Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook allow a restaurant staff to accomplish that connection, building loyal customers through communication and relationship building online.  Building this rapport through social media is not only smart, it’s efficient, cost-effective and FUN!

Today we wrap up the 3-part series of The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants, tackling the tricky letters S through Z, in the third and final course of your experience.  We hope you’ve enjoyed the tips and tricks and are ready to turn your casual fans into walking, talking online billboards for your restaurant! Read and enjoy!

SOCIAL MENTION
The website socialmention.com (similar to Google Alerts) monitors 100+ social media platforms and will email you with content that mentions you, your restaurant or whatever words you choose. It’s important to monitor your reputation and to get ahead of any issues/bad blog mentions you might be unaware of – or to see good things you might not have seen yet!

TWEETUP
A tweetup is a meeting at your restaurant of fans/potential fans that follow you on Twitter.  It’s a great way to bring fans into the restaurant, get to know them better, show off some of your tasty treats, provide a place for them to mingle, and guess what?  While they are there, they are posting updates about your restaurant and photos of your food, which is great visibility.

USE FACEBOOK AS PAGE
You can use Facebook as a business (as opposed to your personal name) so you can post messages on other businesses pages with your company name/logo attached.  This is great for visibility and marketing and community building, as your business logo/name shows up on these other sites in front of other people who might not know you yet.  This is one of my most popular requests for training, since most businesses aren’t aware of this powerful feature!  If you don’t know how to “turn yourself into your business page” on Facebook, call me stat!

VOICE
What is your brand or style – classic, uptight, irreverent, fun, just the facts ma’am?  On social media, it’s best to pick a voice and stick with it!  Based on “who you are” as a restaurant, you create messages consistent with that so people can get to know you better and it will also attract new fans.  I think the example below from Grand Central Bakery is a perfect example of a fun, “we don’t take ourselves too seriously” voice:

Bread Curling (noun)/Def: a sport invented by GCB managers on icy/snowy days using bread from cancelled orders. http://t.co/2tqO2qT9

January 19, 2012 11:58 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@GrandCentralSEA

Grand Central Bakery

WEBSITE
I hope we don’t need to say this, but a website is a must have.  This is your online presence, which should including the basic info (menu, location, contact, etc) and it’s also where you gather  contact info from fans for your mailing list so you can keep in touch. You want to be “findable” on the web, so check out this list of search engine optimization tips.

XCLUSIVES AND XTRAS
People will follow you on social media because they get inside info and/or special offers that others don’t get, almost like a special club. For example, you could post a message on Facebook and offer a free dessert to anyone who comes in and says the “secret word of day”, or you could Tweet that the first five people that come in to try tonight’s special cocktail will get a free appetizer, etc.  Followers/fans could be offered first chance at special events, or you can do giveaways just for them.

TOP POT 5th Avenue! 50% off all mixed dozens until closing or run out! Downtown only. Please mention this post. http://t.co/A0qwCVOz

January 20, 2012 1:24 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@Toppot

Top Pot Doughnuts

YOUTUBE
Videos are extremely popular and people love to see what you are doing in the kitchen. You could post videos of your chef making today’s special, or an interview with your new sommelier, or a fun look at a company party, road trip, birthday that was held at your restaurant.  Videos are also much better at communicating your style and personality, leading to more interest and more business.

Blue Moon Burgers "Secret Squirrel Burger" Photo: Kelly Cline Photography

ZIG ZAG
Every social media platform has its benefits, but I find zig-zagging between Twitter and Facebook gives a nice mix of fans and information. Facebook business pages can help get good conversations going, allow fans to vote on menu items or favorites, and show off your beautiful food photos.  Twitter is more “of the moment”, with constant chatter about what’s new today, people looking for something new or suggestions on where to dine tonight.  If you only use one platform, you’ll be missing an entire audience that wants to get to know you, so spend a little time on both to get a well-round experience.

Thanks so much for reading The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants – I hope you’ve taken away some solid information on how to make your social media activities more fun and profitable!  And remember, you need a little help I’m a Social Media strategist and trainer for restaurants – let’s get connected!

