Boosting Sales Through Curbside Pick-Up: A Case Study of The Crawfish Hole

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In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the shutdown of non-essential businesses across the United States. The Crawfish Hole, a restaurant in Bridge City, Texas, was among the businesses that had to close their doors. The restaurant was faced with the challenge of keeping the business afloat despite the mandatory closure. The main problem was the loss of foot traffic, which was a significant source of their revenue. The restaurant was forced to offer curbside and delivery services only. The challenge was to adjust their messaging and Facebook ads strategy to drive curbside sales. The goal was to generate curbside sales through Messenger by encouraging customers to redeem a 'buy one, get one' offer.

The Crawfish Hole is a local restaurant in Bridge City, Texas, known for its delicious crawfish. The restaurant had a significant customer base that was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mandatory closure of non-essential businesses forced the restaurant to shift from a dine-in model to a curbside pick-up and delivery model. The restaurant's customers are primarily local residents, and the restaurant aimed to attract these customers to their new curbside pick-up service through a 'buy one, get one' offer.

To address the challenge, Tracey Matney, Founder of Restaurant Victory, pivoted The Crawfish Hole’s marketing strategy to promote curbside orders to new customers through click-to-Messenger ads and a Messenger bot ordering system. A 'buy one, get one' (BOGO) coupon was offered as a click-to-Messenger ad to local residents. The solution involved a six-step program. First, a Messenger objective was run in Facebook ads with a quick reply to trigger the opt-in sequence. Second, once a person clicked through the ad, they entered a Messenger bot which collected their email address, phone number, and consent to receive messages, offers, and reminders. Third, the bot sent the 'Buy five pounds, get three free' offer inside Messenger. Fourth, after placing an order, the Messenger bot sent a link to the restaurant’s Google Maps location inside the chat window. Fifth, when the customer arrived, they showed their phone with the offer, tapped the redeem button, then entered the total order amount. Lastly, recent customers were sent another offer in Messenger 23 hours later to encourage them to return to The Crawfish Hole.

• The implementation of the Messenger bot ordering system and the running of Facebook ads significantly boosted The Crawfish Hole's sales. The curbside pick-up service was not only more convenient for their customers but also helped lower person-to-person interactions, which was crucial during the pandemic. The multi-channel follow-up system ensured that potential customers were reminded of their orders, thereby increasing the chances of order completion. The easy redemption process also enhanced the customer experience. Despite market uncertainty and a multitude of layoffs, the restaurant thrived, making more sales than before the shutdown. The strategy also helped the restaurant build a database of fans, which could be beneficial for future marketing efforts.

• Generated over $23,000 in additional sales through pick-up orders

• Attracted 361 first-time visits

• Collected 1,338 email and SMS sign-ups