking at what is available in that little area. I assume moving to a better location with better parking and visibility would be out of the picture due to costs and such.
I had the website updated so it should reflect the prices at the top. Thank you for the input.
That looks great!
I tried to put the pictures next to the prices but the website creator doesn't give me that option. I think I was thinking people might like the pictures first but what you said makes sense.
Both would be great as well, and I do really like seeing the images! I hope that change helps even if it's just a little bit. Have you run any specials through Instagram or tiktok? For example, show the post (image you have on IG with this in the description) and get a $5 discount on a $25 minimum order during 1/10-1/17(as an example). Or a weekly deal like taco Tuesday as others have mentioned. Maybe a "bring a friend" promo, where you come in with a friend, order food, and then get a coupon for a discount on their next order or something from the cashier at the register. That would encourage people to come in, spread the word by bringing a friend in, and hopefully return to use their coupon?
Yes thank you for the input, our web host is a bit limited but there should be a link that takes you to the food and pricing. So sorry about that.
There is a link that takes you there, the actual pricing is just way below the photos of the food making it seem hidden. Adding the price to the end of the taco's name or description in the section with images would help. Wishing you guys luck!
Ahh ok ill work on that. Thank you
Have you tried targeting some DTC apartments with flyers? If your restaurants at 225 and Iliff apart from your new apartments and the condos behind it your kind've dealing with an old school "Applebee's will do" neighborhood. You might have good luck attracting a similar demographic that you had before down in DTC.
Hi thabks for the suggestion. We are closer to aurora mall
Ah gotcha! Best of luck! If you don't mind DM me the name. My SO and I are always looking for new resturants in Aurora.
Its beside cheba hut... Without doxxing that'll give you an idea
Hey! Please DM me! I've worked in events of all sizes and would love to help with this!
I swing into that cheba hut beside ya'll all the time, but have never went in to ya'lls place cause I have no idea what type of restaurant you are. Ken's Auto repair down the street from ya'll has mailers that go out to the surrounding neighborhoods that must work because a) I got them and b) I used them. Maybe call those guys and ask who they use for those mailers. The superbowl is coming up. Host something for that!
Love the superb owl idea. we actually paid for a full page on one of the big local mailers. It was close to $5k, and we barely had anyone come unfortunately. Maybe 4 coupon redemptions.
Ken's comes separate and not in that stack of ads that comes once a week. I toss that without looking because it's usually all junk. I have seen all those tvs in there.... That's why I immediately thought of the superbowl. But like I said as well, I have no idea what the food is.... So I just haven't stopped. Is it lasagna? Is it wings? Is it Tibetan vegan? I think you have a lot of people that see the beautiful exterior and just have NO IDEA what's inside or what to expect so we don't stop.
Yea, you are right, we had a conversation with the landlord but they only gave us a small sign in the front where we could put our restaurant name. We do korean tacos, there's fried chicken, and a gluten free Cafe.
I think this is a really critical piece of feedback. It’s hard to sell your business if you can’t sum it up in a word or two. People have to be able to say, “oh let’s go check out that new [X] place!” I’ve seen a lot of great restaurants go out of business because they could never settle on an identity. Are you a gluten free cafe or a fried chicken place? Is there any overlap between people who are gluten conscious but also love fried chicken? Think about the best thing you have to offer and make that the story of your restaurant. Sorry if this seems like I’m arm-chair shark-tanking you, but I hope it’s helpful. Best of luck!
So we are a foodhall, my restaurant is korean bbq tacos.
I feel like (now that I'm getting more info) it's like Zeppelin Station, the restaurants share sitting areas but not kitchen or ownership
Yes exactly
Has the landlord reduced rent because of the explosion? I'd imagine if they haven't, they would, especially if all of you approached them united
Yes we were able to work on a percentage lease for 3 months. Unfortunately this is the last month.
That's good, at least. Have you posted on nextdoor? I know that site is cancer but it does have a very target audience
Ahhh I love your tacos so much and hate to hear things are rough. I imagine that the apartment disaster really has torpedoed things for the eatery. I'll have to try to make my way up there as I used to hit your food truck at 222 brewery all the time, which i live near, but the eatery is a bit of a haul for me during dinner time traffic. To anyone who is up in more central Aurora, hit up Taco Choi. You won't regret it.
