During my 20+ years career, I have helped hundreds of extraordinary entrepreneurs to build their identities using graphic design. I have also worked with major international brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and others... as well as well-known personalities in the culinary field.

Working with major culinary publishers has allowed me to develop expertise in all facets of strategic marketing, in addition to my restaurant skills. It was then that I realized that I wanted to make an even more powerful impact in the world of culinary arts.

During my 20+ year career, I have helped hundreds of extraordinary entrepreneurs to build their identities using graphic design. I have also worked with major international brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and others... as well as well-known personalities in the culinary field.

MISSION

My mission is to help restaurant owners and chefs to boost their sales quickly and to propel their establishments by taking the digital turn in all serenity.

MY VALUES

How did my restaurant go from being in debt to a runaway success?

All starts with

In the summer of 1999, I came back from my vacation in Tunis, very determined to start my new restaurant, with an authentic and traditional cuisine in the center of Algiers.

My brother was a chef, trained at the hotel school, and passionate about the art of good cooking. I invested in the restaurant business for him or thanks to him, because I was very fulfilled in my advertising agency ''Objectif Design'' that I started in 1995.

Native in the graphic design field, for me decoration and design are the main elements to attract attention and acquire future customers. So I recruited the best artist for the layout and decoration of the restaurant, Ms. Chantal Tronquit sculptor decorator of Aix-en-Provence.

The opening

After a whole year of renovation work, I finally opened the most beautiful restaurant in Algiers Center. The restaurant was wonderful! The opening was a real success! My dream came true ...

During the first few months, customers flocked to discover our dishes and flavors. We were even considering a second brigade to open the evening service. Three months after this beautiful launch, I was happy with the success of the restaurant, so I decided to leave to join my sister in Quebec to help her after the birth of her first child.

I stayed 3 months in Montreal and when I came back to Algiers, The restaurant was not successful as before i left . A great disappointment that created in me a total confusion and a deep stress.

And then ...

I noticed a significant decrease in the number of customers, despite its strategic location between the central station and the port of Algiers. I could not understand the problem, my brother was a good chef, his cooking was succulent and the staff was impeccable.

With the drop in clientele, I realized the lack of cash flow because everything had been spent on the fittings and decoration. Add to that the extra cost of the work that had been started, and there was no longer enough money to invest in promotion and marketing. I could see no way out!

A real tension within the work team was beginning to be felt. The unpaid invoice reminders were coming from everywhere... I was in debt and at the end of my rope!

The Deception!

A beautiful restaurant, well located with authentic cuisine, impeccable service: all this was not enough to fill the restaurant.

Total failure! Panic-stricken, I felt in a fog, I could not see a way out! Exhausted and lost, I called my friends who were all entrepreneurs to help me understand the situation. They all told me that I should go and get the clients instead of waiting for them. Although I was doing well, in the end, I had to put my marketing expertise to work for my restaurant.

In particular, my friend Idir, business manager, had accompanied me in the implementation of my strategy, he came every morning at 8:00 a.m. to take his coffee at the restaurant. I cannot forget his encouragement and his contribution to the revival of my restaurant. Thank you very much!

Plan of action ...

The first actions proposed by my friend to attract new customers were to prepare a simpler and more attractive offer, a special lunch for employees of nearby companies.

We had to communicate this new offer and thanks to my experience in marketing, we set up a strategy of personalized mailings to all the companies in Algiers Center, because at the time, digital was not very widespread.

Communicate the offer

We also communicated more widely and strongly around us using different advertising media.

Encouraged by my friends, I went to find the clients one by one to propose our new offer. By talking to them directly, I understood that their needs were to have lunch quickly and that they wanted their meals to be delivered directly to their offices. I regained confidence! I add the delivery service of the corporate lunch boxes to our restaurant.

The result

In the following 3 to 4 weeks, the situation started to change: many more contacts, more bookings, more orders for delivery... Hope is returning, and our restaurant is running with 3 services at lunchtime, at full capacity.

The moment that stood out was when the Mustapha Hospital in Algiers placed an order for the International Congress of Medicine, which represented 5 times the filling of the restaurant per day, but with delivery. Wahoo! A great relief! We came out of the crisis like champions!

Thanks to the advertising campaign and communication actions, we have increased delivery orders and improved room service turnover.

The success

Happy with the success of my marketing plan, we have established a new roadmap to maintain a clear and effective strategy for the long-term promotion of the restaurant.

After 6 months of success, I doubled the salaries of my team who worked tirelessly. I was very proud! A big BRAVO!

The Yulmaz restaurant became very well known and renowned in the square of Algiers. From that moment on, I understood that success in the restaurant business was only possible because of the combination of marketing and kitchen expertise.

That’s how I discovered that you can succeed in the restaurant business with a good marketing strategy... Which changed everything for me!