Tapas51ResearchReport

andMarketingRecommendations

February23,2016

Compiledby:

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Tapas51ResearchReportandMarketingRecommendations

Inthepastyear,brandawarenessandrecognitionhasbeenanissuethatTapas51is
seekingtoimprove.Thefollowingsectionsprovideinsightontheresearchsideofthebusiness
byanalyzingtheTapas51brandandaudience,aswellastherestaurantindustryandcompetition
withinCharlotte,NorthCarolina.Thisinsightwasgainedthroughtwomethods:secondary
researchwhichwascompiledbelowintoasituationalanalysisandSWOTanalysis,andprimary
researchaboutTapas51customersintheformofacustomersatisfactionsurveyandanonline
diningbehaviorandrestaurantselectionsurvey.Theresearchfindingsandmarketing
recommendationsfromthesefindingsaredetailedinthefollowingpages.

SITUATIONALANALYSIS

ThesituationalanalysistakesanindepthlookattheTapas51brandandtheforcesat
playthataffectthesuccessofthebrand,includingthecaptiveaudience,therestaurantindustry,
andthesurroundingcompetition.Theresearchfindingsfromthesituationalanalysisaredetailed
below.

Brand:
TheTapas51brandhasalotofpotential,butitdoesnothaveagoodfoundation.With
threedifferentlogosandthreedifferentnamesrepresentingthebusiness,thiscreatesconfusion
forconsumers.ProchevoRestaurantgroupwhichhousesthecateringportionofthebusiness
createsanumbrellaunderwhichthereisTapas51andtheChromeToaster.Inordertomake
themmarketabletogether,therehastobeaunifyingfactor.Tapas51isestablishedenoughasa
singleentitytocreatethisunifyingfactor.Inaddition,itisappropriateforthestyleofdiningand
cuisineandthelocationofthephysicalstore.Forexample,TheChromeToastercould
become,TheChromeToasterbroughttoyoubyTapas51andthecateringsideofthebusiness
couldbeTapas51Catering.
Theissuewiththenamecarriesovertothewebsiteaswell.Whiletheoveralldesignof
thewebsiteisdecentwithgoodwhitespace,visuals,andcontactinformation,thereisdefinitely
roomforimprovementstothecontentandthelayout.TheaboutmepageonChefAaronis
wellexecutedandprovidesagoodbasisforchefbranding.Oneissuethatwasnotedwaswith
theonlinereservationsystem.Thesystemallowscustomerstomakereservationsatanytime,
evenoutsidetherestaurantsbusinesshours.
Tapas51offersauniquemenuofLatinAmericanfoodservedastapasstyledishes.
Preparedwithfresh,localingredients,thesedishesareverypleasingtothepalate.Theunique
flavorsarecarriedthroughoutthemenutothedrinkselection.Themixeddrinksarecraftedto
complimentthedishes.Thewineselectionfeatureslowcost,boutiquewineswithunique
flavors.ThebeersondraftarelocallybrewedandthebottledbeersareHispanicimports.Even
thesodaselectionislimitedtosodaspreparedwithcanesugar.
Therestaurantitselfisanoldhomethathasbeenrepurposedandrenovatedintoalocal
treasurewith52seatseighttablesoffour,onetableof12,andeightseatsatthebar.Whilethe
atmosphereoftherestaurantseemstobestrivingforafinediningfeel,thetelevisionsonthewall

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detractheavilyfromthis.Inaddition,thefinediningatmospheredoesnotfitwellwiththe
traditionoftapasdisheswhicharemeanttobesharedandcenteredaroundconversation.
Tapas51hasestablishedasocialmediapresenceacrossseveralplatformsincluding
Facebook,Twitter,andInstagram.Tapas51hasawellestablishedFacebook,withabout1,300
followers.TheFacebookpagefeaturesalotofannouncements,specials,andpictures.However,
thesepostsareveryirregularanddonotcommunicateaunifiedmessage,andthephotosarenot
alwayshighqualityimages.Also,whencustomersrespondtothepostsandgivecomplimentsor
mention,thereisnointeraction.Asanewlyestablishedrestaurant,buildingrelationshipswith
thecustomerswhoarealreadyenjoyingandsharingtheirexperiencesatTapas51isessential.
TheTapas51Instagram,@Tapas51,has539followerswithsimilarissuestotheFacebookin
regardstoirregular,inconsistentpostsandminimalresponsetocustomerinteractions.TheTapas
51Twitter,@Tapas51SC,haslessfollowersat139withthesameissuesastheFacebookand
Twitter.
Tapas51alsohasapresenceononlinereviewsitesOpenTableandYelp.OnOpenTable,
Tapas51hasabriefprofilewithonephotooftherestaurantandthecompletemenu.On
OpenTable,Tapashasreceived28reviewswithanoverallratingof4.4outof5witha
breakdownof4.5forfood,4.3forservice,and3.7forambience.OnYelp,Tapas51hasabrief
profilewith32picturesoftherestaurant,food,andmenu.Onthisplatform,thereare39
customerreviews,givingTapas51anaverageratingof4.2outof5.ThereviewsofTapas51
wereoverallverypositive,therewereveryfewreviewsthatspokeilloftherestaurant.Thetwo
maincomplaintswerethesmallportionsandthepriceofthefood.Itisinterestingthatwhen
customerscomplainedaboutthepriceortheportions,othercustomersjumpedinanddefended
therestaurant.TheChromeToasterhasanindividualFacebookpage,Twitteraccount,and
Instagramaccount.ThelastFacebookpostwasNovember15,2015,andtheotheraccountsare
notkeptupeither.

