On the Ground.
Stone Park Cafe is a Two Star New York Times rated restaurant serving a New American menu in an elegant light-filled corner spot that is the jewel in the crown of its neighborhood. When there’s something to celebrate this is the spot. It is synonymous with excellence and community connection. I was asked to help update the website and lead marketing intiatives from photography shoots to website SEO to newsletters to social media posts.
Then Came the Pandemic.
Hello Doordash, Hello Grubhub.
Working closely with the owner I helped the restaurant adapt to a new Covid reality maneuvering in real time to help them tack and pivot for the first 24 hours of the lockdown. And the next 48hrs and next 72 and so on. Everything was changing as we’d been locked down by the government. By the first 48hrs we had reinvented our menu for take out and delivery on Caviar (later to become Doordash) and built the Grubhub account from scratch.
Holidays Delivered to Your Door.
With so much changing and unexpected it was important to the owner to provide as much as we could to help maintain a sense of normalcy. We created and offered Special Menus for Easter, Passover and Mother’s Day in that strange silent spring with the core group of staff hopping in our cars and personally delivering meals. We partnered with a group to send food to families hard hit financially. We sent food to essential hospital workers.
Grants & Permits.
While continuing to focus on Branding and Identity, Marketing Collateral, Copywriting, Signage, UX and UI Design, Shoot and Print Production I helped apply for grants and city permits that allowed us to expand our outdoor seating area. With these grants came a whole other mode of work where we upgraded lights, speakers, awnings, stanchions. We painted and bought more outdoor furniture. We repaired concrete we expanded our tree pit.
Cocktails to Go.
We sold Cocktails to Go. We finalized a new Wine List. We kept Employee Temperature Logs, we kept Customer Contact Tracing Information. We created QR Codes for our menus and Customer Requirements. Whenever we could we facilitated connection between clients and within our community. I am very proud of this rewarding work we did together.
Continuing to Connect the Community through COVID.
For every holiday during the pandemic we offered full meals delivered contact-free to customers’ doors. Customer’s appreciated the opportunity to share in the comfort of a wonderful meal with their families while sheltering in place. Later as zoom became a more familiar technology they told us about how we were a part of zoom gatherings and even celebrations.
When a Global Launch happens Locally.
Launching Over Zoom.
Across the globe business changed. Some businesses closed while others flourished. A business partner and investor asked for our help in launching a new venture across four continents and we said yes.
Lights, Camera, Action.
Built around the joie de vivre of New Orleans the founders asked for help with a Sazerac Cocktail Kit. We researched purchased, prepped and sent out over 200 boxes across the globe. We hired a local jazz band who filled the space and zoom with music and for a moment we all relaxed.
Sausages, Schnitzel and More.
A Dormant Space Becomes an Opportunity.
With the Events at Stone Park business and space being shuttered indefinitely Josh Foster, Owner, created a new concept to be prepared out of that kitchen. Considering the neighborhood and the cuisines offered he decided Brats and Beers would be a good fit. Calling on his experiences on the shore of Cayuga Lake upstate where a late afternoon Brat and icy Beer meant relaxation and happiness. Riffing on the name of Stone Park Stein Haus Cafe was born. From the backend on our Delivery Apps to Menu Design, Marketing and Social Media I was involved from concept to launch.
