If restaurants don't have any sort of presence, like, in the social media space, I feel like it's very hard to grow.

Hi. My name is Brett Linkletter, CEO and cofounder of DineLine, a restaurant growth agency. We help restaurant brands of all sizes grow and scale to new heights, whether that means opening new stores or increasing revenue at existing locations. We have a done for you model where we take care of all the work for our clients on the marketing front, And we also have a unique software solution called Dishio, which allows owners to showcase their restaurant in the best light possible online while also turning guest interactions into data to increase profits.

Right now, you're listening to our podcast, Restaurant Misfits, where we'll discuss all things related to restaurant marketing, management, and everything else in between growing a restaurant business. Scaling a restaurant today takes much more than having grit and hustle. In this age, it's about utilizing the newest technology, educating yourself on new platforms and trends, and having a deep understanding of how this industry is changing. This podcast is dedicated to keeping you up to speed with the latest and the greatest through interviewing the biggest and the best in the restaurant industry.

As always, we appreciate you for being here, and we hope you enjoy the show. Leslie, how are you?

Good. And you?

I'm doing well. For having me. Absolutely. No. I'm I'm super excited to chat because we we typically have restaurant owners on here, and we typically talk about everything from how they're growing their businesses to what they're looking at. But we don't get enough the guest perspective, honestly.

And, I'm excited to chat with you because you're also born and raised here in Miami.

Yes.

My new favorite city in the world. You know, I'm from California, and, I just love this city. I love, what's happening in the city, specifically in the restaurant space. And I'm I'm excited to get your perspective on what you've seen change from the time you're a kid to now and, your involvement in the community, your involvement with restaurants, and your perspective on what's changing because it's so interesting.

Miami in comparison to, let's say, like, LA or New York, it's a small city. Right? Very small population in comparison. Compared to New York and LA.

Totally. But it's it has such an impact and influence now on not just those cities, but the rest of the world, mainly in the food and beverage industry, in our industry, in hospitality space. And so we are we are seeing so much start here and then grow across the world and impact other brands and other restaurant owners. And people are looking at Miami as, like, what what's next?

Right? Yeah. So for for everyone though who maybe doesn't know who you are, can you give them just, like, a quick kinda perspective on who you are, you know, how you got into being a digital creator in the hospitality space, and anything else you wanna share? It'd be awesome.

Yeah. So, basically, I'm a content creator here in Miami. I cover mainly restaurants, local restaurants.

I also do travel content, but my main focus is restaurants here in Miami.

Mhmm.

I started in twenty nineteen, at a point where I was really lost. Like, I was studying I'd never studied marketing. I studied speech therapy.

Completely different.

Wow.

And I just wasn't passionate about it, and I was like, I need I need to figure out, like, you know, what I actually love. Like, I need, you know, to find, like, something I'm passionate about because, you know, this wasn't it.

And so, a friend of mine was like, you know, you're always taking pictures at restaurants. Like, you're always, like, the one telling us, you know, like, where to go. Like, I was always that girl that was, like, taking pictures at restaurants and posting it on her Snapchat because, you know, back then, there wasn't Snapchat. There there was an Instagram story. So, like, I was always posting on Snapchat.

That's true. My god.

And they were and she was like, oh, like, you know, create an Instagram page with, like, your recommendations for restaurants. And I was like it was like a green light. I was like, wow. Like, I need to do this.

For sure.

And I honestly didn't start it, like, just like as a hobby. Like, I always had kinda, like, that goal that I wanted this, like, to be my job. Mhmm. At the time, I didn't know how because social media wasn't like how it is now. Like, it wasn't really much, like, of a business as it is now.

You think so?

Yeah. Yeah. Like, it was, you know, it it was very active, but but it was fairly new.

What do you what do you think is the core difference from, let's say, twenty nineteen to now two thousand twenty four?

Oh, complete. Well, TikTok didn't exist.

Yeah.

True. Stories didn't exist. So many things have evolved since then. And I feel like now more than ever, people are realizing, like, social media can be a real business. Mhmm. And it's not just, you know, like, you know Yeah. Just funny giggles now.

Yeah. But I think you're right. But it's it's interesting to hear your perspective also because so many restaurant owners still like, they're not to your point, they're now all on Instagram. They're definitely not all on TikTok. No.

Which should change. Yeah. I I don't I I think, like, for us, it's probably, like, one in ten brands we speak to are on TikTok. Yeah.

I've also heard some recent news about maybe TikTok going away in the US. I don't know if that's happening or not. Only time will tell. Yeah.

We'll see. I I I don't know.

I don't think TikTok's going anywhere.

Yeah. You think so? I mean, I would like to see it stay. I I like to see that the not only Meta is the is the ones dominating everything on social. Right?

But what I guess, what what else have you seen has changed, from a business perspective?

Social media wise or with restaurants?

With social media in particular.

I, I think people, like, are slowly, like, respecting digital creators more now. I feel like there are more and more opportunities, like, for people like me to, like, work with restaurants. I feel like when I started, like, no one talked about that. No one talked about, like, working with a restaurant. It was just, like, collaborations. Like, you know, I I come to your restaurant, and they'll give me and, you know, they'll give me, like, the food for free. But it wasn't like it wasn't really, like, any business exchange.

It was just kinda like Interesting.

It was very different.

Yeah. No. I could totally see that. Yeah. I think I think to your point, people just value it more now. Like, they see more value in it. I I'll tell you from our perspective on the business, when I ask brands what they're doing to get in front of more new people Mhmm.

I would say probably thirty percent of the time influencers are involved. They're they're they're they're thinking about it. They're talking about it where before, which is crazy to me, it was, like, mostly television and radio. It still is a lot of television and radio, to be honest. I spoke to a brand yesterday.

They have, across four different brands, they have, like, sixty stores.

Their primary budget is still TV and radio. And the crazy thing about this is the guy who's running the show on the marketing stand on the marketing perspective, he's he's in his thirties. I'm like, bro, you know better than this. Why are you doing this? You're not a dinosaur.

That's weird. It's so weird. But it's it's I think I think to your point, social has become more and more of a business over the last four or five years.

But also specifically in the restaurant space, we've seen that shift even more so. Right?

And I feel like if restaurants don't have any sort of presence, like, in the social media space, I feel like it's very hard to grow these days.

Like, obviously, word-of-mouth still exists if you have an amazing restaurant, amazing product. Like, you know, people will find out. But I feel like Mhmm. You really need that push these days on social media to, like, really, like, be known.

Totally. So you have about two hundred thirty thousand followers on Instagram, over a hundred thousand on TikTok. What do you feel like has been, like, what do you think has been the the maybe top one or two reasons for your success as far as growing your pages? Like, what what do you what is your, I don't know, secret to it?

I think the secret, like, is the it like, consistency.

Yeah. Consistency.

I feel like it's redundant. Like, everyone says that, oh, you have to, like, you have to be consistent. You have to, like, always be posting. But, like, it's true. Like, there's no like, you're not born, like, knowing how to be, like, the perfect, like, content creator. Like, you just have to post.

Yeah.

And then over time, you learn, like, the strategies. You learn, like, what works, what is working for you, what's not working for you, like, what your audience likes, and you slowly, like, build that community that, like, will eventually, like, really trust, like, everything you do.

How much time are you spending on, do you think, social per day?

More than more than I would like.

Yeah. But it's your full time job now.

So that that makes sense.

It's not just, like, it's not that I'm just, like, on Instagram and TikTok all day. It's also, like, answering emails, answering messages.

Like, all like, the business side of it is, like, I have to be on my editing. I edit on my phone too.

