DEL MAR, Calif. — Serving up new ways to attract customers and make money during a time of record inflation, Joseph Luciano, owner of The Goat Sports Hall in Del Mar cooked up some ideas.
"I've cut down on my hours to save myself some money on labor. It's been a challenge for me to figure out how to get my bottom line down,” said Luciano, a former college quarterback for University of San Diego.
The all green-decorated sports bar now offers a Late Night Happy Hour from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with $2 tacos and $9 wings.
Slashing $3 off every menu item at a later time has boosted revenue for the eatery that opened on July 15 and is also Cash or Venmo App only.
"Instead of dealing with the credit card companies, I cut them out and I am going cash and Venmo and save that 3% expense,” said Luciano, originally from Chico and formerly a local TV news producer and singer/musician.
Down in the Gaslamp Quarter since 2020, the Chiefy Café uses a Selfie Photo backdrop to attract customers that reads "I don’t even care" in bright pink.
“We’re seeing sales slowly trickle in and a lot of customers coming in, we got a lot of Yelp reviews as well,” said Lexi Cook, Chiefy Café manager.
The dog-friendly and only independently-owned coffee shop in the Gaslamp started a new lunch hour, happy hour from 11:30 p.m. until 1:30 pm. where it's 20% off everything.
The espressos and croissants and iced honey lavender latte turned Lexi Cook from being a customer to the manager.
"Chiefy just is on top which is why I became a regular and just kept coming back for more. Everything has been getting more expensive, and coming from a customer‘s point of view and also from an employer view, our business is going up, we actually opened two brand-new locations,” Cook said.
Greystone Prime Steakhouse on Fifth Avenue now offers a special 3-course $99 per couple Date Night Menu to boost business.
Customer James Cool of Cortez Hill says he has cut back on dining out due to inflation and the pandemic.
"I do eat out, but I don't tend to go to fancy places too frequently. I have pulled back while when the pandemic started, I definitely started cooking more and walking to the store more,” said Cool, who also walks everywhere since he donated his car.
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