Peruse Part 1 of the ABCs here!
Peruse Part 2 of the ABCs here!

That brings us to today’s “second course” of The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants (part one here), as we examine the sexy letters J through R – more important tips, tricks and tools to keep you engaged and productive with Twitter and Facebook.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Don’t be a lurker!  Social media platforms are about dialogue not monologue, so it’s not okay to just post your updates and never interact.  Be sure to comment on other peoples posts and show interest in them…and guess what? They will do the same and now we’ve got something going on!

KEEP IT CURRENT
Daily interaction on SM is a must to keep your fans engaged and updated.  If you only post once a week, you are not only losing visibility but your info looks old and stale…not good characteristics of a restaurant!  Just like you make new food every day, create new messages every day that are tasty and fresh!

Snowpocolypse has nothing on us. We are OPEN. With a freshly shoveled sidewalk (thanks to me). So you won't slip. Like I did yesterday.

January 19, 2012 11:49 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@RN74Seattle

RN74Seattle

LISTEN
Show up – every day! – to read what people say about your posts, learn what customers talk about (when it’s not about you!), find out what competitors are doing, see what the food bloggers/media are writing about or looking for.  It’s not all about you, remember?

MENUS
A universal dislike – menus in PDF form! The majority of people are viewing your info on mobile devices, and they don’t want to download your menu, they want to see it. Now! Make your menu viewable, easily accessible, and formatted for mobile devices.  Here’s why your website needs to be mobile!

NO AUTOMATION
Each SM platform is a unique animal, so fight the urge to automate your posts and just blast the same message everywhere at once.  Go to Facebook to post updates, go to Twitter to tweet, etc. – they are all different platforms with different audiences that require a different language.  And you must return to each one often for follow-up, or else people will write you off. Posting a tweet that directs me to your Facebook page to read the info is a big turnoff!

ORGANIZATION
It’s hard to follow thousands of people on Twitter and see what’s important to you, but using organizational tools like Tweetdeck really help.  They allow you to put people in “lists” to turn down the noise and allow you to find information you actually want or need to see. It’s a simple tool to download and set up, maybe 15 minutes tops.  Trust me…

PHOTOS
People eat with their eyes first – how many times have you heard that? Or how about “a picture is worth a thousand words?” Now if we just had smell-o-vision! Seriously, you are in the business of selling food and people want to see how delicious it looks!  Statistics have shown there are 3-4 times higher click thru rates on updates that include a photo.  Show us your delicious food and compel me to show up tonight to taste it!

QR CODES
These small  ”quick response” codes, placed on a flyer or your front door or an advertisement, can take the viewer to short videos or special website pages or other destinations to give them additional info.  These could include a video showing your chef explaining this week’s special, or details for an upcoming special event or perhaps a secret promotion.  Here’s an article about 16 ways restaurants can use QR codes.

RESPONSIVE
In this age of SM and rapid fire text messaging, people expect answers quicker than ever.  If someone on twitter or Facebook asks you what’s the fresh catch tonight, they can’t wait days for you to reply!  By being present and attentive, you can respond to questions while they are relevant and turn them into diners tonight.

yes we are! And 1/2 price burger night! “@King5TracyT: any places in SLU that are open for dinner tonight???”

January 18, 2012 4:44 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@BlueMoonBurgers

Blue Moon Burgers

So we’re 2/3 of the way through The ABCs of Social Media for Restaurants – hope you aren’t full yet, because there’s one more course to come tomorrow! Oh and if you just can’t wait to get started, I’m happy to help you…what, you didn’t know I’m a Social Media strategist and trainer for restaurants? Shame on me…

Did you miss Part 1 of the ABCs? Click here to read now!

So build a bridge and get over it!  Restaurants are one of the most social businesses around, and you have much to gain by being active on social media – new customers, repeat visits, customer loyalty, visibility, “buzz”, and the holy grail – more income!  This is an opportunity not to be missed, and I’m here to help you make sense of it all.