Audience:
TheESRIDataforthe29715zipcodewhereTapas51islocatedincludesmedianage
as37andmedianincomeas$63,0000.Thetopthreetapestrysegmentsforthiszipcodeareas
follows.

Middleburg(44%):
Conservative,familyorientedyoungcouplesmanywithchildren.
Family,faithandcountryarethestandard.ThriftyprefertobuyAmericanandvacationin
US.Savingbutwillingtoassumedebt.CellPhonesandmobiledevicesarealwaysathand
(stayintouch).TheydrivetrucksandSUVsAmericanpastimesbaseball,hunting,bowling.
TVandmagazineforentertainmentChristianandCountryTVchannels.
Eatoutfrequently
atfastfoodorfamilyrestaurantstoaccommodatetheirbusylifestyle.

Boomburbs(13%):
Affluentyoungfamilies,bighousesinsuburbsingrowingmetroareas.
Stylemattersindcorandfashion.Latemodel,importedSUVS,luxurycars,minivans.Adept
atusingdevicesbutsometimeslosetoomuchfacetofacetimebeingconnected.Physical
fitnessisapriority.Theirmedianhouseholdincomeis$105,000(canspend72%moreonfood
thanavg.American).TheMedianageis33andtheDiversityindexisbrokenupasfollows:
70.4%white,14.5%Hispanic,13.9%Asian,Black2.7%.

UpandComingFamilies(11%):
Theyreyoungerandmoremobileandethnicallydiverse
thanthepreviousgeneration.Theyareambitious,workinghardtogetahead,andwillingto
takesomeriskstoachievetheirgoals.Therecessionhasimpactedtheirfinancialwellbeing,
buttheyareoptimistic.Theirhomesarenewtheirfamiliesareyoung.Andthisisoneofthe
fastestgrowingmarkets.Onlineforshopping,entertainment,bankingandinformation.Movies
athome,tripstothemeparkandzoo.Themedianageis30.7andthemedianhousehold
incomeis$64,000(theytypicallyhaveanextra6%tospendonfood.ThediversityIndexisas
follows:65.4%white,26.7%Hispanic,14.8%black,6.2%Asian.

Industry:
NorthCarolinasrestaurantindustry,accordingtorestaurant.orghasover341,000
eatinganddrinkingplaces,thusmakingitverycompetitivefornewbusinessestoemerge.From
2015to2025,theprojectedjobgrowthofrestaurantsinNorthCarolinaisata20.5%increase,
leavingNorthCarolinanumbersixonthetopfastestrestaurantjobgrowthchart(restaurant.org).
InSouthCarolina,thereareover154,000eatinganddrinkingplaces,whichrepresentthe
majorityofthetotalstatesrestaurantandfoodserviceworkforce(restaurant.org).Restaraunt.org
statesthatRestaurantsareadrivingforceinSouthCarolinasEconomy...Restaurantsprovide
healthfuloptionsfortheirguest,givebacktotheircommunitiesandworktoreducetheirimpact
ontheenvironment(restaurant.org).
Withintherestaurantindustry,therearealotofupandcomingtrendswhereafew
restaurantshavealreadybegantotapintothatmarket.Socialmediaisabigdealforthis
generation,andwiththatbeingsaid,mealsarebeingmadeonSocialMedia.Meaning,more
mealsarecreatedwithInstagramandTwitterandothersites.Thisisimportanttokeepinmind
fortheabilityofsocialmediatocreatebuzzamongpotentialcustomers(Entrepreneur.com).
Portionsizesarealsogettingsmaller.Consumersarebeginningtoexpecttheirmealsto
besmallerwhilethemenusanddiningroomsareshrinkingaswell.Alongwiththedecreaseof
portionsize,consumersarebeginningtolookforthepickandchoosemenuoptions
(entrepreneur.com).Oursocietyisonahugehealthtrendthathasbeengoingonforyears,and
consumersenjoytheopportunitytodineatarestaurantwheretheyhaveanoptiontochoosethe
dishestheywantandwhattheywantinit(fromalimitedlist,ofcourse),inhopestomaking
healthierchoices.
Anothertrendrightnowisthehumanfactor.Consumersliketobeabletoseethe
transparencyintheirrestaurants.AccordingtoEntrepreneur.com,thespotlightisincreasingly
onthepeoplebehindthefood.(entrepreneur.com).Theindustrycanexpecttocontinuetosee
ariseinthistrend,whereoutcomescandirectlyandindirectlyaffectthemenu
(entrepreneur.com).

Competition:
BecauseTapas51usesatapasstylediningexperience,therearenotverymany
competitorsinthearea.TherestaurantsthatservethesametypeoffoodasTapas51thatare
locatedaroundtheRockHill,FortMillandCharlotteareaare:Pizazz&Tapas,Malabar,The
Mandrake,andGusto.AlltheserestaurantsareintheCharlotteareaexceptforPizazz&Tapas
whichislocatedinRockHill.Whilethesecompetitorswerenotmentionedbytheowner,they

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shouldbeconsideredascompetitorssincetheyallservetapasandplaceanemphasisondrinks,
justastheownerdid.
CompetitorsmentionedbytheownerincludedFlipsideCafeandCarmellasbecausethey
arearoundthesameareaasTapas51.Whilethiscouldbeconsideredcompetitorsbecauseof
theirproximity,neitheroftheserestaurantsarechefownedandtheydonotservethesametype
offood.CarmellasservesItaliancuisine,andFlipsideCafeservessouthernstylefood.Another
restaurantthatisaroundtheareathatcouldbeapossiblecompetitorisGlobalRestaurantBar&
Loungewhichisalsoachefownedrestaurant,however,itisamuchmoreupscaleplaceand
offersdifferentcuisineoptionsandisstillintheearlystagesofbusinessdevelopment.The
owner,Aaron,alsomentionedthattherearemanychainrestaurantsaroundtheareasuchas
BurgerKing,McDonalds,CrackerBarrel,BuffaloWildWings,andBojangleswhichdraw
businessawayfromTapas51.However,thestyleofdiningandmenuforthesebusinessesdoes
notattractthesametypeofcustomersasTapas51does.