So So what one one thing I see almost no restaurants do, which is crazy to me.

Mhmm. People are engaging with them on social. They're not responding. How important is it that they should be responding?

Very important.

Yeah. But what but but yeah. Do you do you feel the same in some sense? Like, it's like, I I feel like I mean, I told you. So I I'm from California.

So, I lived for twelve years in LA. I'm from Orange County originally. Moved to LA, was there for twelve years, then came here for a bit, was living in Brazil and Sao Paulo. And I every time I went to a new city, I I would maybe, like, try to engage with some brands. I'd maybe send some messages, comment on some stuff because I'm I'm a restaurant guy too. I, you know, I wanna engage them.

Yeah.

It's it's interesting to me how rare it is to see brands responding fairly quickly to their customer comments or questions or messages. Do you feel the same or no? Maybe not in your sense because you're you're coming in as a influencer in the space. But Yeah. Have you heard that before? Have you seen that in others from other people?

Yeah. I mean, I think restaurants should always be engaging with their customers, not just on social media, but I think even on Google reviews. Like, people don't understand also Google reviews are super important. Like, when you go to a new city and you're looking for which restaurant has not only, like, you know, the higher, like, reviews, but, like, also, like, the most.

Totally. So, let's talk about that real quick because I I actually was on my topic of what I wanna discuss with you today. So Google, Yelp, are you what else are you are you using Yelp? Is it just Google? Just Google. Right?

Yeah. I mean, I don't, like, use it. Like, I don't, like, ever, like Yeah. Send a review, but I always, like, you know, look at the reviews. Like, when I when a restaurant, like, contacts me, I always make sure to look at the reviews, their socials, their menu, like, see if it's actually a restaurant that I personally would like to go to.

Totally. And I think this is a good point because this is something that, I think a lot of restaurants realize is valuable, but they don't see the immediate benefit from having a strong social or caring about the reviews as much as they should, unfortunately. I I totally agree with you on all this. Mhmm.

A lot of brands we speak to are so hyper focused on, like, we're an ad agency. Right? So we run a lot of ads. So they're like, hey.

We want new customers through the door. Help us run some ads. I say, great. But you you got three point six stars or whatever it is.

Yeah.

You know, your your social looks like, you know, I don't know. You barely put any time into it. Exactly. What we see on the ad front is having, strong reviews and a strong social page.

Mhmm.

It really impacts your ad performance. Because like you just said, if you're gonna work with a brand and you find the brand, what's the first thing you do? You look at their reviews. You look at their social.

Yeah. If it's not to par which may be a brand that you wanna work with or even dine at, right, just for fun Right. You're probably not gonna go. Same thing on ad performance.

If we're running ads, doesn't matter how much I spend or how good of an advertiser I am, that is how someone judges the brand. So maybe they find the brand through an ad, maybe through Google, maybe through social, whatever, then they look at your page from an organic standpoint or your or or reviews.

If you got crappy reviews and you have a pretty tree looking social It's all good.

It's not gonna convert. It doesn't convert. In fact, that it it this is probably the number one reason we're not successful with some brands is because their online presence, to your point, just sucks.

Yeah. Totally sucks.

People really look at it.

Oh, yeah. So when you, you said when you're going to a new city, is is it Google pretty much how you're finding brands these days? Or how is it?

So if I'm traveling, I first go on TikTok, actually. Oh, interesting. TikTok to me is, like, my my search engine, like, to find restaurants.

Like, if I'm going to San Francisco, I'm like, San Francisco restaurants on TikTok. Wow.

And that's how Wait.

You searched that on TikTok. Yeah.

Yeah. Interesting. Because I'm very, like, visual, so I like to see, you know, videos of, like, you know, the place and the food and, like, I feel like you don't get that experience just by googling it.

Wow. See, I don't even do that. That's interesting.

Yeah. I think it's a very Gen z thing, though.

Yeah.

Super interesting. Wow. Okay. So you go to TikTok. You find a brand you like, and then what?

You look them up on reviews? Google? Is that is that the next thing you do?

So, I do the TikTok thing only, like, if it's, like, restaurants that I'm just gonna dine at. Like, if I'm traveling and I wanna see, like, what restaurant, like, I wanna go to, like, that's how I search it up. But for, like, if a restaurant, like, contacts me, like, to work with them, I just I look at their reviews Yeah.

Their menu and their socials.

Got it. Got it. Interesting. Okay. So and so let's talk about, like, what you do with restaurants.

Right? So if someone contacts you, what what's your typical deal, like, work with you? They'll work with you. What's it look like?

So they usually either contact me via DM Mhmm. Or email, And it'll it'll kinda look like them saying, hey. Like, we would love for you to come visit my, like, my restaurant.

What are your rates? Blah blah blah.

Yeah.

And that's when, like, I'll, you know, do my research and see, like, hey.

Is this, like, a restaurant that, like, I would, you know, I would So you're not just working with anyone, basically?

Yeah. Like, I think I think it's very, like, you know, attractive when people are like, oh, like, we would we would love to pay you to, like, come to this restaurant. But, like, I think it's important to, like, stay, like, true, like, to your audience and, like, you know, make sure to always, like, be going to restaurants that are, you know, are good, not just because they're paying you.

Have you ever, been offered, you know, x amount of dollars, come to our restaurant, post about it, You go, you try, you're like, I don't like this, and decide that you're not gonna post it and deny the payment.

So that actually happens very little Okay.

Because of the research. Yeah.

Okay. That's good.

I think, at this point, like, I could look at a restaurant's socials and and just know, like, if it's going to be a good restaurant.

Okay. So what do you look at? Because I know people listening to this are thinking, well, how do I be that person? How do I, yeah, how do I be that brand?

It's I don't know. Just you don't have to be, like, a super, like, magazine, like, professional, like, type of feed. But just, you know, have a decent feed. Like, make sure, like, you're showing, like, your products well, like, that they look very, like, indulging. Like Mhmm.

I don't know. I I've had I have this instinct where, like, I know, like, if a restaurant is going to be good. And usually, I've been right.

But but There's only been, like, a couple times where I had to be like, hey. Like But someone but maybe someone listening or or watching this right now and thinking, but how do I be that?

And we're talking about some people that are you know, never had any success on social to begin with are not photographers by any means.

Okay.

Well And they're wondering, how do how do I be that?

You know?

In that case, if you don't if you don't have a lot of social experience, like, then I would either hire, like, a social media manager, like, someone that, like, you know, knows how to, like, create, like, a nice feed and, like, run the page, and start, you know, contacting influencers to, like, you know, also the content.

Yeah. Yeah. And have, like, that influencer feed on on their page too.

Makes sense.

Get the word out.

Makes sense.

And real quick on on, like, your following. So I know, obviously, you're you're born and raised Miami. You're here.

Do you think most of your followers are Miami based as well?

Yeah. I would say, like, ninety percent is Miami. Or, like, may and maybe not just Miami, but, like, Florida. Like, all over Florida. Like, you know Nice. Broward, West Palm Beach, Orlando.

I think I think that's super attractive for someone who's in Miami that wants to work with you. It's like, hey. I I might work with an influencer, but who knows where their followers are. But if I'm a Miami based restaurant and I wanna get the word out about this community in this area specifically, like, you you know, you're a ticket for that. That's great.

I think it's super important to have, like, most of your audience in a very specific, like, city in a very specific location because, you know, when you post a video, like, the restaurant, like, will see that impact, like Totally. Because, like, most of your audience is from, like, that place.

Do you and for you growing your page, was was there anything in particular you did that was just, like, I don't know, that you found that was incredible for growth in particular, or it was it literally just consistency like you're saying earlier?