Today I start a three-part series on the ABC’s of Social Media for Restaurants, to help you understand the tools, tricks and tips to connecting with people and maximizing  your experience online.  Since I know you are busy people, I’m doling out the goods in three “courses”, if you will, so on to the first course!

ACCESS
Just like the wandering quartet in Oz, people want to know what’s behind the curtain. Your fans/diners want access to hear from the chef, details about what’s going on in the kitchen,and inside information that the “common diner” doesn’t have.  Using social media is an ideal way to give them special access and build the loyalty that create long term customers

BLOG
Blogging on your restaurant website is great place not only to post new info, but to share your thoughts as the chef or owner, talk about your philosophy, and also increase your rank on Google (SEO).  It’s also a great way to bring visitors back on a regular basis, to see what you are saying today!  Wondering what would you say on a blog?  Read more here

Greg Barnes, winner of Canlis Menu Hunt Contest

CONTESTS
People love to win things!  Twitter and Facebook are great platforms for running contests so don’t overlook this one!  Contests allow you to build community, keep fans engaged, create excitement and show generosity – and keep your name constantly in the buzz!  It can be a dinner giveaway, a name-the-dessert contest, a treasure hunt (hello Canlis!) or a myriad of other fun activities.  The nature of SM lets you instantly update people on the status of the contest, giving clues, soliciting interest, etc.  Here’s 10 lessons restaurants can learn about great contests.

DAILY CHECKLIST
Don’t think you have time to fit Facebook and Twitter into your busy day? A daily 15-minute SM checklist can help you hit the most important tasks in the shortest time, so you can get back to making great meals.  Where do you get a checklist?  Hire a strategist to help!

EVENTS
Twitter and Facebook are excellent venues to post your special events, winemaker dinners, restaurant week menus, etc. Most people aren’t visiting your website every day for news – but they ARE on Twitter and Facebook daily, so reach them where they are. Here’s a post listing 11 ways restaurants can use SM for a Restaurant Week promotion.

A group of 13 Seattle-area foodies took a ferry up to Orcas Island for a lunch tweetup at Allium Restaurant

FUN WITH FOODIES
Local events that draw the local foodie community together to “taste and tweet” are great opportunities not only to promote your restaurant, but to offer product samples and meet the foodies that help you stay in business. Events like Foodportunity in Seattle offer face-to-face relationship building and remember, people like to buy from people, not faceless businesses.

GOOGLE ALERTS
It’s a must to have a Google Alert set up for your restaurant name, your chef’s name and other key phrases.  This will send email alerts about online mentions – who is blogging about you or finding restaurant reviews that you might have missed seeing.  You can even set up a Google Alert for a special dish, like “seattle crab cakes” to see who is looking for them, who is serving them, etc.  Competitive research, baby!

HUMOR
Not every restaurant can be Jerry Seinfeld (or your preferred comedian!) but humor is an effective style on Facebook and Twitter.  If it fits your brand, posting social media updates with a humorous style is a quick way to connect with fans and show you are real person behind the restaurant façade.  Food is fun and entertaining and exciting, and people respond well to that style.

An iPad in your restaurant is worth many customers at your tables

iPAD
Oh where to start with this one!  The iPad has a multitude of uses to make a restaurant staff’s life easier – wine lists, menus, point of sale system, monitor reservations – and my favorite, an effective but subtle tool to use at your front desk/host stand. It allows you to communicate instantly with customers via SM (thanks for coming in, how did your party enjoy the meal, etc) or in slow times, you can search for (and respond to) potential diners looking for dinner suggestions, etc.

So that’s it for today – are you full?  Don’t worry, I’ll be back the next two days with another pair of courses to round out your ABCS of Social Media for Restaurants training.  And if you just can’t wait to get started, I’m happy to help you…what, you didn’t know I’m a Social Media strategist and trainer for restaurants? Shame on me…

Keep reading! Part 2 of the ABCs here!

Keep reading more! Part 3 of the ABCs here!

This is truly what "sexy" looks like - the truly fabulous Linda Miller Nicholson!

I typically hate surprises – but the one that landed on December 29 might change my mind forever on the joy of being surprised!