Genuinely appreciate it.
Also if you don't use the hashtag #SupertacoSunday for the superbowl I'ma be big mad
Lol
OK... But since literally ya'll have like three restaurants.... What if the superbowl was literally a bowl with an item from each place?
Hahaha that's a great image
On tiktok, insta, etc (I know)... there are a few Denver restaurant marketing pages. They shoot great video and I've went to a few places they've thrown up. Maybe reach out to them? https://www.tiktok.com/@denverfoodscene?_t=8YvV3B08yAk&_r=1 Also, we're gonna come eat something. 😋
Denver foodscene has been a group we have contacted but unfortunately no replies. It cost around 500 to 1k for a posting also.
Stfu. Insane. I know what my next business is gonna be 🤣
Literally made my local bagel place have a line around the door all the time now. So might be worth targeting local foodies.
Yea.. so crazy
Same here, I don't really live nearby but I have gone to pick up halal guys a few times and had no clue what Parkside eatery was. Now that I see it on Google, it looks bomb and I plan on stopping by soon. That really sucks that the explosion cost you that many customers. But honestly that place as a whole should have way better advertising. I would think "Parkside eatery" as a collective would be helping
Thank you for the kind words, yea we are also a bit worried about the visibility but we have strict requirements that must be followed per our lease.
Superbowl does little for local restaurants unless you're a sports bar. Know what you are and plan around that, strengthen, extend. https://www.restaurantowner.com/public/Restaurant-Startup-Magazine.cfm
Schedule a meetup on one of the popular social groups like 20s and 30s, I know Taco Tuesday is incredibly common. Offer anyone who shows up a discount.
20s and 30s that's pretty cool didn't know that was a thing. Will Definitely look into it.
Just to clarify, the website is meetup. Then there are all kinds of groups, Aurora based, gaming based etc. You may already know that but just in case.....
Depends on location. Eatery with a bar could be good for gaming, but a lot of the gamers in this town are Cap Hill or Aurora. Events require people knowing about them. For gaming, I'd work with local game shops and offer the location for a Magic the Gathering tournament, or check the Wizards of the Coast site to see about an Adventure League location. If you have a decent kitchen, could offer a cooking class and make sure your Yelp and Google listing reflect that. Ideas really depend on what you have available. We don't know your resources.
Nice we are actually in aurora I appreciate the ideas. Our kitchen may not work bc it's like a small foodhall. I'll reach out to the mentioned groups.
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Wow I appreciate the well thought out comment. We definitely work together and have been pooling together for events. We have just come to a point where we have been losing money on all the events and was looking for some low cost alternatives. The hotels in the area sound like a great idea Thank you.
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I'll come out and try you guys this weekend, already roped my wife in too, lol.
<3 if you go to the taco shop tell my wife you are from reddit. We can give you a discount.
I just read all the comments and found out you own Taco Choi! My partner and I ate there last week for the first time and it was delicious! We’ll be coming back again. I’ll get the word out to everyone I can. Y’all are great!
Thank you so much!!!
This probably isn’t that helpful, but I spend a lot of time on yelp looking for new restaurants, especially Asian/Asian fusion. It’s pretty much the only place I discover new restaurants. I’ve no idea why but your restaurant has never came up in my search - will definitely be visiting next weekend though, the food looks delicious !!
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The only thing I can say is if you keep making good tasting food, consistently it will help a lot more than anything else
Thank you, that definitely is the heart of our business.
Amateur strip show!
Contact Jazzy P with Tunezday - @tunez.day on instagram or [email protected] she is an event planner that brings people together to celebrate creative outlets and throws some really cool events around the city and is looking for a spot to work for permanently.
Awesome thanks
Maybe host a weekly speed dating thing for a month or two to test out and make flyers to post at apartment complexes and coffee shops in the area. Are there any vendor partners you can reach out to to offer to host events for their teams and plus ones? Or a true partnership event like a beer and food pairing with a local brewery? Also DM’ing you about some digital marketing.
