In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Stephen Loftis and Christine Lorusso, the chief brand officer and senior director of digital marketing, respectively, of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, a polished casual concept based in Charlotte, N.C., with 56 units across 20 states. Firebirds is in the midst of a major digital transformation as it looks to appeal to all generations and develop stronger customer loyalty, and Stephen and Christine joined the podcast to offer a peek behind the curtain of their budding digital marketing strategy and how it is helping them reach a broader consumer set.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• All of the senses are in play when developing a unique experience 
• Your website is the entry point to your restaurant for many consumers and should effectively communicate your brand and experience
• If you haven’t changed your website since the pandemic, you probably should build it again from scratch
• First-party data is the most important goal with your digital marketing strategy
• Your loyalty program should feature some more subtle perks along with deals
• More upscale chains have to get creative in appealing to younger generations

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.