Honestly, aside from consistency, it was just getting better.

Yeah.

I think, I think well, when I started my page, it was completely different from how it is now. I was I never even showed my face.

Like, it was just, like, videos of, like Just food.

Food. Like, pictures and videos of food, like, the process of, like, them making dishes, like, in the kitchen. Like, it was super because, you know, that's what was in back in the states.

Food porn stuff.

But, like, I think you always need to be evolving, like, with the not not the trends, but, like, just like how social media grows. Like, I think you need to be growing with social media and, like, not change, like, who you are, but kinda, like, improve your your soul. Totally.

Yeah. Because there's it just seems like there's we're not in the organic game ourselves as a company. Mhmm. We don't, like, do that for for brands, but we we've been pitched by a lot of, social media companies, and and it it just seems like there's always some new tactic or silver bullet or something.

But at the end of the day, it's like it's just consistency. It's getting better. It's producing quality content. And that's maybe not something that a lot of, like, a lot of brands like to hear because that's the hard part.

Right. It's the hardest.

For sure.

But it's it is it that's it. It's literally it. Yeah.

Over time, you learn how to film better, how to edit better. Yeah. Like, those little things are what, like, you know, will get you there.

Let's talk about the Miami market in general because you're, again, you're born and raised. You've seen Miami, you know, through what it's gone through and and what it is now today. Yeah. I I think my first time in Miami was maybe, like, twenty sixteen, I believe, or twenty seventeen, and I've seen the oh my god.

It's a complete different city. Yeah. From Miami. That long ago. Yeah. I mean, it's completely transformed, and I I love what Miami is today.

I am obsessed with the city. I think it is so great and so cool for so many reasons.

Mhmm.

But I wanna hear your perspective because, again, like I thought about from the very beginning, Miami is extremely influential right now in the restaurant scene for the rest of the world. The rest of the world is literally looking at the Miami market and thinking, oh my god. Like, these brands I mean, I'll tell you first perspective too.

The average restaurant in America right now, on average, they bring in about fifty thousand dollars a month in revenue. K?

Okay.

Now I don't know the average in Miami, but I'll tell you the brands I've spoken in particular, every single one, they're all over five hundred k a month. Wow. Other brands I've now we speak to a more premium brand. Some brands here are doing a million. Some brands are doing two million a month on a single location.

Now those numbers are unheard of.

Yeah. Yeah.

Some people listening to this podcast are thinking, how the hell would I ever make two million dollars a month at a restaurant?

Mhmm.

Some here are doing three million a month on a single location. Those numbers are absurd for most brands.

But that's they, like, regular restaurants are, like, very, like, fancy.

These are upscale, you know, your your premium Yeah.

Yeah. What do they call it? Club restaurants, you know, kind of vibe, which makes sense.

But, no doubt, it's it's very interesting to see, and it's it's nuts in comparison to numbers that the average restaurant is doing. So with that in perspective now, what are your thoughts? I mean, what do you what do you what do you see in the restaurant space here in Miami that's working so well, and how's it evolved, do you think, over the last, let's call it, ten, fifteen years from what you've seen?

Well, I think before, there were, like, a lot of more, like, mom and pop type of restaurants. Like, very, like, local, small, like, type of restaurants. And I feel like now, like you mentioned, I'm seeing a lot more club restaurants, a lot more, like, high end, a lot more, like, you know, very show off y Yeah. Type restaurants, which are not really, like, my vibe. I feel like, I feel like Miami has really grown a lot in the restaurants page, which which is amazing, but I think they need to open like, continue opening more, like, really good, like, mom and pop type of restaurants more than, like, focusing on, like, that show off y restaurant because there's, like, enough of them.

Totally. There's a lot.

I I always feel like in general more poppy steak.

I I feel like yeah. I yeah. I feel like we need more just good breakfast spots in general.

That too. There are some good ones, which I actually did a video recently.

Okay.

I need to see that.

Yes.

But, yeah.

Definitely I mean, I'm here I'm here in Edgewater, and there's there's not there's not a lot of spots, honestly, that They're mainly, like, in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.

Yeah. Pretty much.

The breakfast spots.

But what about what about here? Like, there's not much.

It really isn't. Here are the the club restaurants. Yeah.

I mean but, really, that's like, it doesn't exist, and that's actually the one thing I am bummed about about the scene here.

But that would make sense. Yeah. Coral Gables area, I think there's a ton. That's more kind of a neighborhood vibe.

Yeah. I think they have a really good restaurant scene.

Yeah. They do. They really do, actually. That's a good point.

But what do you what do you feel like is is working so well maybe aside from the club restaurants here? Like, what are they doing that maybe you said you you've obviously done a lot of travel blogs and all that kind of stuff too. Mhmm. What do you what do you see that's different here that the other restaurants and other, I don't know, countries or cities just aren't doing? What's the difference?

I don't know. I feel like I feel like we have a we I feel like we have a lot of talented chefs here.

Mhmm.

And I feel like a lot of, like, talent is moving here.

Like Yeah. Probably. In the last few years, you've seen a lot of people, like, moving from New York and, like, other cities and countries to Miami and, like, bringing that talent over here.

So I feel like a lot of talent has, like, migrated over here, and I think that's what's changing.

For sure. I just feel like also so okay. Remember, I told you I was in LA. Mhmm. I'm sorry. LA is falling apart. I mean, it is like, oh god.

It's it's it makes me cringe even thinking about because LA was such a great city pre COVID, and it is a dumpster fire now. I mean, it's it's sad. It's really sad. But the other thing I've just noticed is, like, people are just accepting crap.

They're just they're just they're they're they're like, this is how it is, and and no one seems to just fight back on it. They're just accepting that, hey. You know, there's gonna be homeless everywhere. There's gonna be literally human crap in the streets, and that's just our new normal.

Where I feel like what I've noticed here in Miami, it's like I see restaurant owners. If there's, like, someone homeless outside their business or people, like, loitering and just sitting there and, I don't know, causing problems, like, they don't accept bullshit. Like, they they fix the problem. They they care about the cleanliness in the restaurant.

Yeah. The little things that I do not see as much in LA, to be honest with you.

There's a lot more control here.

Yeah.

Like, I feel like you can't even walk into a restaurant and just just sit there. Like, you have to, like, consume something.

Yeah. Like, they they're they're just well, just it's they run it more like a business. They care more. Mhmm. The employees care more.

Mhmm.

Where god. It's like half the time I go into a restaurant in LA. It's like I feel like I don't know. The server is, like, high or something.

I'm like, dude. Really? Like I mean, it's just I don't know. It's just I feel that.

But but I guess, like, what what have you seen change in Miami also about the restaurant scene? Because, again, I was here twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen, I think it was.

And I I feel like it's a whole new city Yeah.

For for many reasons, maybe outside the restaurant scene, but there's just been such an elevation in in what they do.

Do do you feel the same, or what's the difference?

Feel like they're trying to, like, be more of a foodie city. Yeah. Like, I feel like before, it just wasn't like that. Like, Miami was just like a place you came to party. Yeah. Like, it was, like, kinda like Vegas, but, like, more tropical.

Yeah.

That's that's a good point.

To go to the beach to party, and for a weekend, and that was it. I feel like now, like, there's a big focus on restaurants, like, die like, dining at really good places. I feel like Yeah. That's been probably the the biggest shift.

Yeah. Hundred percent. Asian fusion here. It seems like everyone's doing that.

I'm sick of it.

Yeah. What what you know, it's like it's crazy. Right?

I think I mean, it's good. Like, you know, we love a good Asian fusion every now and then, but I feel like it's overdone.

