New restaurants open all the time in Michigan. Why do some grab your attention while others go unnoticed? It often depends on how well a restaurant is able to create a buzz around their brand. But how do you do that? Allie T. Mallad, Founder and CEO of Dearborn Heights’ new eatery, Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken, and Chelsie Bender, their Marketing and Creative Director, share 5 ways to get people buzzing about your new restaurant.

1. Create Intrigue 

Great storytelling is important for building memorable brands. Intentionally withholding information from your story may be a creative way to get people talking. Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken’s name alone, is a great example of this. 

“We stand out from the majority of restaurants because everyone wants to know…what’s the story,” Mallad said. “Truth is, every 42 seconds, there is one divorce in America which means a major portion of our population is an ex-wife. With that being said, it’s simple….our concept was created because of some clucking good chicken, spiced with a little family history. What that family history consists of…is for us to know and you to find out.”

2. Be Inclusive 

Creating a culture that attracts your ideal customer is a key to success. One way to accomplish this is by understanding who your customers are. What can they relate to? Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken kept these questions in mind while developing the concept for their restaurant.

“Our brand makes light of the common conceptions, realities, and jokes surrounding divorce,” Bender said. “There is something everyone can resonate with, whether you are single, married, or divorced.” 

3. Prioritize Quality 

Consistently providing your customers with quality food, beverages, and services, will turn them into brand advocates. They will be the people leaving reviews, telling their friends about you, and returning whenever they get the chance. Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken accomplished this by thinking local and keeping operations simple.

“We developed our menu with the support of a locally renowned chef, Zane Makky,” Mallad said. “He took great care in ensuring the menu was simple, easy to execute, designed for rapid expansion and memorable for the customers. People are constantly raving on social media about our homemade sauces, the halal meat quality, and our signature sandwiches.” 

4. Network 

Many restaurants will have a grand opening event, inviting the public to see what they are all about. This is an opportunity to get on people’s radars. Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken invited a variety of influential guests to their grand opening to help generate word-of-mouth.

“We had an amazing grand opening that involved the entire city’s office, family and friends,” Mallad said. “When planning a grand opening, involve and invite as many people as possible. Our grand opening events end up being all about networking. This allows us to get the restaurant’s name circulating around the city, quickly. Be sure to include eye-catching balloons, banners and flags, so the community can see you are thriving and open for business!”

5. Seek Out Your Customers

We are living in an era where content is everywhere. How do you cut through the clutter and tell them about your amazing restaurant? You can start by meeting them where they are at.

“We went where our customers spend a majority of their time,” Bender said. “We got in their face and spread the rumors of a new local eatery. We used the power of social media, placed signage on our building as soon as we could, placed ads in our local news outlets, decorated with balloons, and networked with influencers and city officials.”

Once someone becomes a customer of Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken, they come back for more. 

“The food is the number one reason why our customers will continue to enter our doors,” Bender added. “In addition we plan to continue engaging our customers through a kick-ass loyalty program and entertaining social media. Our mission is to rapidly expand to every city across the country and around the world.”

We proudly partner with Ex Wife’s Famous Chicken. We would love to help you stand out from the competition, too! Email aaronh@ufss.net today to discuss your goals and how we can help you achieve them.