SWOTANALYSIS

Inordertoidentifyareasforimprovementandgrowthaswellaswhatareascanbeusedas
marketingtools,wehavepreparedaSWOTanalysiswhichfeaturesalistofstrengths,
weaknesses,opportunities,andthreatsforTapas51.

Strengths:

UniqueFood:
CompetitorsaroundTapas51donotservethesametypeoffood
FoodQuality:
Tapas51featureshighqualityfarmtotablefoodthatyoucannotreceive
inthenearbyarea.Inaddition,thefoodisdeliciousanddeliveredwithexcellent
presentation.
Authenticity
:ThetypeoffoodandpreparationofthefoodisauthentictotheLatinand
SouthAmericanflavorsthatitclaims
Chef:
AaronRiverahasagreatpersonalityandisaverytalentedchef.Withafunloving,
outgoing,genuinepersonality,hecaneasilybuildrelationshipswithcustomerstokeep
themcomingback.
ChefownedRestaurant
:Restaurantsaroundtheareaaremostlychainrestaurants
ChromeToaster
:Servesasagreatwaytogettheirnameoutthereandtotakethefood
wherethepeopleare
FacebookPage:
Frequentpostingsandstrongfollowing
GoodReviews:
Tapas51hasreceivedalotofpositivefeedbackfromcustomerson
OpenTableandYelp
LocalAudience:
TheaudiencethatTapas51shouldbetargetingtisveryclosetotheir
area,itsjustnottheexactaudiencethattheyinitiallydescribedbytheowner.

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SpecificAudience:
Tapas51hasaveryspecifictargetinmindwhichdoesmakeiteasier
tofocusandtargetthecampaign
DiningOut:
Withtodaysgeneration,ithasbeenrecognizedthatthepercentageof
peoplewhoeatoutaregraduallyincreasing.
Tapastrend:
TheTapastrendstyleofeatingisgrowingasmealsaregettingshorter,and
diningroomsaregettingsmaller.

Weaknesses:

Socialmedia:
Ontheirsocialmediaplatforms,postsaresporadicandinconsistent.There
isalsononresponsetoaudienceinteractions.
Branding:
TheseparatebrandingofTheChromeToasterandProvechoRestaurant
Groupcanbeconfusingtocustomersandbecomesdifficulttomanageforasmallentity.
Website:
Needssomeupdatesandfocusonthedetails.
Atmosphere:
Theatmosphereoftherestaurantisinconsistentwiththemenuand
traditionaltapasstyledining.Inaddition,competitorswhohavemoreappealing
atmospheresmayattractTapas51customers.
Location:
ThelocationofTapas51islessthanideabecausepeoplehaveapreconceived
notionthatTapasistoofarofadrivefromCharlotte&RockHill.Also,whileina
wellpopulatedarea,theyarelocatedonasideroadawayfromotherrestaurants.
AreaDemographics:
Thesurroundingareainclosestproximitytotherestaurant(Fort
Mill)hasalotofthedemographicthatTapas51isnotlookingtoadvertiseto.

Opportunities:

ChromeToaster:
TheChromeToasterhasthepotentialtodrawbusinesstoTapas51by
marketingitundertheTapas51entity.
Technology:
Studiesshowthatstaffarebeingreplacedwithtechnology,theyarequicker
andalmostmoreefficient.ThisisanunexploredareaforTapas51butoffersarangeof
possibilities.Mobileappsaretrendingrightnowandcouldbeusedeffectively.
MenuOptions:
AnopportunityforTapas51istoprovidepickandchoosemenu
optionsthatwouldallowtheconsumertomakemorehealthychoices,asoursocietyison
thehealthtrend.
Socialmedia:
Withtheriseofthedigitalage,thisiswhereTapas51isabletohook
manyconsumers.Thoughtheyalreadyusesocialmedia,theycouldincreasetheirsocial
mediabuzzwithmealprepvideos.
Highlightthehumanfactor:
Tapas51shouldlooktoincreasespotlightonthepeople
behindthefoodmakeamorepersonal/transparentrelationshipwiththechef/founders
highlightthehumanfactor.Consumersliketofeelthattheyhaveapersonalconnection

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orrelationshipwiththechefsorworkers,thiswillhelpbuildloyaltywithintheir
businessandcustomers.
ThirdPartyDeliveryservices:
Tapas51canalsolooktopartnerwith3rdpartydelivery
serviceswhowoulddelivertheirfoodatconsumersrequests.
CommunityInvolvement:
Tapas51alreadyengagesinsomecommunityrelations
activities,butwebelievetheyneedtoadvocateinclusivitysupportcharitiesand
communityevents.
CharlotteMarket:
Tapas51hasanamazingaudiencerightnextdoorinCharlotte,one
ofthefastestgrowinganddiversecitiesintheUnitedStates.Theycouldcapitalizeon
thismarketthroughmarketingandadvertisingtothisarea.

Threats:

TapasStyleDining:
Withtheriseofsmalldishes,weseeothertapastylerestaurants
openingandcreatingcompetition.
Location:
ThelocationofTapas51couldcausinganissueintermsoftheaudiencethat
Tapas51wantstotargetastheyarealmostsurroundedbytheoppositetarget,families
withchildren.Inaddition,theoptionsintheCharlotterestaurantmarketarelikelytotake
businessawayfromTapas51.
Price:
PricemaybedrivingawaytheaudiencethatTapas51wantsandsendingthemto
othernearbyrestaurantsthatcansatisfytheirneedsatlowercosts.