I agree.

I've also seen way too many, like, Peruvian Asian restaurants. Like, that that fusion is like there's too many.

It's it's funny because, I told you earlier, my my girlfriend's Brazilian, and her family is actually visiting from Brazil right now.

Her mom and her stepdad are here for the week, and so we've been naturally showing them around. Yeah. And it was funny because on, like, the the fourth restaurant we went to, I realized every every restaurant we've gone to has had some kind of Japanese or Korean or Asian fusion.

Mhmm.

And it's funny because most people don't know this, but Sao Paulo has the highest population of Japanese outside Japan Oh, wow.

In the world. There's they have amazing Japanese food in in Sao Paulo, and, my girlfriend's stepdad is Japanese Japanese Brazilian. Okay. And he was noticing, ah, these these were these are all it's like Sao Paulo, like a lot of Japanese restaurants.

Uh-huh. And I was like, I didn't and he's totally right. I mean, we we we, we were at Cote the other night. Mhmm.

Last night, we went to we went to Queen, and there's there's all this Asian fusion. And I think to your point, I I I love it too, but I think it's a little overdone It is. To the point where everywhere we go is Asian fusion. And, I don't know.

Like, I've noticed it's very hard to find good Brazilian food here. Yeah. There really aren't. It it's hard to find good Mexican food here.

Why why do you think the Asian fusion is just dominating?

I think fusion is dominating a lot in like, overall. Yeah. I feel like there just aren't enough spots, like, that are, like, completely, like, authentic, if that makes sense. Like, there Yeah. Like, there should be more spots that, like, are a hundred percent Chinese, a hundred percent Mexican, a hundred percent this, not not, like, always, like, the infusions.

Like, I prefer food also is hard to find.

Like, a hundred percent good Chinese food. I don't know. Where do I go for that?

Well, there there are a couple of spots.

Yeah.

But there needs to be more.

Yeah. I agree. I totally agree. Like, where do I get where do I get a really good burrito?

There's a there's a spot called up I think it's called Uptown sixty six. Mhmm.

They're in Biscayne. Mhmm. And they have a really good steak burrito.

Okay. Check it out. Yeah. Have you been to Shonto's recently? No. You gotta check that spot out.

It's good.

Really nice fine dining Mexican. Okay. And I I that's that's actually my I I really love good Mexican food.

Same.

And I I like good Mexican street food too, but, like, I like the fancy Mexican food, like, the kind of stuff that you can only find in, like, Mexico City.

Okay.

And that's so hard to find in the US in general. But I don't know. I just imagined with with so much, I don't know, Latin influence here in Miami that there'd be more, and I'm surprised there's not.

You know? I don't know. It's interesting.

Yeah. Maybe there just aren't, like, enough, like, you know, of those cultures in Miami. I think it's more like you'll find, like, so many amazing Cuban, Venezuelan, Colombian.

Yeah.

Because that's, you know, what dominates Yeah.

A lot of Cuban for sure.

A lot of Cuban for sure.

We honestly would wouldn't need another Cuban restaurant in Miami. We have so many.

We have so many.

And Venezuelan spots too.

True. True. And Peruvian. Mhmm. Yeah.

Peruvian.

But I just I don't know. It's interesting. So, when you look at let's we talk about all the things that are working. But what about what what do you think is what do you think is not working? What do you think that brands are doing that they're just really screwing up? What what do you just absolutely, I don't know, maybe despise about some restaurants? What are brands doing wrong?

Honestly, I think something that Miami could really improve on with restaurants is the service. Mhmm. I think granted, there's obviously gonna be restaurants with amazing service, but I think Yeah. They need to pay more attention to that because, like, I feel like people like, even if you didn't have the most amazing meal, you had a decent meal, but you had amazing service, people will come back. Yep. And I think that's super important.

Yeah. I agree.

I feel like And I feel like other cities, like, maybe aren't that huge in, like, the restaurant scene, but then they'll have amazing service.

Yeah. Yeah.

When you look at great service, talk to me more about that. Like, what how would you describe great service? Is it, like, knowing your name when you walk in? Is it, like tell me about the specifics behind that.

Well, if I'm filming or if I'm just coming in as a customer.

Just coming as a customer.

As a customer, honestly, just, like, that constant, like, check-in, I is super important. Like, them, like, constantly, like, making sure you're okay if you need anything. Mhmm. Like, putting the napkin, you know, on your lap.

Like, all those, like, little things, like Yeah.

Really make a difference. I feel like, you know, you know when you go to a restaurant and they, like, barely talk to you, like, for half of the time, and you're like, okay. Yeah. I got my meal, but, like Totally.

The service wasn't there.

Have you been to Dirty French Steakhouse?

I haven't.

I I've heard of it, but I haven't been.

Awesome. Yeah. I I'm a big steak guy in general. I'm always, like, hunting for the next great steak. Okay.

But their service, to your point, you said, like, putting the the napkin down your Mhmm. Your lap. That I'm I agree. Like, I they do an incredible job. I swear to god. I think they're, like, they hire, like, actors or something, but, like, they're it's like they're putting on a show almost.

Okay. Really? That's how I felt when I went to this restaurant in Brickell called Truelux.

Okay.

I don't know if you've been.

I saw your postpart, and I actually wrote it down as something I wanted to talk about. So tell me about that restaurant.

So it's also a steakhouse. It's a steakhouse slash seafood restaurant. Mhmm. And up the meal was amazing.

Yeah.

But, like, what really, like, took it home was, like, how, like, how they attended us. Like Yeah. And it wasn't just because we were filming that day.

I saw them do that with every table that was there.

Is it new? I haven't never heard of it before.

I think they've been around for a few years. Oh, wow. Incredible. Okay.

So let's talk about this real quick, though. So they've been around for a few years.

Yeah.

Was it your first time going recently?

Yeah. And I remember that when I, you know, posted it and I, you know, talked about it on my stories, a bunch of people were like, yes. They're amazing. Like, the service is, like, insane. Like, everyone had that same, like, experience and that same opinion.

Like Yes.

So but let's have this real quick. You're big in the restaurant space.

I'm big in the restaurant space. Neither of us had heard about them until now you recently. Now we're talking about here in the podcast.

Always passed by them, but, like, I never I never went.

So this is interesting.

Why didn't you ever go? What were they doing wrong? Maybe from an online perspective because to your point, they're incredible once you're in store. But what we're talking about right now is is a huge struggle that a lot of brands just don't get right. They're doing an amazing job in store, great product, great service. Everything's perfect.

Right.

But they've done something wrong to get you or I in the restaurant or many other people. Right? Mhmm. What was missing?

Well, I think it was two things. One was I just, like, I never heard anyone talk about them.

Mhmm.

Like, I would always, like, pass by anytime I was in Brickell, and I thought, okay. They're just, like, another, like, fancy steakhouse. That was just, like, my point of view. And I just never saw, like, anyone really, like, post about them.

So, like, I just never had really an opinion, like, on TrueLuxe.

Right? Ocean's finest seafood and crab. Okay.

Interesting.

So so you and you said just another fancy, like, steakhouse Yeah. Whatever.

So I think that's an interesting point. And I think to your point, too many restaurants are kinda trying to do the same thing and not unique enough maybe. Is that is there is there a point there or no?

Yeah. Maybe? I I would say.

Just another fancy restaurant.

Yeah. I mean, granted, the food was incredible.

Yeah.

But, like, before going in, I thought it was just gonna be that. Like, another, like, basic, you know, fancy steakhouse.

So I'm I'm pulling up quality of everything there truly, like, blew me away.