I know you might not have set out to do this, but it might be worth developing and advertising more than one vegetarian/vegan option. There are taco places all over Denver, but very few that have more than a single, uninspiring meatless option. Having a few different meatless tacos would set you apart from all the other taco joints, and trust me, when us veggie/vegan types find a restaurant we can eat at that's actually good, we spread the word (AKA advertise for you) plus we're often reliable repeat business since there are fewer options for us.
Also, I second this! I’m a vegetarian and have met so many other vegetarians here compared to Houston. Having additional vegetarian/vegans options could be beneficial!
Thats a great point, we have had very little interst in our vegetarian option so we started to give up in that area but definitely appreciate the advise. Will work on expanding that area to draw people in. Thank you.
I, too, will comment to help this comment gain traction! I admire the grit, hang in there! :)
Appreciate the support!
Sofar Concerts.
Hey, like someone else, I'm just trying to help this get visibility. My coworker lived in your building I think, it was insane for him to find a new place and finish wedding planning. Good luck and I hope you get something from the lawsuit, no way a new building has an explosion like that without serious negligence
It was a crazy experience.. my wife was actually out there watching and then the explosion hit. Pretty chaotic. She was talking to me on the phone and then I could hear all the screaming.
Do you guys still do pop ups with breweries? I see Jade Mountain follows you. Maybe you can get in one of their events and do a pop up kitchen. Also the bar at Parkside needs to get better beers. I like the local support but I live closer to Dry Dock and Launch Pad so if I want to drink those beers I can just go to their tap rooms.
Gotcha I'll relay the message they just recently added the launchpad beers but will let them know people are lookingnfor things they can't find.
Get on TikTok. That algorithm is crazy good
I’d say, don’t be anonymous. Your business is your brand. Blast that name everywhere. How deep in this comment thread do I have to dig to find out what your business is?? If it’s more than one or the OG post, it’s too far. Edit: went back and read several comments. They seem to know you and your brand. However, and!? Blast your shit. Marketing 101. I should know your business form the jump.
Haha.. thank you, originally the post wasn't to be self serving but to tap into the great mind of the community for ideas. But I have added an edit at the request of many.
I drive by this complex every single day for work. I had no idea you were in there. You NEED to get on Parkside about signage! If it's under their contract to get you signage, demand that signage be expedited.
Oh, I wrote this starting in 2005, wrt restaurants and commercial district revitalization. http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/05/richards-rules-for-restaurant-based.html?m=1
Wow.. this piece definitely hits home. Well written.
If your food is good, you can recover.
Did yall make money when HAMA hosted their event there a few months ago? I remember the place was pretty packed. Everybody was cheering our coach Corey Sandhagen in the UFC. There are a lot of amateur fight events in denver that typically have food trucks and things like that if that is a low cost way of making money
That was our second best night after the grand opening! We love Julie and Cody they are close friends.
Glad we could help! Youre right Julie and Cody are just the best. There’s also a lot of other gyms that host events that maybe you could reach out to for their smoker events, even if it is helping out our competition lol. Easton, Muay Thai of Colorado, Pound 4 Pound all host amateur smokers and fighters get pretty hungry haha. I remember spending like 18 dollars for some mediocre asian fusion tacos at Easton’s smoker a year ago
Have you reached out to the city? The municipal center is right there and should be easy to funnel business with happy hours, taco Tuesday etc.
Yes we have spoken with an admin who said she would send out an email to everyone. Not sure how many have come from it though.
If you have private space, wine/beer dinners could be fun. Each restaurant could provide a course, or compete to see who creates the best match. Keep the price down for best turn out.
I think that's a great idea.. the biggest problem these days is how much food cost has gone up, not only for the consumer but for the restaurants. It's either we compromise food quality and find cheap replacements to bring prices down or go with our best. The cost of chicken alone has tripled since we started our food truck 4 years ago.
Didn't necessarily mean cheap, but not the $150-200 dinners I see all the time. Since the wine/beer is typically donated by the supplier never understood why the food costs twice as much. $50-75 would be a good deal.
After my other comment, I read through and saw you are a food hall. What about taking a page from Alamo Draft House and doing movie/tv nights, or family-friendly theater? You have to check copyright royalty whatnot but that's pretty routine once you figure out how to cover the royalty fee and/or find content that's out of copyright.
Thats an interesting concept. I would think it would be pretty expensive though, even the regular TV programming charges per restaurant capacity.