Thanks to the lovely award-winning food blogger Linda Miller Nicholson, also known as Salty Seattle on both her blog and Twitter, I was inexplicably listed as one of the 11 Sexiest Food Peeps in Seattle for 2011 in her article on Seattleite! Yes, I fell off my chair too, so don’t feel bad if you had the same reaction!  Among a list chock full of accomplished and truly sexy colleagues, there was my beautiful mug (thanks photog supreme Tara Gimmer!!) honoring me among the beautiful and talented people, honored as “sexy celebs of the Seattle food community, for their accomplishments, as well as their raw and often silly charm.”

“Karen Rosenzweig, the lady with the unpronounceable last name, has transformed the face of food social media in Seattle. A sexy spitfire always ready with a quip on Twitter, she uses her wit to improve the online presence of Seattle restaurants.”

I couldn’t be any more shocked (sexy spitfire), thrilled (uses her wit), honored (improved the online presence of Seattle restaurants) and humbled (transformed the face of food social media in Seattle) by making this list, and I will do my best to live up to Linda’s bestowing of this title upon me

Actually, it has caused a cosmic shift in my view on how I can help people in my social media activities.  The pure joy and pride of being named to a list of top “anything” has made me realize how we all long for simple recognition and a honest “I see you” acknowledgement.  I am going to follow Linda’s worthy lead and strive every day to find a way to make people feel honored, appreciated and valued for whatever it is they are doing in life.  I hope you will join me…

P.S. Shortly after the “sexy” list hit the web, Linda wrote an even more fantastic post called “I Want To Matter” that was truly profound and inspired me to be better in 2012 – this woman is a game-changer; be sure to follow/read her for an ongoing dose of the “good stuff”!!

Seattle is all abuzz about Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW), a promotion that runs through Oct 27 at more than 150 local restaurants.  But most of the talk you hear on social media and the web is about how diners in Seattle can take advantage of the great deals during SRW -  but how about the ways restaurants can benefit from this two week extravaganza?

As they serve up delicious three-course dinners for just $28 (some offer three-course lunches for $15), it’s definitely an inexpensive way for restaurants to showcase themselves to people who are looking to venture out of their normal restaurant rut, willing to try something new, or taking advantage of great price break at special restaurants.

But for a restaurant, getting these first-time diners in the door is just step 1! The real task is turning these screaming deal dinner offers into repeat business and thus stock the pantry with diners to carry you through upcoming lean winter months. I’ve read traffic can double during RW – how do restaurants capitalize on that?

By using social media, of course!  But it’s not enough to post your SRW menu options to Twitter and Facebook – I’m already tired of participating restaurants doing nothing more than that! How are restaurants competing for hungry (and bargain-hunting!) diners with the 150 other participating restaurants?  For example, Bennett’s Bistro tweeted: “We’ve got 10 days of $28 3-crs meals ahead of us for @SeattleRW. Each day we’ll highlight one of the dishes you can get on the SRW menu!”  That promises fresh, creative info for the next two weeks, not the same old, same old!

My primary job at One Smart Cookie Marketing is offering this type of restaurant marketing strategy, helping restaurants turn social media prowess into repeat customers and raving fans. So here are 11 ways restaurants could use social media to maximize their results during SRW:

1. Follow SRW on Twitter and retweet some of their messages for cross promotion and extra visibiility
2. “Like” the SRW Facebook page and comment on their posts (and fan comments) – especially if they are about your restaurant!
3. Encourage your customers/fans to post their own pics from their SRW dinner on your Facebook page, and perhaps offer a prize for best food photo posted from your SRW menu
4. When diners check in, ask them if they follow you on FB or Twitter, and take their username; later, go post a message and thank them for dining with you
5. Don’t stop after that first interaction with new customers (see above)! Follow them back on FB/Twitter and start relationship/conversation to make them a repeat customer – people love to have restaurants acknowledge them in their online communities!
6. Make a short video of your Chef creating one of the SRW menu items – post it on your website/twitter/facebook to show what’s cooking!
7. Post status update on Twitter/Facebook to share what is the most frequent SRW menu combination ordered, and ask if customers have other suggestions – this turns into a full conversation of all your SRW menu items!
8. Welcome SRW diners prominently on the front page of your website, making it easy for them to find the info (link to special menu page) and dine with you!  Good examples of this are ART Restaurant and Rays Boathouse.
9. Conduct a raffle for SRW diners to win a behind the scenes kitchen tour with your Chef (bonus: when they enter, you have their email address and/or twitter/FB info for future correspondence with them!) – this also gives you something creative to tweet/post about
10. Offer a future deal for returning diners – I read about a Washington DC restaurant that handed out 2,000 gift certificates that entitled diners to take 50 percent off a bottle of wine when they returned after Restaurant Week.  Only 40 patrons did, an underwhelming 2%, but it is a way to encourage repeat visits and create raving fans
11. Display your Twitter/Facebook addresses prominently (in the check folio or table cards or front desk signage) – and track the increase during SRW!  That will give you a true sense of your ROI for this promotion

So, what other ideas do you have for restaurants to capitalize on Seattle Restaurant Week?  I’d love to hear your ideas!  And if you need help implementing some of these ideas for your restaurant, I’m here to help!

Karen and Chef/Author Becky Selengut at end of Good Fish, Good Cook project PHOTO: Claire Barboza Photography

As many of you have noticed, I’ve been very busy the past six months with my social media marketing and consulting, food blogging and various other business activities with entrepreneurs!  As I kickstart this blog once again, here’s a recap of what’s been going on in the world of One Smart Cooking Marketing:

• Presented four 30 minute keynote speeches about using LinkedIn for business networking professionals
• Conducted two-hour workshops teaching skills and strategies for using LinkedIn for business networking professionals
• Guest speaker on Social Media for Startup Businesses at Edmonds Chamber of Commerce “425 Launch” monthly meeting
• Cooked all 75 recipes in Good Fish cookbook – and blogged about them daily – in the 97 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day
• Earned “Food Blog of the Day” by Foodista
• Garnered media coverage of Good Fish, Good Cook project in Al Dente/Amazon.com blog
• Spoke on social media panel at Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting
• Guest speaker on Social Media for startups to Entrepreneur Class at Seattle Central Community College
• Provided social media consulting/strategy services to restaurants, food trucks, dietitians, authors, event planners, promoters, attorneys, business coaches, entrepreneurs, small business owners

If you have any groups who would like to hear from an entertaining and accomplished speaker about using Social Media to increase their business, please let me know!  I also provide individual training to entrepreneurs and small businesses on how to maximize their use of the various social media platforms.  And I’m open to the possibility of cooking through another cookbook – just ask me!

Would any of the following benefits be helpful to your business?

• increased exposure
• increased traffic on your website
• better search engine results
• new partnerships
• qualified leads
• improved sales
• reductions in marketing costs

Well why not have them all?! According to a recent study, you can – if you make the time and effort to use social media to promote your business.

This data comes from the recent 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, where a survey of more than 3,300 businesses found a significant 90 percent said that social media was important to their businesses. And in fact, small businesses (hello Edmonds!) are more likely to benefit from social media than their big business counterparts.

In a followup article from the survey, Social Media Examiner’s Phil Merson pointed out these findings:

• The self-employed and small business owners were more likely to report new partnerships, with at least 59 percent noting a benefit.
• Small businesses were twice as likely to find qualified leads than other types of businesses.
• Forty-eight percent of self-employed and small business owners saw improved sales as a direct result of their social media efforts.
• The self-employed (59 percent) and small business owners (58 percent) were more likely than others to see reductions in marketing costs when using social media marketing.

So the question is – how are you using social media to help your business grow?  Are you looking for strategies on how to maximize your use social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogging? Do you need help figuring out where to start?

I’d highly recommend downloading the report to see what you can learn about making this powerful platform work for your business, and if you need more insights, please give me a call or shoot me an email at One Smart Cookie Marketing – let’s chat about how to make 2011 your best year ever!