Okay. I see you on their Instagram now here.

Yeah.

Nice. You got an espresso martini? Espresso martini. Sorry. That's my Portuguese accent coming out. This is what's annoying about me learning Portuguese is because, like, there's the in Portuguese, there's the English word, but in the Portuguese way, the Brazilian way.

So I said espresso martini instead martini. Yeah. It's I'm starting to do that.

There's, like, some English and Spanish in Portuguese. Right?

Yeah. It's so interesting. It's confusing my brain a lot, to say the least.

But I think to your point, I'm looking at their page, and they look fancy. They look nice.

Yeah.

But in a restaurant scene that has so many of these brands, yeah, we didn't go in.

I'm looking also at their page, and I'll tell you right now, I don't think they're running any ads.

No. I don't think they're doing anything from an organic standpoint.

What do you think about brands, by the way, driving traffic to a website through their Instagram or through, like, a Linktree type page? Do you have any preference or you prefer anything on that? I mean, why do you go to a restaurant website to begin with? Is there any point?

I just go to the website to see the menu.

Okay. But that's it.

Yeah. That's it.

Right?

So I usually don't even, like, look at anything else there.

I just, like Yeah. Look at the menu.

So I wanna talk about this real quick too because to your point, I totally agree.

So many restaurants that we speak to, and, they spend way too much time and energy and money on their website. And at the end of the day, excuse my French, nobody gives a shit. Like No. Nobody gives a shit about your website.

Yeah.

I mean, you I asked you earlier, how do you evaluate a brand?

I'm going to their TikTok. I'm going to their reviews. Maybe I'm looking at their Instagram. Yeah. You didn't mention once a website.

No. Nobody gives a shit.

You're only going there to look at their menu. Right? That's it. Aside from their menu, who cares?

I mean, maybe I'm making a reservation. This is why we we like these little micro websites. This is why we, for us as a company, it's it's they convert better. They're usually faster.

They're they're mobile optimized.

If you wanna be effective with driving traffic from an organic Instagram page to booking reservations, it make it simple for your guests. Like Mhmm. Click the link in our bio, click reservations, boom, you're in. Yeah.

You wanna see our menu? Click the menu button. But all this other crap on the website, I I just think it's so busy. Right?

I just don't think it's worth investing a lot of money. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's smarter to, like, invest more in influencers and ads. Yeah. Really focus more on the social part.

Yeah. I agree. So is it so you're you're saying I mean, just to be clear. So it's it's the your Instagram page now is definitely way more valuable than your website. And it's but it's Yeah. Right? And it's the opposite, though, for most people.

They're spending way more time on their website than they are their Instagram Mhmm.

Which is unfortunate.

That's super interesting. Do you, I wanna look go to your Instagram page. Do you let's look at you real quick. So do you oh, you don't have a web link?

No.

I've actually never created a website, which I don't Oh, really?

People have recommended it, but, like, I haven't done it yet.

So how do people just message you then is is what it looks like pretty much?

An email.

Okay. Got it. Got it. Damn. And are you and you're managing all these inquiries? You work with anyone that's helping you with this?

No. I I don't have a team yet.

It's literally just Okay.

My team is my boyfriend who helps me film and stuff. But, like, with emails, messages, all that, I do myself.

Okay. Got it. Got it. And if you're approaching restaurants, you're just messaging them?

Well, I don't really approach, like, restaurants anymore.

Okay.

So, like, if I wanna, you know But when you were, was it through Instagram, DM?

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

When I was starting out, I would message, like, a different restaurant literally every day.

Got it.

But now it's just they usually just contact me, or if I wanna, you know, visit a restaurant, I I just go.

Like So this is interesting.

So, again, even for you approaching brands to work with, there's never there's never a moment where you're going to their website to even make an inquiry. It's all through Instagram. Yeah. So, yeah.

See. So this is interesting, and I know maybe it seems like I'm beating dead horse here. Mhmm. But it it it is that important that brands spend this time and energy on their pages because at no point in this process, whether you're working with them or you're finding brands to work with or just dine at, you're never going to the website.

It's never part of it. Mm-mm. Yeah. So, again, everyone listening, again, please let this sit in for a second.

Your Instagram page is way more valuable than you think it is.

Man, this is so interesting.

So, what else do you see? What are also do you think some common problems that you think brands just that still are not catching up to? Maybe some brands that still are just falling short of in your eyes I think aside from service.

It's definitely gotten a lot better now, but I think restaurants need to, like, need to know the impact that content creators can have on their business.

Like, some are still very, like Hesitant.

Closed off about, like, working with influencers. They wanna keep things, like, you know you know, still old fashioned, word-of-mouth, you know, if, you know Yeah.

And not, like, you know, having Some readers do you feel like some restaurants think they, like, don't need marketing or we've never needed marketing?

Do you ever hear that? Right?

Yeah. I mean, granted, there are, like, few restaurants that are just so famous that, like, they honestly don't need marketing, but those are very few cases.

Most, if not all, restaurants still need marketing no matter how successful, like Yeah.

They are.

Yeah. Hundred percent.

Okay. So I wanna shift the conversation a little bit. I asked you earlier when we had spoke on a phone call before this podcast about your opinion, between kind of a controversial topic for some restaurants is paper menus versus digital menus.

Okay.

I know you said you you had a some of a preference Yeah. Towards paper menus, But I wanna talk about that real quick. So let's because a lot of restaurants well, okay. To give some context to this, QR code menus became widely popular during COVID. Everyone know how the contactless menus, whatever. I don't wanna touch menus, COVID blah blah blah. And so now there's, I think, still today somewhat of a negative stigma about it.

Tell me what what you like about paper menus, and tell me what you think brands are doing wrong with digital menus.

Well, with paper menus, I prefer just because I'm just more, like, hands on. Like, I wanna, like, you know, just see it in front of me. Like, I don't wanna, like, open, like, my phone and have to zoom in to, like Totally. See, like, what the names are.

But you're zooming in on, I'm assuming, a PDF. Yeah. Right? So it's a QR code to a PDF.

It's usually a PDF.

Yeah. Exactly.

Right? If it's a long menu, it's even worse.

Yeah. No. That's true. Have you been to Mila lately?

I I've never been to Mila.

Oh my god.

Yeah. I really wanna go.

Damn. Okay. You gotta go to Mila. You gotta go to Mila. But, hopefully and Mila is one of those brands that I think is is they do a really great job, but they have this QR code menu that drives me nuts too.

This this PDF thing, and I'm like I'm like, I'm only thirty two, but am I already, like, needing glasses at this point? I'm like, I can barely see. You know? It's it's brutal.

Mhmm. It drives me nuts. Mhmm. But I think to to your experience, this is why I also just despise about QR code menus.

I wanna I wanna potentially show you ours today. Well, I wanna show you. I'm gonna show you.

Okay.

And I wanna show you the difference.

And I guess when we when we put this podcast up, I mean, people listening, yeah, you're not gonna be able to see it. Maybe we'll put a link below this podcast so you can engage with this example money we're gonna go through. If you're watching the YouTube, you're you're gonna be able to see it on the screen. But I wanna show you something real quick, and I wanna walk you through and kinda get your thoughts. Okay. So I took a screenshot of one of our QR codes so you can just scan it easier.

And I need my phone? Yes. You might need your phone. Yeah.

So, hopefully, this works. Otherwise, I can pull up on my computer for you. So just scan that real quick.

K. Got it.

Okay. So what I want you to do is tell me just first impression what, like, what are your thoughts?

What's it? It looks much different than the PDF.

Yeah.

Like, it's just easier to read, easier, like, just to, like, view in general. Like, you you got the description. You got the pictures.

