Quiet on a Tuesday at an exceptional brunch spot…

A brunch spot I looked at recently.

The food is excellent at this place, I’ve been several times, and so has everyone else judging by the owner saying to hello to almost everyone who walks in. It’s well-loved, profitable, a proper local name, and don’t get me started on the exceptional food, my God, heavenly. But it’s still quiet on days it has no business being quiet.

Why? Because they've asked the food to do a job the food can't do. They've never once built demand. No scarcity; no reason to come this week rather than any other; none of the fever that turns a good café into somewhere people plan their weekend around. The whole plan was the food's great, they'll come. And they do come. Just not enough of them, and not on the quiet days.

That's what a strong business that's stopped growing looks like: brilliant at the thing it sells, with nothing to pull on a flat Tuesday.

Nothing about the actual business is broken, mind. The kitchen's already excellent. What's missing isn't a better product; it's the thing that makes someone feel they ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO be there on Saturday. And that is strategy, built and executed on purpose. Not a hope and a prayer.

Now, this is short and direct on purpose; my work for clients is deep and has gravitas because it is tailored precisely to their issues, whilst getting straight to the point. Here however, I’ve kept it brief for clarity. But let me sharpen things for the coffee shop/ brunch place owner who is like hmmm why is it so damn quiet?

Are you pushing FOMO? Are there things that make the customer think noooo we’re going to miss *insert limited-edition food option here* by not visiting this week? This doesn’t need to be a weekly thing, but monthly for sure.

Ask yourself: what are you known for? Why are they coming? It’s never just the food.

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