This post was originally featured on My Edmonds News.

These “daily deals” are typically in the 50-percent discount range, with some even at a 75-80 percent discount off restaurants, services, etc . — who wouldn’t love that? These deals obviously are great for the consumer, but as a marketing consultant who helps businesses increase visibility and sales, I’m a little worried about what’s in it for the business.

I’m wondering how many Edmonds businesses have considered using a “daily deal” offer – and more importantly, have really investigated what the real cost of offering these deals will be. What happens if you set consumer expectations so high that they demand a deal on every visit and think 50- percent-off pricing should be the norm? And what if these new choosy, bargain-driven consumers simply take their business elsewhere when you return to full pricing?

You could argue that the high traffic and visibility that results from these daily deal offers will create a stream of new customers and that the wide-reaching mailing list they have is invaluable to a new business struggling for attention.

And yet, I disagree. Is it a good business decision to give a deep discount for a one-time sale — especially if you never see the customer again? For example, when a restaurant offers a $50 value Groupon for $25, the restaurant only reaps about $12.50 of that – yes, Groupon typically takes 50 percent of the sale.

That’s a steep price to pay to gain a new customer – if they ever do return. And is the visibility and word-of-mouth value from this one-time offer really worth a 75 percent (or more) discount off a business’s already tight margin? Is that good ROI??

Actually, it might be — IF the business also does one (or more) of the following:

- Capture the customer’s complete contact info when they redeem the Groupon. I’ve talked with dozens of friends who have happily purchased and redeemed Groupons in the past few months and virtually NONE of them were ever asked for their contact info so the business could follow up and make them a repeat customer. Retention and repeat business are a MUST if you offer a Groupon.

- Sell a follow-up/repeat service to the same customer when they redeem the Groupon. As a business, you have an interested customer right in front of you, happy with the deal they have purchased. Why not sell them a SECOND 50-percent-off deal right then (before they leave, possibly never to return)? And guess what? You get all of that money ($25 on the $50 value), rather than giving $12.50 of it to Groupon!

- Categorize this as a marketing/advertising expense only. This type of offer may return better results than advertising in the traditional media platforms, although that’s debatable. But if you have a budget to obtain customers, and know your true cost of obtaining new customers, this method could be effective.

- Have the bandwidth to handle a deal’s popularity. Can you accommodate 1,000 new customers who purchase a $10 haircut, if you are a two-chair shop open only 40 hours a week? Can you handle the demand of full restaurant nightly all eating at discount and still pay your staff and overhead?  Do you have personnel to handle the phone calls and web inquiries to schedule all these new customers AND to service them?

My firm belief is that with the exponential growth of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, most businesses could offer their own special deals and discounts DIRECTLY to their fans and followers, without paying a middleman (Groupon, etc). And most of your fans/followers are more than happy to share the deal by word-of-mouth “advertising” with their friends in these online arenas.  Those are the strategies I prefer to use in helping local businesses build their visibility and credibility.

I know there’s going to be some feedback and plenty of discussion on this issue, so let your opinions fly in the comments below! I especially would love to hear from businesses who have used Groupon or other daily deal companies, and how their subsequent sales have been affected.

Originally posted on My Edmonds News

Guest Post by Leslie Irish Evans

(NOTE: My good friend and colleague Leslie Irish Evans is one of my favorite gourmands – “one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking” and she is a crazy active social media enthusiast.  She has built her community “Peeling Mom Off The Ceiling” to a following of nearly 6,000 Facebook fans and 1400 Twitter followers with her humor, wisdom and insights.  I wanted her to share what it’s like for a non-food professional to interact with restaurants on Twitter…because she is “one smart cookie” when it comes to food!)

As a busy mom, an internet junkie and a dedicated foodie, I’m always delighted when my worlds connect.  It simply makes life easier and seemingly more streamlined when it feels like the world is meeting you halfway.  So it’s a special feeling of “YES!” I get when I see a restaurant I love joining the social media world.

I can already hear a few doubters clucking “Why would a restaurant need to be on social media?  You can’t tweet food!”  Sure you can (in a way), and much more.