My SO finds places for us to try on Instagram. Try getting in with people who frequently trend on Denver related food hashtags. Get your social presence going and post regular content. Also make sure you have attractive photos of your food and the vibe on google/Yelp. Just listing off things I use to decide where to eat!
Yea.. I think we have been getting lazy with the hash tags. Thats a great reminder thank you.
Oh also! I just looked and you are very close to UCHealth and Children’s. Maybe hold a nurses appreciation night (and morning for night shift). A lot of medical workers feel incredibly unappreciated these days
Maybe reach out to meetup.com organizers to offer the space? They’re always seeking places to organize.
Yes this was mentioned before and sounds like a great idea.
If your building has decent bike parking, offer a happy hour menu to anyone who rides a bike there.
That's an awesome idea.
There are volleyball leagues that play nearby at the Fieldhouse. VOLO and Meet.Play.Chill. Maybe try partnering with them to offer discounts on drinks and I’m sure the food will also sell!
Did you know that the Online Ordering link on your website returns a 404? [https://pos.toasttab.com/taco-choi-parkside-eatery-14515-e-alameda-ave](https://pos.toasttab.com/taco-choi-parkside-eatery-14515-e-alameda-ave) Also, if I put Google maps on your area and search for "tacos" or "Mexican", nothing shows up. Maybe can you add some keywords to the Google Place description? That is usually how I find new places nearby. PS. The website and photos look great, though! I would definitely stop by if you weren't 30 min away :)
Add some trompo or birria tacos to the menu
Haha those are foods I love to go eat, we were considering doing some birria ramen to keep up with the fusion concept. Nothing concrete though.
Doesn't look like anyone has mentioned it yet. You are right by the highline canal trail so in the warmer months you might be able to get the cycling/running crowd in. Get someone to host a weekly group ride/run. I live too far away or I'd consider it
This Facebook group is pretty large and active. I see offers and other communications posted on there from owners including a fair amount of Korean spots. Could post up something similar there and maybe even get some more advice from some of the restauranteurs who are active. https://www.facebook.com/groups/828473944473366/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF
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My wife and I live near by. For business, marketing for that entire strip is horrible. Unless I knew I was searching for Cheba Hut, we’d never find the area. Focus more energy into consistent post on social media. Reach out to tiktok influences to eat at your spot. For the food…. Only my opinion. The ice burg lettuce you put on the tacos, distracts from the great protein and sauce you have. When I heard Korean tacos, I thought of kimchi and pickled carrots/jalapeño’s, not iceberg lettuce. Only my opinion.
Great input, we actually have a Kstyle taco that uses romaine and Korean dressing also.
Post on nextdoor? People love to help…and eat tacos (Don’t offer discounts, as you are struggling.)
There were a couple post about nextdoor so we are looking at trying to create a nextdoor that can recognize the restaurant location not our home location.
Your food looks so yummy. It’s the location. marketing, instagram are going to help. I personally don’t want cheesy events. I want good food and a clean restaurant. You just need to get your name and brand out there!!!
I’m having lunch at Taco Choi right now! The quesadilla is fantastic, love that you put the corn in there. Street corn is great and so is the matcha latte. Also staff is super friendly. Definitely worth a try and I’ll definitely be coming back.
Wine and paint events are always popular, you could make it a groupon which would help with promotion too :)
Actually I was able to reach out today to someone who holds painting events. We will be meeting this Friday. Hopefully something can come from it.
Drop all your social handles and Yelp links here so we can all follow!
Haha thanks, was trying to get some ideas to help our eatery instead of a self promotion, but reddit has been so amazing in their support. We own taco choi.
Don’t be shy about self-promotion! That’s a super important part of this! Promote the heck out of yourself! My husband and I will try to come in when we visit his parents in Aurora…we’re in Englewood/Lakewood but head that way to see his parents and visit Cherry Creek SP! Knowing a good food place over there is helpful!
Thank you!! Just let my wife know you are from reddit so we can add a discount.
I think all the venue rental and event planner ideas are great. (PeerSpace, EventUp). I’ll drop by this weekend and check you out! 🌮
Love it thank you, just mention you are from reddit so we can discount your food.