PRIMARYRESEARCH

Fromthesecondaryresearchprocess,wewereabletoidentifywholivedintheareasurrounding
Tapas51.However,theonlyinformationavailableforthisaudiencewasdemographic
information.Inordertounderstandtherestaurantselectionanddiningbehaviorsofconsumers,
wedevelopedtwoprimaryresearchmethodswiththefollowingobjectives:

1.Tounderstandthedininghabitsofconsumers
2.Tounderstandthespendingbehaviorsofconsumerswhendiningout
3.Tounderstandthefactorsatplaywhenselectingarestaurant
4.Tounderstandwhatresourcesconsumersconsultwhenselectingarestaurant
5.TounderstandthecurrentproductusageandsatisfactionofconsumersdiningatTapas51.

Methodology:
Inordertomeetourobjectivesandgainabetterunderstandingconsumersdining
andselectionbehaviors,wechosetwoprimaryresearchmethods:acustomersatisfactionsurvey
anddiningbehaviorsurvey.

CustomerSatisfactionSurvey:
Inordertoachieveobjective5,weneededawaytotarget
peoplewhohaveeatenatTapas51.Thus,weelectedtouseacustomersurveythatwouldbe
distributedtocustomersbytheserversatTapas51withthecheckfortheirmeal.Whileour

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mainfocusforthecustomersatisfactionsurveywasobjective5,wealsosoughtinformation
thatpertainstoobjectives1and4.

SurveyStructure:
Thesurveywasprintedonthefrontandbackofa3inchby5inchcard
infullcolor.SideAofthesurveycontainedonecategoricalquestiontodistinguishnew
customersfromreturningcustomers(objective5),twoqualitativequestionstodetermine
thereasonforthecustomersvisitandhowcustomershadheardofTapas51(objective1
and4respectively),andthreequantitativequestionstodeterminecustomersatisfaction
withthefood/drink,service,andatmosphere(objective5).SideBofthesurveyasked
customerstoindicatehowtheywouldliketoreceiveupdatesaboutTapas51(emailortext)
andincludedanadditionalcommentssection.ThequestionHowwouldyouliketo
receiveupdatesaboutTapas51?includedablankforrespondentstowriteintheiremail
addressorphonenumber.ThiswasincludedasawaytobuildadatabaseforTapas51.
SideAandBofthesurveyincludedthelogoforTapas51.Pleaseseeacopyofthesurvey
inAppendixA,Section1.

DataCollection:
ThecustomersatisfactionsurveywasdistributedtocustomersofTapas
51withthecheckfortheirmeal.Onlyonesurveywasdistributedforeachticket,evenif
multiplecustomerswereincludedonasingleticket.Thesurveywasdistributedduring
lunchanddinnerhoursfromTuesday,February9,2016toSunday,February14,2016.The
employeesofTapas51wereresponsibleforthisdistributionprocesswhichwasmonitored
bytheownerofTapas51,AaronRivera.Completedsurveyswerecollectedandreturnedto
theresearchteamforanalysis.Thecompletionratewasnotmonitoredduringthisprocess.

SampleCharacteristics:
Thesampleforthesurveyconsistedofcustomerswhovisited
Tapas51duringlunchordinnerfromTuesday,February9,2016toSunday,February14,
2016.Duringthisperiod,31responseswerecollected.Demographicinformationwasnot
collectedforthesampleinordertomaintainthebrevityofthesurveyandincreasethe
customerresponse.Ofthe31respondents,23(74%)werenewcustomersand8(26%)
werereturningcustomers.

DataAnalysis:
Eachofthe32responseswereanalyzedbyquestionusingdescriptive
statisticalanalysis.

Whydidyouchoosetodinewithustoday?

>
Therewasalargeamountof
nonresponseforthisquestion(9,29%).Oftheremaining22responses,participants
answeredwithavarietyofreasons,includingforaspecialoccasion(9,41%),totry
somethingnew/different(4,18%),theproximityoftherestaurant(3,13.6%),in
responsetosomethingtheyreadonFacebookorYelp(3,13.6%),forthefood(1),
promptedbyfriends(1),andforabusinessmeeting(1).Theresponsestothisquestion
aresummarizedinFigure1.1below.

Howdidyouhearaboutus?>
Inresponsetothisquestion,avarietyofsources
wererevealedincludingonlinereviewsitessuchasOpenTableandYelp(6and3
respectively),wordofmouthsourcessuchasfriendsandthechef(7),anarticlein
CharlotteMagazine(3),unspecifiedonlinesources(3),Facebook(2),andbydrivingby
(2).Forthisquestion,5participantsdidnotrespond.Theresponsestothisquestionare
summarizedinFigure1.2below.

Pleaserateyourdiningexperienceonascaleof1(missedthemark)to5
(exceededexpectations):>
Forthisquestion,thediningexperiencewasbrokendown
intothreecategories:Food/Drink,Service,andAtmosphere.All31respondents
answeredthisquestioninallthreecategories.Theaverageratingforthesecategories
areasfollows:Food/Drink=4.80,Service=4.84,andAtmosphere=4.52.For
participantswhodidnotleaveacomment,theratingwasslightlylowerforFood/Drink
withanaverageof4.67.TherewasnochangeintheService(4.85)ortheAtmosphere
(4.53)categoriesforthepeoplewhodidnotleavecomments.

