Everyone has favorite restaurants. It is not that hard to find a restaurant that serves good food. You know a few expense account restaurants, places where you like to eat but only when someone else is paying. Within the community, there are a few places that are “see and be seen” restaurants. They are not too trendy, they are not cheap, but they are not over the top expensive, either. They serve good food. The local HNW crowd tends to dine there on a regular basis.
The country club is the default option around here. The high profile one in the area was established 106 years ago. There are always familiar faces in the dining room. However, country clubs can be expensive to join and the “carrying costs” are high too.
How do you find the “see and be seen” restaurants? Start by asking your best clients to name their favorite restaurants. Make a list every time you get an answer. After you have spoken with a couple of dozen clients in the local area, you can see which names come up over and over.
Seeing in believing. Go out to dinner at each one a couple of times. Visit on the weekend when they are busy. Look around the room and see if you recognize anyone. You will know the “see and be seen” restaurants when you find them.
Ten Advantages To ‘The See And Be Seen’ Restaurant
How does this lead to business? The clue is in the article title. Becoming a regular at the “see and be seen” restaurant is a stepping stone to becoming part of the HNW community yourself, even if there is a significant age or wealth difference.
1. You connect with people you met previously. Let us assume you have joined several community organizations as gateways to getting into the HNW community. You meet new people at monthly events and say hello to people you met previously. This cultivation process can be pretty slow, because there are four weeks between each event. What if one of your better social prospects misses a couple of meetings? If you turn up weekly at the right restaurant, you see each other across. The room. You might stop by and say hello on your way out or send over a round of drinks.
2. It is common ground for cultivating relationships. You are proactively addressing the problem spelled out above by getting in touch with your new connections and suggesting both couples head out to dinner. They may not know you that well. They may question your motives. If you are suggesting a restaurant they frequent on a regular basis, they will feel they are on common ground.
3. Having a meal after the meeting. You have attended a committee meeting or a museum exhibition opening. It is still early evening, and no one had anything to eat, except wine and cheese. You are hungry. They are hungry. You suggest stopping off for something to eat to your new friends. You mention your restaurant. The name is familiar. They have been there before and like the food. They might even have a reasonably priced midweek menu.
4. Your prospect is impressed by who you know. You are taking a prospect out to lunch. Maybe it is dinner. You chose the restaurant. As they walk in, they notice the place is packed. They see familiar faces they know from the local newspaper. Perhaps you mention a name or two. Other diners acknowledge you. Your prospect assumes you travel in exalted circles. They may assume some of these high-profile people are your clients.
5. Your prospect knows people in the room. Now it is a different prospect. They know the chosen restaurant well. Why? Because they are a regular customer. When you both walk in, they see it is packed. They recognize familiar faces. They say hello. You are introduced because it is the polite thing to do. Now you know some of your prospect’s connections. The next time you see these new faces, you remind them where you recently met.