Why The Pasta Bar is Doing Everything Right in Social Media

About 8 months ago I was sitting in my favorite lunch spot, Liquid Lunch, and was trying to use my cell phone to check into Foursquare.  Unfortunately I couldn't because not only was there no wifi, there was terrible cellular service (not the business's fault, I know).  As I looked around, this quaint soup/sandwich joint with a freezer full of old-school sodas, a chalkboard menu, and a line nearly out the door made zero effort to join the new media revolution.  No Twitter presence.  No Facebook presence.  A website akin to Geocities.  A missed opportunity.

It motivated me to write a post about the lack of restaurants embracing Foursquare, and praising AJ Bombers which has done a bang-up job of exactly that (and more) in Milwaukee.  There are so many opportunities for businesses to embrace their customers and even those who aren't yet customers by utilizing the FREE tools that web 2.0 has provided us.  No purchase necessary.  Sweat equity not included.

Just today I was reading AJ Leon's blog, as I do nearly every day, and he posted a video of a restaurant he had found in Azusa, CA, on his cross-country road trip for Rise of the Cubicle Farmer.  It's called The Pasta Bar, run by two uber-passionate people who have taken advantage of all the opportunities social media has provided to "hug their customers" as I like to put it.  AJ explains more in the video below. 

This is exactly what I was hoping Liquid Lunch would do.  In our Post-Advertising age, this is exactly what ANY business can do to tell their brand story, close the trust gap, and make life a little better for their customers, one meal at a time.  The opportunities are endless, as long as you're passionate and willing to put in the sweat equity.  The Pasta Bar has, and they're reaping the rewards.

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Comments

[Sbeasla]

I think The Pasta Bar is great. AJ Leon and his team did a great job of interviewing them. Thanks for sharing their story. I wish them nothing but success. :)

[Steve L]

"and a line nearly out the door made zero effort to join the new media revolution"

Evidently they don't need to do anything new-media to be successful?

[Jonathan Thomas]

Steve,

My argument is this: Can a business ever be too successful to market themselves?

I see where you're coming from, but I hardly think the owners are diving into piles of money like Scrooge McDuck. There are always ways to improve and get better.

Also, don't you want to add value to your customers' lives, regardless of success? Spending $50 a month on WiFi at the restaurant might make my life a whole lot easier, and I'll be more likely to come during the slow hours (outside of 12-2pm) to get work done while buying lots of coffee.

Thanks for the comment and for reading my blog. I really appreciate it.

Jon

[AJ Leon]

Dude, thanks for the shout out. And thank you for highlighting The Pasta Bar. Those two deserve it, they are doing something special out there. And you are right! Every shop should be taking their lead. :)