TOP REASONS WHY I LOVE RESTAURANTS THAT TWEET

1. THEY WHET MY APPETITE.

One of the many reasons I love following restaurants on Twitter is that it helps me decide where to go.  Seattle has some really great restaurants, and sometimes the choosing can be overwhelming, but the restaurant that tweets a delectable description of tonight’s special has hooked me before I even leave my couch.  “Would you like to hear tonight’s specials?” Yes, yes I would. Before I even leave the house, thanks.  Many has been the night where I was wooed by a clever establishment into coming to visit when I hadn’t even planned on going out.

2. THEY KNOW MY NAME.

Remember the theme from the TV show “Cheers”? “You want to go where everybody knows your name.”  Well, it’s true.  I remember working in my father’s greasy-spoon diner as a teenager, and he said to me “Look, people don’t come here for gourmet food. They don’t come here for the splendid décor. They come here for friendship and to be acknowledged. For god’s sake, learn their names.” It was some of the best advice I ever received.  When a restaurant I like tweets something tasty, and I respond (either directly back to them or by re-tweeting) that restaurant sees my face and my name helping to promote their business. They know who I am.  Which leads to number three …

3. THEY MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON!

Admit it, we all want to feel special.  Have you ever been to a restaurant, seen the chef or the manager come out to speak to a certain table, and thought: “Who are those people? They must be important!”  Well, I have had that fun and flattering experience happen to me strictly from my Twitter interactions.  I’m not a food journalist. I’m no one special in the food world. But these restaurants knew who I was from the fact that I had tweeted about them, and the extra attention and acknowledgement from the staff was definitely a fun ego boost.  Ego aside, perhaps the very best reason I love restaurants that Tweet is …

4. THEY BECOME “MY” RESTAURANT.

I love the food.  I’m now “friends” (well, Twitter buddies, anyway) with the staff.  It’s like I have a little “skin” in the game.  I now care very much about the well-being of this restaurant and I’m going to send my friends there.  They’ve got a dedicated ally in me, all for the simple reason that they tweeted about their place.

Leslie Irish Evans is the creator and host of “Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling”, heard Monday mornings on KKNW-1150AM and www.imthankful.com.  When she’s not discouraging mommy martyrdom she can be found surfing the web, looking for a good place to eat.  Tweet her up at @LIEvans, and friend her page at http://www.facebook.com/peelingmomofftheceiling

Most Seattle residents – new and longtime – are familiar with Dine Around Seattle, the semi-annual dining extravaganza that gives our wallets a break and our palates a treat.  Now that March has roared in like a lion, we present our 10 favorite reasons you should participate in this month’s Dine Around Seattle event:

1. Three-course dinners for just $30 at many of Seattle’s finest restaurants
2. If you live on the Eastside, you don’t have to worry about traffic on 520 – there are 10 restaurants on “your side” of the lake
3. Who wants to cook Sunday through Thursday? Boring! Put down your spatula and get out of the house – it’s someone else’s turn to cook!
4. Beignets! Two restaurants are serving up these fried doughy delights – bin on the lake is offering Sweet Cream Espresso Pot de Crème and Cinnamon Beignets, while Toulouse Petit is dishing up Beignets with Chicory Anglaise
5. The extended menu descriptions on the DAS website make it easier than ever to decide where to dine, all on one website
6. You can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day all month at Lot No. 3 in Bellevue, with their Guinness-Braised Beef Short Ribs, Mustard Mashed Potatoes, Baby Carrots, and Orange-Shallot Gremolata
7. There are 51 – yes 51! – restaurants to choose from.  If you can’t find something you like, you aren’t trying!
8. ART Restaurant’s Bittersweet Tart, with “Fluffernutter” Ice Cream and Strawberry Preserves – who doesn’t love a good Fluffernutter?
9. A steal of a deal at lunchtime, with 3-course meals at a measly $15 (there are 19 restaurants offering lunch)
10. It’s Dine Around Seattle’s 10th anniversary -  it’s our duty to get out and celebrate!