They're pretty larger in font. Yes.

Yes. Makes it a little easier to to actually see what you're looking at. Prices.

So so at the very top right, you're gonna see a button that says filter.

Click that button real quick.

Mhmm.

Now you can filter this menu by dietary choices or restrictions.

Yes.

Click on any of them if you want. Click gluten free, cereal free, whatever whatever you like. You know when you go to a restaurant and it's like, you know, you have to ask, hey. Is this gluten free or not?

And half the time, they're like, oh, I don't know. Let me check. Whatever. Yeah. You never have to do that again with our menus.

The cool thing about menus too, this one doesn't have it, but the menu also translates itself into English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. Wow. That's really cool. And so what we're what we're what we're aiming to do is is kill the stigma of, like, it's hard to see, it's hard to navigate, and instead, it's easier to understand the menu.

Mhmm. You can view it in your native language if you want, whether you prefer Spanish or English. I know you kinda go back and forth. Yeah.

Right?

And navigating the menu and finding things that you want is a lot easier. Do one more thing for me. If you click on, grilled meat, on under the food menu, and just click on that, like, that rib eye, for example. I'll just show you here. So you see this here. So if you click on an item, what we're gonna see is is this suggested item is maybe to pair with.

Right? Nice. What this is doing for majority of restaurants that are using this is it's increasing their ticket average.

I mean, it's so often we go to restaurants and we ask, hey. What pairs well with this? What pairs well with that? Maybe you need a sommelier to decide what wine pairs well with your steak. With this young. You don't need that. Everything is already basically paired up for you to make a better suggestion.

And this is this is really what we're trying to change in this space, in the industry.

The other thing is just transparency. Right? So much about a restaurant is about the taste in the food, the experience.

But something else that consumers we've noticed quite a bit is is, like, what's in my food? Right? Yeah.

Talk to me about that in your perspective, by the way. Like, seed oils right now is is kind of a trending topic that people are are trying to avoid. Do you see brands you're working with are they talking about this at all in your sense?

Which is weird because I feel like so many people, like, these days, like, need some sort of, like, like, have some sort of dietary restriction where, like Yeah.

They wanna know, like, if something has gluten, if something is sugar free, if True. If they're allergic to something.

Like, there's so many, like, little things that Yes.

You know? Well, I'm glad you brought this up because to your point, it's you're right. A lot of consumers are asking for it or hoping to find a restaurant that doesn't contain a, b, c, or d, but the restaurants are not. Right?

And it shouldn't be that complicated.

Right? Okay. I totally agree. This this is this is what drives me nuts.

Mhmm.

It's so I I try to avoid sweet oils like the plague, and it's drives me nuts how I, half the time, can't go to a restaurant and ask for I don't want seed oils in this plate.

Mhmm.

I tell them I have allergic an allergic reaction. I don't. Okay. But I I tell them that so they're like, oh, shit. I gotta avoid this. Yeah. Yeah.

I think it's better to say you're allergic so they they're more, like, scared.

So they really care to not put it in. Yeah. But it's it's surprising to me how difficult it is for some brands.

You know, not to go too too far into this topic, but, I told you I lived in Brazil. You know? I kinda go back and forth. And the the difference I've noticed between food in the US and maybe Brazil is well, in the US, I mean, you probably are well aware of this. We have a a major health problem right now.

We do.

Way more dramatic than I I think most people realize.

Mhmm.

I read a stat recently that if we don't fix some of the major problems we have with processed foods, seed oils, and, refined sugars in basically everything, more than half of Americans are going to be obese. So it doesn't mean a little bit overweight. That means obese. Yeah. Like, very, very unhealthy, like, on the verge of a heart attack obese.

Yeah. And there's a reason why you go to Italy for three weeks and have pasta, bread, and pizza, like, every day, and you come back looking the same.

Isn't that crazy?

Pasta one night here, you're like You feel like you're gonna explode.

The next day.

Yes. Have you noticed also, by the way, like, in Europe, if you're drinking wine versus here, the difference? Mhmm. Yeah. Like, you can drink wine all night and feel great the next day.

Yeah. Here, I'm I have never been hungover in Europe.

Isn't it crazy?

Do you know why that happens? No. It's because we have preservatives and sulfites in our wine.

And it's it's not great for you, but it it causes terrible hangovers.

Yeah.

It also makes some people feel like stuffy noses.

I think you notice that difference sometimes. Not everyone affects that, but, it's super interesting. So if you also let's just say you are addressing I mean, you are addressing a a large audience of restaurant owners, and you were gonna kinda coach them on, you'd say maybe one or two things that they should be thinking about this year and onwards to improve their business. What would be, I guess, one or two topics that you would say would drastically improve their business?

For sure, the service and social presence.

Yep. Yep.

I think those are, like well, obviously, apart from having good food, you know, I think, you know, good food, good product, all that is, like, your base, but, like Mhmm.

Like, having amazing service and a good, like, social presence, that's what really, like, makes for a successful restaurant these days.

Totally. And I guess also on that point, how would a restaurant evaluate their success in this?

I would say just, you know, foot traffic.

Yeah.

Like, you know But is there is there is there a way that they can because a lot of a lot of restaurants, they struggle with having, like, a KPI, like, a key performance indicator of something's working or not.

What are what are maybe metrics that they can look at or things they can refer to in regard to, hey. We did this on social, and it had a positive impact. Is there something in particular you'd you'd recommend they look at specifically in social or or elsewhere potentially?

I think when you, you know, when you work with, like, you know, an influencer, for example, and they have like, their video does amazing.

Yeah.

You get that, you know, viral effect. I think that's something that you see immediately at the restaurant. Like, there's no, like, question or buts.

Like, you just see, like, that stream of people, like It's obvious you're seeing.

Away. Yeah.

And, you know, not just with influencers, but if you just have, like, a good, like, social presence overall, like, you you'll see that traffic immediately.

Totally. What about do you how often do you repurpose content, by the way? Like, let's just say you have a con you have a video that does so well, you're like, and this is gonna rip again if I try. Do do you do that?

Or I've done it.

I've done it a couple of times where, you know, videos that have performed really well for me and what, you know, have made me grow, like, so much, like, I'll repost it. And it it works.

So, k, question for you too. Have you ever worked with a brand, you did some video, it just takes off?

Mhmm.

And then they repurpose that in an ad? Yes. Okay. How common is that?

Right now, it's pretty common.

Okay. Really? Yeah. I see it. More and more.

I see it.

Okay. Good. And I'm glad anyone listening to this, by the way Yeah.

Holy crap. You gotta do that. So Yeah.

And they should but they should always ask the creator, like, if it's okay.

For sure.

You know, do an ad without asking.

That's true. That's true. Mhmm. What about this? Have you ever had a brand you've worked with same thing, same situation, but they run the ad through your page versus theirs?

Yes. Okay. How common is that?

I see that more with campaigns.

Mhmm.

So, like, like, with a bigger brand. Like, let's say if I'm working with, like, KFC, Shake Shack, McDonald's, like, they'll, like, run that ad, like, through my page.

Got it. Okay.

Everyone does it differently. Some people do it, like, directly to my page or, like, separately.

I here's my here's my honest opinion because we're bringing in some really interesting stuff right now.

Mhmm.

Brands that aren't doing that are just screwing up. Oh, yeah. Like Yeah. You don't have to be KFC Mhmm. To run an ad locally through someone's page like yourself.

For sure.

And here's the thing. You're you're using someone like yourself. They're using your likeness to talk about their brand, but they're putting their money behind it in a select area Yeah. To promote their product. It's One of the best forms of advertising.