HowwouldyouliketoreceiveupdatesaboutTapas51?>
Ofthe31respondents,
4indicatedthattheywouldliketoreceiveupdatesaboutTapas51viaanemailformat.
Theother28respondentsdidnotindicateapreference.

Pleaseleaveadditionalcommentsbelow.>
Thirteenofthe31respondentsleft
additionalcomments.All13commentsobtainedapositiveelementcomplimentingthe
food(11),theservice(5),theexperienceasawhole(2),and/orthepresentationofthe
food(1).Fourofthe13commentsalsocontainedacriticismaboutthefood(2),the
drinks(2),and/ortheservice(1).Threeofthe13commentsalsoindicatedthatthe
respondentsintendtoreturnforanothervisit.Acompilationofthecommentscanbe
foundinAppendixA,Section2.

KeyInsights:
Withamere31responses,itisdifficulttoprovideaccurateandcomplete
insightsintothecustomers.However,somepiecesofinformationarenoteworthyand
shouldbetakenintoconsiderationwhencoordinatingmarketingefforts:

Tapas51continuestoattractnewcustomers.
Ithasbeenalmost9monthssincethe
businessopened,butitcontinuestoattractnewcustomers.Thismeanstheyaredoing
somethingright.Itisworthnotingthatall9respondentswhoindicatedtheyheard
aboutTapas51fromanonlinereviewsite(OpenTableandYelp)werenewcustomers.
Thisindicatesthat
onlinereviewsitesareaneffectivewaytoreachnewcustomers.

Wordofmouthisaneffectivewaytoreachnewcustomers.
Secondonlytoonline
reviewsites,sevencustomersreportedthattheyheardofTapas51viawordofmouth.
Thisgoestoshowthepowerofwordofmouthandhowinfluentialpeersarein
consumersselectionofarestaurant.

Consumersaremorelikelytodineoutforaspecialoccasionthananyother
reason.
Ofthe22respondentswhoindicatedareasonfordiningout,9ofthemsaidit
wasforaspecialoccasion.GiventhatthesurveywasdistributedduringValentines
weekend,thiscomesasnosurprise.However,itshowsthepowerofaspecialoccasion
togetconsumerstotryanewrestaurant(7ofthe9peoplewhoindicatedtheywere
diningoutforaspecialoccasionwerenewcustomers).

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ConsumersdonotwishtoreceiveupdatesaboutTapas51viaemailortext.
Ofthe
31respondents,only4indicatedthattheywouldliketoreceiveupdatesaboutTapas
51.Thisnumberisquitesmall,butitcouldbedue(inpart)tothisquestionbeingon
sideBofthesurvey(17/31respondentsdidnotleaveanyinformationonsideB).
However,10participantsleftacommentbutdidnotselectapreference,indicatingthat
theydonotwishtoreceiveupdatesaboutTapas51.

DiningBehaviorandRestaurantSelectionSurvey:
Thissurveyconsistedof26categorical,
intervallevel,andratiolevelquestionstostructuredtogainabetterunderstandofthedining
andrestaurantselectionbehaviorsofconsumers.Thequestionswereconstructedtoprovide
informationthatpertainstoalloftheobjectives.

SurveyStructure:
ThesurveywasdevelopedusingQualtricsforWinthropUniversityand
wasprefacedwiththefollowingstatementandfilterquestions:

Wearestudentsofanintegratedmarketingcommunicationcourseandareconductinga
surveyonconsumerbehaviorinrestaurantselection.Wewouldappreciateyoutakingten
minutestogiveusyourhonestresponses.Yourparticipationisvoluntaryandwillremain
anonymous.Youcanstopatanytime.Alldatawillbeconfidential.Thankyouforyour
participation.

Havingreadtheabovestatement,doyouwishtoproceedwiththesurvey?

Yes,Ihavereadtheinformationaboveandwishtoproceed.
IhavereadtheinformationaboveanddoNOTwishtoproceed

Areyouatleast18yearsofage?

Yes
No

Inordertoproceedtotherestofthesurvey,participantshadtoselectYestobothof
thefilterquestions.
Thebodyofthesurveywasstructuredin3parts:RestaurantSelectionBehaviors,
TapasStyleRestaurants,andDemographicQuestions.TheRestaurantSelection
Behaviorssectionincludedninesingleresponsecategoricalquestions,one9part
intervallevelquestion,andonemultipleresponsecategoricalquestion.
TheTapasStyleRestaurantssectionincludedquestionsspecifictotapasstyle
diningandTapas51.Thissectioncontainedaseriesoffilterquestions,onlyofferingthe
finalquestioninthesection,PleaserateyourdiningexperienceatTapas51inthe
followingcategories:Food/Drink,Service,Atmosphere,totherespondentswhowere
familiarwithtapasstyledining,hadheardofTapas51,andhadeatenatTapas51.
ThefinalsectionofthesurveycontainedcategoricalDemographicQuestions
whichaskedfortheirgender,age,ethnicity,maritalstatus,iftheyhadchildren,education
level,householdincome,locationofresidence,andlocationofemployment.

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DataCollection:
ThelinktotheDiningBehaviorandRestaurantSelectionSurveywas
distributedtoatargetedconveniencesampleconsistingofindividualsintheCharlotte
metropolitanareawithanemphasisongeneratingresponsesfromnoncollegestudents.
Thelinkwasdistributedviavariousplatforms,includingFacebook,LinkedIn,andemail,
withthefollowingsolicitationstatement:

Wearestudentsofanintegratedmarketingcommunicationcourseandareconductinga
surveyonconsumerbehaviorinrestaurantselection.Theinformationrevealedbythis
surveywillbeusedinthedevelopmentofamarketingplanforTapas51,achefowned
restaurantinFortMill,SC.Yourindividualresponseswillremainconfidentialand
cannotbetracedbacktoyou.

