Friday FaceOff - The Republic, A Citizen of Social Media

0 Comment(s) | Posted Nov 20, 2009 by Caroline Williams

Caroline Williams

I recently moved away from Richmond, Virginia.  I lived there for 7 great years and one of the things I loved most about the city was the thriving independent restaruant and bar scene.  On every corner in the popular "Fan district" there was a Cheers-esque neighborhood restaurant/bar (my favorite being Metro Grill).  I really miss that culture having now moved back to Raleigh, though NewRaleigh.com is helping me discover new and unique places to spend my down time.

While I have missed Richmond, one restaurant has helped me stay connected: The Republic Restaurant and Bar.  This restaurant has recently opened in my old neighborhood and has been getting great reviews.  The Republic utilized a social media campaign throughout the build out of their restaurant.  The owner, Rick Lyon,wrote a blog that took the reader on a journey of the step by step process of building his restaurant.  The blog answered all those questions that nosey "Fan Rats" (frequent bar-goers in the Fan district) to know about the new place in town: What kind of food are they going to have?  What beers on tap?  What does the bar look like?  How long until they open?!?. 

The Republic also utilized Twitter and Facebook to create engagement with their customers.  The Republic just opened this past week, and they have 792 Fans who will receive updates about the restaurant on their Facebook page   Rick and his team have done an amazing job engaging their customers by replying to any questions posted on their wall and informing them of interesting tidbits of what's happening at the new restaurant.

Though they have shown great success with their Facebook page, their Twitter page is still developing.  While they may not have that many direct followers, only 37, The Republic has been listed 5 times, which is increasing it's exposure to other potential followers.

Rick Lyon and The Republic are a great example for other restaurants starting out.  By utilizing social media they were able to create buzz about their new venture and be an information source to their potential customers.  The next time I visit Richmond, I look forward to seeing in person a place that I have followed online for a while.

-Caro

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