by Andrew Lennon | Editor in Chief | The Daily Anchor
SAN FRANCISCO
If you’ve been laid off and are in San Francisco this weekend, you’re in for a treat… literally. Laïola, one of my favorite restaurants in SF’s Marina district, has offered to comp the meal of anybody who has recently been laid off. I think this is a genius marketing promotion, similar to Hyundai’s no-cost car return program, through which customers can return a car within 12 months if they’re laid off or lose pay.
I first heard about the promo through SF’s UrbanDaddy Weekender newsletter, so I gave Laïola co-owner Joe Hargrave a call yesterday to discuss the details. Here’s the scoop.
The story behind the idea
Like many small business owners of late, Joe Hargrave had found himself hunkered down in survivalist mode for the past several months. Since October, he and co-owner Andrew McCormack had been consumed by trying to pay off debt and raise capital in the midst of the worst recession we’ve seen in decades, but just recently Joe was able to raise the capital, pay off his debts, and refocus his time and effort on his customers.
The idea for the complimentary dinner came about after Joe ran into a good friend and loyal customer who he hadn’t seen in months, and Joe asked her where she had been. She said her business had been hard hit by the recession and that she had lost an incredible number of clients as of late, so Joe invited her back to Laïola for a free meal. A week later he heard that she and a few other of customers had been laid off, so he and his girlfriend came up with the idea to execute the comp’d dinner plan on a much larger scale.
Smart marketing
It’s unlikely – if not impossible – that this promo will bring in a surge of revenue on Sunday night, but that’s not the point.
Joe says he’ll be happy to break even and just hopes not to hemorrhage cash. He considers this an investment in the Laïola brand; a chivalric gesture of appreciation for his customers and recognition of the hard times. The message to customers is: “listen, we know you’re hurting but the recession will be over soon enough; remember us when it is.” Whether or not Laïola will extend “Pink Slip Sundays,” as it’s been dubbed, depends on how things go on Sunday. If there’s great response and consumers don’t abuse his generosity, Joe is open to the idea.
My advice
- Get your butt to Laïola, even if you can’t make it on Sunday night. You won’t be disappointed.
- Don’t abuse the generosity: Joe isn’t asking for verification, so you can leave your pink slip and EDD stub at home. This is all being done on the honor system… so act honorably.
- Leave a generous tip regardless of whether or not you’re employed.
- Bring an umbrella. We’re finally getting some much-needed rain this weekend.
- When this recession is over and you’re back on your feet, remember those who lent a hand when you were down.
While neither my girlfriend nor I are unemployed, we’re thinking of hitting Laïola for dinner on Sunday night just to check out the response first-hand. Shoot me an email if you decide to go, it’d be great to meet you.
About Laïola
“At Laïola we are committed to the idea that we are a Californian restaurant inspired by Spain (and as our fine State was once in its domain making this marriage all the more natural) rather than a “tapas bar” or “ethnic” restaurant. In an attempt to make the menu and its explanation simpler, I have at times used more commonly recognizable terms, phrases or names for dishes that may not always be absolutely accurate. Rather than pretend to be the ultimate authority of Catalan cuisine, or merely mimic a culinary style or import the products of our particular geographical inspiration, we resolve to fabricate our dishes from the local goods within the spirit of said cuisine or region.
This is what has come to be Laïola’s philosophy – practically a cliché these days – to procure the finest from the local farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and artisans, and prepare them in a fashion befitting their freshness and seasonality, and in a manner that is unambiguous, honest and culturally true.”
2031 Chestnut St., San Francisco, 415-346-5641, Laiola.com
Photo credits
1. He cooks she eats
2. jjsala
3. UrbanDaddy