Weinviteyoutoparticipateinourresearchprocessbytakingthissurvey.Afterreading
theinformationbelow,youcanproceedtothesurveybyrespondingtothestatement
below.

THESURVEY:Thesurveywillaskyouquestionsaboutyourdiningoutbehaviors,
restaurantpreferences,restaurantselectioncriteria,whatsourcesyouconsultinselecting
arestaurant,andyourfamiliaritywithtapasstylerestaurants.Fillingoutthesurveytakes
approximately10minutesofyourtime.Yourparticipationiscompletelyvoluntary.
Decliningparticipationwillnotresultinanypenalty.Ifyoudonotwishtoanswera
question,youarenotrequiredtodosoandyoucanstopatanytime.

CONFIDENTIALITY:Wewanttoassureyouthatyourresponsesarecompletely
anonymousandcannotbetracedbacktoyou.Nopersonallyidentifiableinformationis
capturedunlessyouvoluntarilyofferpersonalorcontactinformationinanyofthe
commentfields.Additionally,wewillmakeeveryefforttokeepyourresponses
confidential.Thedatawillbereportedonlyintheaggregateandnoindividualwillbe
identified.

FURTHERINFORMATION:Ifyouhaveanyquestionsatanytimeaboutthestudyor
theprocedures,youmaycontacttheprojectmanagerat
obrienk3@winthrop.edu
orthe
supervisingprofessorat
patwardhanp@winthrop.edu
.

ThesurveywasopenedtoparticipantsonFebruary11thandthefirstsetofdatawas
collectedonFebruary22foranalysis.

SampleCharacteristics:
Inthe12dayruntime,41responseswerecollectedwith1person
droppingoutofthesurveyafterthefirstfilterquestion.Demographicinformationwas
collectedontheremaining40respondentsandissummarizedbelow:

Gender>
28(70%)werefemaleand12(30%)weremale.

Age>
18(45%)were1822yearsold,17(43%)were2327yearsold,2(5%)were

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2834yearsold,and3(8%)were45oroldernorespondentswereinthe3544age
range.TheseresultsarevisuallyrepresentedbelowinFigure2.1.

Ethnicity>
32(80%)werewhite,5(13%)wereblackorAfricanAmerican,and3(8%)
wereofanethnicitynotindicatedonthesurvey.

MaritalStatus>
32(80%)hadneverbeenmarried,6(15%)weremarried,1(3%)was
divorced,and1(3%)wasseparated

Children>
37(93%)donothavechildrenand3(8%)dohavechildren.

HighestLevelofEducation>
6(15%)havegraduatedfromhighschool,17(43%)have
receivedsomecollegeeducation,11(28%)havea4yearcollegedegree,and6(15%)
haveaprofessionaldegree

AnnualHouseholdIncome>
18(45%)haveanannualhouseholdincomeoflessthan
$15,000,4(10%)haveanannualhouseholdincomeof$15,000$29,999,7(18%)have
anannualhouseholdincomeof$30,000$44,999,4(10%)haveanannualhousehold
incomeof$45,000$59,999,and7(18%)haveanannualhouseholdincomeof$60,000
ormore.TheseresultsarevisuallyrepresentedinFigure2.2below.

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LocationofResidence>
30(75%)liveinRockHill,2(5%)liveinFortMill,2(5%)
liveinCharlotte,1(3%)livesinYork,1(3%)livesinHuntersville/LakeNorman,and4
(10%)liveinanareathatwasnotspecifiedinthesurvey

LocationofEmployment>
21(54%)workinRockHill,6(15%)workinFortMill,2
(5%)workinYork,1(3%)workinLancaster,1(3%)workinHuntersville/Lake
Norman,and8(21%)workinanareathatwasnotspecifiedinthesurvey

DataAnalysis:
The40responsestothe17contentquestionsonthesurveywereanalyzed
usingdescriptiveandinferentialanalysis.

Howoftendoyoueatout?>
Outofthe40respondents,23(58%)said13timesper
week,9(23%)said46timesperweek,5(13%)saideveryotherweek,2(5%)said
lessthanonceamonth,and1(3%)saiddaily.

CrossAnalysis:
Whentheresultsfromquestionthisquestionwerecrossanalyzed
withincome,outofthe18thatselectedlessthan$15,000astheirincomelevel,11
saidtheyeatout13timesperweek.Outoftheseventhatselected60,000ormore,
5selected13timesperweek,andoutoftheseventhatselected30,00044,999,4
selected13timesperweek.

Howoftendoyoueatout,notincludingfastfood?>
Halfofallofourrespondents
eatout,notincludingfastfood,betweenoneandthreetimesaweek.Thenextlargest

14
categorywasonequarterofourrespondentssaidthattheyeatout,besidesfastfood,
everyotherweek.

Forwhatmealareyoumostlikelytoeatout?>
Ofthe40respondents,75%said
thattheyaremorelikelytoeatoutatdinner.Only18%saidlunch,and8%said
breakfast.ForTapas51,thismeansthattheyneedtobefocusingmoreontheirdinner
optionsandmarketingthemselvesforthatmeal.

Whendiningoutforasitdownmeal,whattypeofrestaurantdoyouenjoy
most?>
Thisquestionhadamajorityrulinginthebothlocalandchainrestaurant,and
justlocalareas.85%oftherespondentschoseoneofthesetwooptions.45%saidthat
theywouldeatatbothchainandlocalrestaurants,while40%saidtheyprefertoeatat
local.