Yeah. It's it's a win win.

It's it's and and you, you get a huge benefit from it because you're getting your face in front of more people. You're getting your page probably more followers from it. It's a win because it's a win win for everyone. For sure.

People listening to this right now, Jesus. Like, what are you doing? Like, what the hell are you doing? I mean Yeah.

Because because I've always thought too brands have told me, I worked with an influencer. It didn't work. And I was like and and sometimes that's where it stops. They they say, I tried an influencer.

They did a post. Nothing happened. I said, well, is that all you did? See, yeah.

I mean, that obviously happens from time to time, but I feel like a restaurant owner just can't, you know, depend their whole life on an influencer. Like, they need to be doing other stuff too. They need to be running the ads.

They need to What about what about different hooks?

Do you ever try these with, like, five different hooks? A couple different hooks?

Or no? Like because you you actually have great hooks. I looked at them before this.

I think the I think the hook is, like, the most important thing in a video.

Totally.

Like, I think, you know, you could do whatever you want in the middle and the end, but, like, that beginning, that, like, that hook is, like, what will make people, like, keep watching.

Well, a hundred percent. So here's I'm just gonna, like, draw this out for everyone who's listening again who are watching. K. You want a real simple campaign. You don't need to hire me to do this, but you probably hire Leslie to do this for you with with you. Hire Leslie. Get her to make some awesome video for you.

Maybe when you do this, by the way, have three different hooks. So let's just say you're talking about a burger. You're gonna say, this is the greatest burger of all time. In one, you gotta try this burger. Have you seen this burger? Then you're gonna shoot your video. It's gonna have three different variations.

You're gonna just post your favorite.

Yeah.

But the brands can basically either repurpose that video if it did really well, or they can test an ad, three different variations of the same ad with the three different hooks. Yeah. They can use your page, target people in the area, or better yet, target your followers in the area. That's also a custom audience you can do.

Yep. And make an offer. Make an offer for come in right now. Just mention Leslie.

You'll get a free burger. Count how many people came through that mentioned your name. Boom. They can track an ROI in that campaign.

That's it. Yeah.

Yeah. Because, I mean, not always will people, like, say, oh, yeah. Like, I came here because I saw this video. Like, not everyone's gonna say that. So that's definitely more direct.

One hundred percent.

And if you wanna take it a step further, I just again, I'm I'm gonna come on a roller. I just wanna keep going. If you use our product, Dischio, we we haven't talked about this, but our product is is is interesting in the sense of you can create digital menus like I showed you. You can create what we call smart sites, which is basically like a link tree.

It's a link in the bio. Mhmm. And you can create what we call funnels. Right?

And a funnel is basically a a mini web page with some action, like, an opt in to collect a phone and email for a coupon or whatever campaign you wanna create. Okay. Something that we haven't done a whole lot of yet, but now that we're talking about it, man, we should definitely I should try something together. We could do something together.

Mhmm. Is we could do a campaign collaborating, using this and using your page using and whoever brand wants to try this. You could do a campaign where someone could, let's just say, get some kind of offer. Hey.

I I just tried this burger here in Brickell. It's incredible.

And, you know, for a limited time, if you opt in to the link in my bio, you'll get a coupon to go to this restaurant and get, I don't know, twenty percent off on this burger, whatever.

Those people that opt into the funnel can go to the restaurant and redeem it, and it will track exactly how many people came in because of your campaign through that. Again, like I said earlier, they could just mention name as well, and they could track it that way, or they could literally get phone numbers and emails from this.

Mhmm.

That would be an incredible campaign that we haven't cool. We haven't even done yet before, but it would be it'd be really, really effective. For sure. I think the big thing, though, to your point is well, another question for you. When you have that campaign that you worked with someone on and the the video just took off, the the brand got a ton of customers coming through the door Mhmm. What what comes next? Did did they try something with you again, or they kinda just move on?

That's a good question. So, usually, I'll just do the video one time.

Mhmm.

And if the brand is interested in, like, working again, I would wait at least six months until working again.

Because I feel like not only will it be feel repetitive to the audience, but I feel like it's gonna look very, like, you know, like, you know, advertise y if you, like, do it, like, very, like But have you ever been you've never done it?

No. So how do we know, though?

That's just my point of view. Like, I just I think it's better to, like like, you know, have more space.

Because I like, the restaurants. If I was a restaurant owner and I worked with you to promote my burger Mhmm. And it worked really well, I'd say let's do the same thing tomorrow.

Literally. Now maybe not promoting it through your page, but I would maybe do the ad. Would you be open to that if you could create an ad with us? Yeah.

Yeah. For sure.

Yeah. Because I would one hundred percent do that. Mhmm. And this just is is another message for all owners to be cognizant of is if you have a campaign that works, I think so many brands, they for some reason, they think, you know, marketing has to always be changing.

I'm not talking about you in particular. Right? Because I I I get where you're coming from. That's you wanna be loyal to your audience and and provide variety of content.

That makes total sense.

The variety.

But for I think for an owner, though, if they worked with someone like you, and maybe they've worked with ten other influencers, but for some reason working with you, you know, maybe it was your style, your vibe, the way that you present their product, it worked really well.

Mhmm.

I would be thinking, I'm not gonna go try and hunt the next great thing. I wanna work with only you and and keep multiplying that success. So many owners, they they do something that works, and then they walk away from it. And it is crazy to me because we've always bigger we're bigger our company on if you find success, scale success. Don't walk away from it. Mhmm. Right?

Find a way to keep multiplying what already worked. Yeah. And I I think so many brands, I don't know why. They they they just, okay.

Thanks, Leslie. We're we're gonna, you know, try something else now. That works so well that we're gonna go do something else. Well What the hell?

I've also I've also seen cases where, like, a brand will work with someone, and it did amazing the first time. And then the second time, it didn't do as well.

So I feel like Yeah.

Also to, like, avoid, I guess, that, like, pressure to, like, perform as well as it did the first time could be a lot.

Yeah. Yeah. No. I I hear that. I hear that.

Another option too is also working with creators that, like, have you know, they're similar to me. Like, very, you know, similar style Yeah. Could also work.

One thing that's interesting you tell about this content about consistency and you've gotten better.

It's again, I'm an advertiser. So when I we look at stuff like, you know, watch time and click through rates, cost to reach a thousand people. We call them CPMs, all these Mhmm. Metrics. Right? And we have certain numbers in our head that are, quote, good or bad, but it's interesting how, you know, a slightly different hook or approach or angle can make the difference in thousands of dollars.

Have you noticed something in particular when you're shooting your content that's worked really well for you? You know, maybe it's, you know, hook is showing I I showing the food item, showing it being made. Is there something in particular? I mean, again, we're talking to owners that maybe aren't the best with the camera. A couple pointers you think that would maybe make a big impact. Anything you've noticed in particular with your content?

Well, with my content, I always try to start it with, obviously, you know, the best shot of the video. The shot that I know that is, like, the most, like, eye catching where the the product, like, I'm showing looks, you know, super indulging.

Yeah.

Obviously, the hook too of, like, you know, what I'm saying. Like, I always try to start with, like, what makes this restaurant special.

Mhmm.

That is that is essentially the hook. If it's, like, the best burger I've ever tried, I'm gonna say that this is the best burger in Miami.

Got it.

If, you know, it's an omakase hidden in a taco shop, That's what how I'm gonna start it because that's super unique. So, like, anything that's special or unique to the restaurant is how I usually start the video.

Got it. Because, like, you know, sushi spot in Miami is not gonna really do it because there's so many, and it's, like, it's not Totally. You know, you need to give that first impression, like, a small amount.

