Freestyle blog

For my "anything goes" entry I would like to examine how small restaurants in downtown Chicago stay competitive in the industry and how they are able to connect with patrons who live in suburbs (me). The restaurant in question is Aloha Eats, a hole in the wall, short order restaurant on North Clark Street. I have always been curious as to how they differentiate themselves with the other hundred eateries down North Clark. One thing I have realized is how they are aware of growing trends. One is utilizing the popularity of apps and smart phones. They are registered with an app that allows restaurant goers to collect points for different rewards like free hawaiian soda to a free meal. This gives an incentive for people to become regulars. For those who have to hop on the orange line, get off on State and Lake, get on the cramped, smelly red line, get off at Fullerton and walk two blocks just to get there, requires a different approach. By being on Facebook, Aloha Eats becomes closer to the suburbs than ever. They post pictures and updates daily to entice their followers to take the long voyage. They are also on Twitter and post quick promotional updates like: "first 10 customers to throw up the shaka gets 15% off." By doing these little things they are always relevant to their patrons and thus they survive the competitive world of restaurants.