Whendiningoutforasitdownmeal,whattypeofdiningexperiencedoyou
enjoy?Selectallthatapply.>
Theanswersthatthesurveyproducedaboutwhat
diningexperienceparticipantsenjoyedwereveryinteresting.90%oftherespondents
reportedthatcasualdiningistheirpreference,with48%choosingfinedining,45%
choosingfamilystyle,and38%fastcasual.

15

CrossAnalysis:
Whentheseresultswerecrossanalyzedwiththeagedemographic,
100%ofthe1822agerespondentspreferredcasualdining.Thatwasanastonishing
number,consideringthatwasourlargestcategoryofrespondents.

Whendiningout,Iliketoenjoymymeal>
Basedoncrossanalysisofthis
questionwithageonhowpeopleliketodineout,anoverwhelmingmajorityofthem,
regardlessofage,preferredtodineoutwithfriends.

Howfarareyouwillingtotravelforanice,sitdownmeal?
>
Asfarashowfar
manyofthemarewillingtotravelforasitdownmeal,thisvariedwithageaswell.
Thosebetweentheagesof18and34weremostlywillingtotravelanywherefrom1140
minutes.However,those45andolderwerewillingtodrivealmostanhourforasitdown
meal.Intermsofincomeregardingthisquestion,almosthalftherespondentswhowere
willingtotravelbetween11and40minuteshadlessthan$15,000inincome,whilethose
with$15,000ormorewerewillingtodriveanywherefrom2150minutestoeat.Graphs
belowarebasedonthosewithlessthan15,000income.

Howmuchareyouwillingtospend,perperson,onanice,sitdownlunch?
>
Regardlessofbothageandincome,80%wereonlywillingtospend$20orlessforlunch.

Howmuchareyouwillingtospend,perperson,onanice,sitdowndinner?>
The
numberofresponsesstayedaboutthesameinreferencetobothageandincome,with
peoplebeingwillingtospend$10$20moreondinnerthanonlunch.

16
Pleaseratetheimportanceofthefollowingfactorswhenchoosinganice,sitdown
restaurant:>
Thisquestiontookintoaccountallfactorsthatmayormaynotbe
importantinasitdownrestaurantsetting.Fromtheresults,alloftherespondentsfeltthat
bothflavoroffoodandqualityofservicewereeitherveryorextremelyimportantfactors.
Atmospherewasthenextmostimportantfactorwith95%oftherespondentssayingit
waseitherveryorextremelyimportant.

Whatsourcesimpactyourrestaurantselection?Selectallthatapply.>

Since
respondentscouldchoosemultiplefactorsinresponsetonumber13,regardingwhat
sourcesimpacttheirrestaurantselections,itwasdifficulttocrossanalyze.However,
regardlessofage,incomeordegreestatus,amajorityoftherespondentssaidthebiggest
sourcethatimpactedthemwasfriends/familyrecommendations(WOM)andrunnerup
includebothconsumerreviewsanddiscounts.

FamiliaritywithTapasStyleRestaurantsandTapas51:
Outofthe40responses,24
people(60%),werefamiliarwithtapasdiningstyle.Outofthose24people,only11
people(28%)hadheardaboutTapas51,andoutofthose11people(28%),only4people
(36%)hadactuallyeatenthere.

CrossAnalysis:
Whencrossedanalyzedwithlevelofeducation,nosignificance
wasfoundbetweenlevelsinregardstofamiliaritywithtapasstyledining.There
wasalsonodifferenceacrossplaceofresidenceandplaceofemployment.

PleaserateyourdiningexperienceatTapas51inthefollowingcategories:
Food/drink,service,andatmosphere>
The4peoplethathadeatenatTapas51were
alsoaskedtoanswerquestionsabouttheirexperience.Theaverageresponseforthe
food/drinkcategorywas4.5outof5whichfallsbetweenexceedsexpectationsandfar
exceedsexpectationsontheprovidedscale.Theaverageresponseintheservicecategory
was4.25outof5,whichfallsbetweenexceedsexpectationsandfarexceedsexpectations
onthescale.Inrelationtotheatmosphere,theaveragewas3outof5,whichliesbetween
equalsexpectationsonthescale.

CrossAnalysis:
WhenIcrossedanalyzedpeoplesexperiencewithpeoples
incomelevel,onepersonoutofthefourearned$60,000ormore.Thatpersonrated
theirdiningexperienceasfarexceededtheirexpectationinregardstofood,drink
andservice,andexceededtheirexpectationinatmosphere.Eventhoughthisisa

17
verysmallsamplesize,itshowsthatpeoplewithincomelevellikedtheir
experienceingeneralatTapas51.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Tapas51canusethefindingsfromtheaboveresearchtoguidetheirmarketingeffortsinthe
followingways:

EncouragecustomerstotelltheirfriendsaboutTapas51.
Wordofmouthhas
showntobeaneffectivemethodofgettingcustomersinthedoor.StimulatethisWOM
processbycreatingreferralcardsforcustomerstogivetotheirfriends.Ifitisinthe
budget,Tapas51mightconsiderincludinga10%discountorfreeappetizeronthis
referralcardtoencourageredemption.

AskcustomerstomakereservationsthroughOpenTable.
Whencustomersmake
theirreservationsthroughOpenTable,theyreceiveanemailaskingthemtowritea
review.Tapas51couldalsoincorporatethisintothereferralcardsbyencouraging
customerstomakeareservationonOpenTable.Thiswouldhopefullystimulatereviews
onOpenTableandimprovethestandingofTapas51.

