In today’s blog post, we are thrilled to share insights from a recent discussion with Laura Wilber, who works at Dinova, a company dedicated to optimizing restaurant experiences for corporate diners. Hosted by Jeremy Julian, Chief Revenue Officer for CBS North Star, the episode dives deep into how restaurants can attract high-value corporate guests who drive higher levels of profitability and frequency.
Getting to Know Laura Wilber and Dinova
Laura Wilber is an expert in helping busy restaurant operators attract and retain expense account diners. Living in North San Diego County, Laura has dedicated her career to aiding businesses in growth, specifically focusing on the category of corporate diners who are spending on the company dime.
Why Corporate Dining Matters
Laura explains that corporate diners typically have expense management regulations and preferred vendors, from airlines to restaurants, to ensure cost-effective spending. The fragmented nature of the restaurant industry can make it challenging for corporations to identify quality dining options seamlessly, and that’s where Dinova steps in. With about 560 global companies and many large government agencies under its belt, Dinova promises guaranteed extra traffic for its network restaurants.
The Restaurant Perspective
Restaurants in Dinova’s network benefit significantly from this arrangement. Jeremy and Laura touched on multiple advantages, such as guaranteed business, even during off-peak hours, and no extra costs for joining the network. Corporate diners tend to spend 50 to 200 percent more per visit than regular consumers, leading to higher average checks and enhanced profitability.
Ensuring Quality Experience
One key topic was how Dinova ensures a consistently good dining experience. Laura reveals that while direct feedback is rare, business travelers are experienced and know to handle any hiccups directly with the restaurant. High repeat visits are a testament to the network’s quality and vetting process for partner restaurants, which also get the benefit of exposure to a high-value audience.
The Attraction of High-Spending Diners
In the dialogue, Jeremy shared personal insights on how business dining experiences often involve higher spending – from appetizers to drinks and desserts. Laura confirms that this trend, driven by celebratory and business interactions, results in significantly higher average checks.
Best Practices for Restaurants Targeting Corporate Diners
Jeremy and Laura discussed practical steps restaurants can take to become a preferred corporate dining destination. These include:
- Website Optimization: Ensuring information about private dining, catering, and other services is easily accessible and well-presented.
- Pre-Planning: Streamlining the reservation and event planning process to include clear communication and options.
- Delivering Experience: Making sure that from the moment a corporate diner walks in to when they finish their meal, the experience is seamless and elevated.
Connecting with Dinova
For restaurants interested in joining Dinova’s network, Laura suggests a simple 15-minute exploratory call to gauge fit and discuss potential benefits. Interested parties can reach Laura via LinkedIn or visit Dinova’s website for more information.
Conclusion
This conversation with Laura Wilber underscored the critical role of effective corporate dining strategies for both restaurants and businesses. By partnering with Dinova, restaurants can tap into a lucrative market segment while offering a valued service to corporate travelers.
We extend our thanks to Laura Wilber for sharing her insights and to all the listeners who continually engage with and support the Restaurant Technology Guys podcast. If you are a restaurant owner looking to boost your midweek traffic with high-spending guests, connecting with Dinova might just be the solution you need.
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