Challenge:
When Rob Duckworth opened The Cellar at Duckworth’s in July of 2015, it opened without much fanfare and with scattered media attention. With a delectable small plates menu, a host of unusual cocktails and the city’s first beer cellar, the 77-seat speak-easy inspired restaurant located in the basement of Duckworth’s on the corner of Tryon and 7th Street in Uptown Charlotte quickly became known as one of the hush-hush places that people “in the know” raved about. As the initial round of media coverage faded, The Cellar desired to broaden awareness of its location to the broader Charlotte market.

Solution:
The Cellar at Duckworth’s hired SPARK Strategic Ideas three months after its opening to develop a public relations program to secure media coverage, keep the restaurant top of mind and ultimately drive sales. SPARK capitalized on the restaurant’s roaring twenties speakeasy feel, creating a unique media kit printed on newsprint. The kit showcased background information, menu highlights, their craft cocktail selection and their love of unique beers.

In addition to crafting ongoing pitches to the media, SPARK also hosted a series of distinctive events, designed to maximize news coverage and inspire key Charlotte influencers. A few samples of these events include:

• An Initial Media Introduction event that also unveiled the new walk-In beer cellar along with two seasonal craft cocktails
• A One Year Anniversary media event showcasing new menu items 
• A special concierge event was developed specifically for nearby upscale hotel staff to drive referrals. The invitation was rolled up and hand-delivered inside a small glass flask (used to serve one of The Cellar’s key cocktails)
• A special celebration to commemorate the end of prohibition and drive awareness to the Uptown Charlotte population, SPARK hired two young actors to help promote the eventand to garner additional media coverage.
• A Yelp Elite event was held for key Charlotte influencers