A hundred percent.

What if if and if you were gonna say top three restaurants here in Miami, top three, just the the best the best of the best, who are they and why?

I know it's hard. It's just a hard question.

Horrible question. At least you didn't say favorite restaurant because that's Yeah. That's my least favorite restaurant.

Top three. Top three.

Well, I the thing is I have favorite restaurants based on cuisine. Yeah.

So, like, I That's okay.

I could do that. Okay.

Let's do that.

So favorite Italian would be Luca Oceria in the Gables. Okay. That's, to me, like, top top.

They have these, like, truffle potatoes. They're insane.

Okay. Nice.

Like, I would go just for that.

Okay. Cool. Number two.

Okay. These aren't in order.

That's okay.

I'm just The second one.

My favorite sushi spot is Omakai. I don't know if you've been. No. I haven't. It's in Wynwood and Coconut Grove.

Okay.

Insane Sushi.

They have this How do you spell that?

O m a k a I.

Got it. Omakai. Omakai. Okay.

They they offer Omakase too, but it's you know how Omakase is super expensive. Yeah. Usually. It's like it could be anywhere from a hundred to three hundred per person. Well, here, it's, like, fifty per person.

Oh my god.

And it's, like, just the same, like, amazing quality.

So you can get in a fancy omakase. You have to go. Wow.

Where else favorite Cuban sandwich in Miami? Sandwich de Miami. Sa sandwich.

Sandwich de Miami?

De Miami.

Got it.

It's in, in Coyote.

Okay. Nice. And it's just their Cuban sandwiches just to die for?

Oh, everything is amazing. The croquetas, the everything they have, but specifically the the Cuban sandwiches.

Okay. Nice.

So I also love Cote. Cote is, like, one of my favorite, like, fancy restaurants.

Cote's so good. But here's what's interesting that you just did. So you told me three restaurants.

Mhmm.

Three different types of restaurants. We have Italian, Japanese, and Cuban.

Mhmm.

And then you mentioned I mean, aside from the the Cuban spot, you like everything. But you mentioned the Cuban sandwich. Right?

Mhmm.

Too many restaurants don't highlight their top, dish enough. They market the overall brand, but not a specific plate that they just kill it at. Okay. Right? Well, yeah. I think Interesting.

I think all successful restaurants have, like, a star dish.

Yes. I think You're right. Yeah. But too many brands don't realize that. I ask brands all the time, what's what's your top seller?

Usually, they they they kinda know, but, I don't know, but they don't promote it. It it's weird. Yeah. And it needs It's weird.

And the star dish needs to also make sense with the concept of the restaurant because, for example, I was at this, like, I was at this, like, sports bar the other day, and I asked, like, oh, what's, like, the best dish here or, like, the dish that most people order? And they said salmon.

And I'm like, what is the sports bar?

Yeah. Oh, god. So weird.

Not burgers, wings, like, salmon.

Or you know what? You know, I always do too. I I love to ask the waiters, like, just what they recommend and kinda gauge, like, their excitement level over it. Or I'll be like, hey. You know, what do you like the steak of the salmon? And if they're kinda like, I mean, then I know their opinion doesn't fucking matter.

Yeah. Right?

If there's like Yeah.

The hesitation. But if they're like they're like, I mean, dude, the steak is insane.

The salmon's good too, but this Yeah.

Oh my god. The steak. Then I'm like, dude, I'm going to steak. Like, you know, I totally gauge that.

And I think I think restaurant owners, they it has to be clear what is I like that that phrase about the star dish. What what is your star dish? What it Yeah. Like like, what is the dish or maybe two or three dishes that are just stand out that you want your staff talking about, that you wanna be promoting, that you wanna be known for?

And the brands you just mentioned, I mean, it's very clear what's the start start ish to you, but I I'd be curious to look them up later and be like, are they promoting these things?

They are.

Oh, they are? Okay. Yeah. Well, and they're they're probably doing pretty well. Yeah. They are. They're probably There you go.

These are all successful restaurants.

See, that's see, that's but that's what they're doing, and that's that's so that's so amazing. I think there's just so many brands just don't do. Mhmm.

So, this has this has been really good, Leslie. I I got a lot of information here. I'm I'm super excited, everything we've discussed. I I wanna try this campaign with you though too, by the way.

For sure.

I'm gonna do something that if anybody is interested, and they wanna work with you, right, I will also give whoever works with you. If they wanna also use our software for free for three months, they can do that. As long as they're if you work if you work with Leslie and you wanna pay her for the job, I'll also throw on our software free for three months to try this out with a package of whatever campaign you wanna do so we can test out this campaign. You gotta pay Leslie, but for us, you you could be free.

So Uh-huh. If anybody wants to do that, if you do wanna test this out, and you you've heard this podcast, contact Leslie and just mention I heard the podcast. I want the free Dishio software too. We'll give it to you guys for free.

What is what is what is one question that, I didn't ask you? But if if you were the interviewer and you asked yourself, what would it be? What is something that you'd you'd like to share with the audience that you think they should know? Anything in particular we haven't discussed?

That's a good question.

What's something you would like restaurant owners to know that we haven't discussed?

Okay. Well, I kinda already mentioned this, but I think it's super important for restaurants to be open to working with influencers.

Yep.

I think that a lot of owners view it as something negative that, that, like Mhmm. Because of a couple of, like, you know, bad eggs in you know, they they view all influencers as just people that want a money grab, people that wanna eat free food.

And it's like there are a lot of creators that take this seriously and really, like, do this, like, with a lot of passion and really want, like, your business Mhmm.

To to grow.

Yeah. I agree.

And, you know I think to your point is, like, they they tried something, it didn't work, and now they just give up.

Yeah. Like, just because it didn't work with one person who doesn't mean they're all the same.

Will even take pride, like, oh, like, I don't work with any influencers, and it's like It's weird.

There's there's no pride in that because, you know, all we all we all we try to do is literally give you more business.

Like, it's not that's it. That's the It's so strange.

Yeah. I agree. It's we see it all the time. People say, oh, we're we don't need to run ads. You don't need to run ads?

Yeah.

I mean, who are you?

And it's not to guarantee that, like, you know, every video is going to, like, be viral and that your business is gonna, you know Yeah. Be groundbreaking and all that. But, you know, I've worked with a lot of restaurants at this point, And, you know, I've heard a lot of positive things come from them saying that, look. Look.

We've been sold out for weeks. We we have lines out the door. Yeah. Our restaurant has been full every day for the last few weeks.

Like, these are, you know For sure.

This is not something that it's hard for that to happen if you don't work with influencers, if you don't do anything with your social media.

True. True. Yeah. No. This has been really insightful. And, Leslie, I'm super glad we got you on the podcast because, again, we typically like, we're getting a totally different opinion, and this has been awesome.

So anyone who's listening, by the way, and and wants to maybe contact you or potentially work with you, how did they find you?

Instagram, treat yourself everywhere.

Like, yours, not your Treat yeah.

We'll put we'll put that in the link below the podcast so you guys can find me.

TikTok, same username.

Okay. Perfect.

And I guess working with you, is it is it, like, the the brands get to work with you on on both platforms together? Is it different packages?

So I usually offer, like, a package, like, with everything. So, like, I'll do a set of stories, a reel, and a TikTok. That's usually what I offer, like, almost everyone.

But you'll basically talk through the strategy with the brand, and then you then you proceed.

Exactly.

Yeah. Nice. Cool. Well, guys, thank you so much for joining today. Leslie, you were awesome today and we will see you around.

Thank you for having me.

Yeah, absolutely!