What's Beef: How Hip-Hop Diss Tracks are Driving a Restaurant Boom
The relationship between hip-hop and restaurants has always been intriguing. While rappers have often flaunted the finer aspects of life, like jewelry, cars, and luxurious living, food hasn't typically been central in those discussions. However, throughout history, hip-hop has seamlessly integrated mentions of restaurants and culinary delights.
The relationship between hip-hop and restaurants has always been intriguing. While rappers have often flaunted the finer aspects of life, like jewelry, cars, and luxurious living, food hasn't typically been central in those discussions. However, throughout history, hip-hop has seamlessly integrated mentions of restaurants and culinary delights. From Notorious B.I.G. shouting out Roscoe's to 2 Chainz dropping names like Nobu, and even modern-day chef/rappers like Action Bronson referencing New York staples, food and dining have had their place in rap lyrics.
But in today's age of virality, a phenomenon has emerged that takes this dynamic to a whole new level: the rise of the restaurant boom fueled by diss tracks. Yes, you heard that correctly. Across the nation, restaurants are suddenly thrust into the limelight, all thanks to a clever mention in scorching diss tracks
Enter New Ho King, a humble eatery that found itself thrust into the limelight overnight, all thanks to the mighty battle between rap titans Kendrick Lamar and Drake. In Kendrick's track "Euphoria," one of his blistering anti-Drake diss tracks, he taunts Drake with a Toronto accent, promising to haunt him even at his favorite hometown haunt: "I be at New Ho King eatin' fried rice with a dip sauce." The result? A surge of attention like never before. Suddenly, New Ho King was on everyone's lips, both figuratively and literally, with features in publications like Billboard, Forbes, and Complex, resulting in media attention a locally owned restaurant can ever dream of.
The impact was staggering. New Ho King reported receiving over three times the usual number of orders, with patrons flocking to taste the very dish immortalized in Kendrick's scathing lyrics. But New Ho King isn't the only eatery to benefit from this rap feud-induced boost.
Take Lucali's Pizza in Brooklyn, for example. When Kendrick Lamar name-dropped this beloved pizzeria in one of his new diss tracks, it was like a culinary bat-signal went up over the borough. Suddenly, Lucali's was flooded with five-star reviews, Instagram followers, and a deluge of orders from hungry hip-hop fans eager to taste the pie that had earned a nod from one of the genre's biggest stars.
What does all this tell us about modern restaurant marketing in the age of virality? It's simple: in a world where attention spans are short and trends come and go in the blink of an eye, leveraging pop culture moments can be a game-changer. Restaurants that find themselves thrust into the spotlight, whether by chance or design, have a unique opportunity to capitalize on their newfound fame.
But it's not just about luck. Savvy restaurateurs can take a page from the playbook of New Ho King and Lucali's Pizza, finding creative ways to insert themselves into the cultural conversation. Whether it's partnering with local musicians, creating menu items inspired by popular songs, or simply embracing the unexpected, there are endless possibilities for restaurants to ride the wave of virality to success.
So, what's beef got to do with it? In today's hyper-connected world, where a single mention in a diss track can send sales soaring, the answer is clear: everything.
P.S. If you're ready to elevate your hospitality game, GoTab's got your back! 🚀 Request a demo today to learn how we can optimize your operations.
Tap Room Playbook Episode 2:
When you really think about it, with everything managers need to do in a tap room, the hospitality aspect is often overlooked.
Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.
The Situation
Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.
The Solution
Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience
Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.
“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.
The Benefits
Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.
Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
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