PutanemphasisonspecialoccasionsinthemarketingforTapas51.
Since
customersaremotivatedtodineoutforspecialoccasions(birthdays,holidays,etc.),
Tapas51cancapitalizeonthisbyputtinganemphasisonspecialoccasionsthrough
theirmarketing.

Buildbrandawareness.
Afteranalyzingtheresponsesspecificallyregardingthetapas
diningstyle,andaboutifpeoplehadheardandbeentoTapas51,theareaweneedto
focusonthemostisdefinitelybrandawareness.Morethanhalf(60%)ofour
respondentsknewaboutthetapasdiningstyle,howeverjustafewhadheardabout
Tapas51,andevenlesshadbeenthere.ThissuggeststhatTapas51needstopromote
itsbrand,andtherearemanyareaswecanfocuson.Weshoulddefinitelytake
advantageoftheirFacebookpageandencouragethemtopostmore,aswellascreate
advertisementsonFacebooktotargetspecificpeople.

Maintainconsistentandregularcommunicationonsocialmedia.
Wenoticedthat
ontheirFacebookpagethepostsareveryinconsistentandthisportraysabadimageto
thebrand.Sobypostingmoreregularly,andduringcertaintimesofthedayitwill
attractmoreengagementandalsoportrayabetterimage.Sincetheyhavecustomers
respondingtotheirFacebookorInstagramposts,usetheopportunitytointeractandget
feedback.ChefAaroncouldusethisasapersonalwaytoencouragepeopletocome
backandbuildarelationshipwithhiscustomers.Customersliketobeacknowledged.
Tapas51andtheothersocialmediaaccountsneedsamoreconsistentpostingschedule.

EncouragecustomerreviewsonYelp.
Anotherimportanttoolthatmighthelpcreate
brandawarenessishavepeopleleavegoodreviewsonYelp.Especiallybecause

18
throughoursurvey,inmanyofthecategories,peoplesexpectationswereexceeded,it
wouldbeanadvantageforTapas51tohavethosepositivereviewsavailableforthe
public.Anothergoodreasonisbecause53%oftherespondentssaidthatwhenever
choosingarestaurantselectiontheylookatconsumersreviewsonline.

Putemphasisonpicturesoffood,especiallywithinInstagram.
Anotherpartof
socialmediathatcouldcreatebrandawarenessandmorebuzzistoincreasefollowers
ontheirInstagramaccount.SincetheareathatisemphasizedthemostinTapas51is
theauthenticityofthefood,itwouldbeagreatideatokeeppromotingitviaInstagram
becauseInstagramisthebestvisualplatforminsocialmedia.

CreatemultimediastoriesonYouTube.
Oneothersocialmediaplatformthatcouldbe
usedtopromotemoreofthechefratherthantherestaurantisYoutube.Theyshould
createaYoutubepagetoshowofftheirstaff,andtelltheiruniquestoriesandshare
theminpublic.Youtubeprovidesalotofengagementwiththepublic.Videosarealso
sharedandviewedalotbecauseitisentertaining,andengaging.ByhavingaYoutube
page,theycanalsosharetheirvideosonFacebook,tohaveevenmoreinteractionwith
theclientele.

Dontforgettraditionalprintresources.
Regardingpromotionaltactics,someways
tocreatebrandawarenessisthroughadsinfoodmagazines,geotargetedads,and
distributingfliers.Wealsobelievethatwritingpitchstoriestolocalmagazines,suchas
CharlotteMagazine,andlocalnewspaperscouldbenefitTapas51becauseitcreates
brandawareness,uniquenessandauthenticityofthefood.Forexample,inourcustomer
satisfactionsurvey,threepeopleoutof31saidthattheywenttoTapas51becausethey
readanarticleinCharlotteMagazine.

Targetadsgeographically.
InregardstogeotargetedadsthisisbeneficialforTapas
51,becausetheycancreateadsbytargetingcertaincitiesorspecificradiustoseethe
ads.SincewewanttotargettheCharlottemetropolitanareapopulation,geotargeted
adscanbebeneficialfortargetingtherightmarketwhilesavingmoneybecauseit
eliminatesnonrelevantclicks.Distributingfliersisalsoanothergreatwaytopromote
therestaurant.Tapas51hastoknowwhichbusinessesandorganizationscorrespondto
theirbusinessandhandoutflierswithinformationabouttherestauranttothose
organizations.Forexample,theycandistributeflyersingrocerystores,orothertypeof
businessesthatarefoodrelatedthattheythinkwillbebeneficialtotheirrestaurant.

Reducedpricesorincentivesforlunch.
Theonlinesurveyrevealedthatcustomersare
notwillingtospendmorethan$20onlunch,buttheaverageTapas51lunchmealis
abovethis.ItwouldbeinthebestinterestofTapas51toatleastconsiderdoingsome
sortofdiscountorincentiveprogram,especiallyfortheirlunchhour.

AdvertisetoCharlottemarket.
Wethinktheyshouldalsoseriouslyconsiderspending
agooddealoftimeandeffortadvertisinginboththeCharlotte,RockHilland

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surroundingareasasmanypeoplewerewillingtotravelupwardsof40minutesfora
nice,sitdownrestaurant.

20
References
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.
GoogleMaps.(n.d.).RetrievedFebruary23,2016,from
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IndustryDataN.P.,n.d.Web.Retrievedfrom
http://www.restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/
StateStatistics/2015/NC_Restaurants2015
IndustryTrendsDataRetrievedfrom
"The10BiggestRestaurantTrendsfor2015."
Entrepreneur
.
N.p.,28Oct.2014.Web.23Feb.2016.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/

slideshow/239015
TapestrySegmentation.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom
http://doc.arcgis.com/en/esridemographics/
data/tapestrysegmentation.htm