Practical information for founders and small businesses
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View details →Review Customer Emotions, Memories, and Responses at Every Touchpoint
Customer emotions and memories are shaped less by a single powerful stimulus than by the sequence of moments they experience in a restaurant. Director Kang Jong-heon recommends recording customer responses by separating the first impression, the most vivid moments during the visit, and the final experience. Psychological concepts are not formulas to follow mechanically. They should be used as criteria for evaluating the menu, service, space, and pricing.Key ConclusionDirector Kang Jong-heon’s assessment: Customer p…
The First Menu Item Should Reflect the Brand, Not Simply Be the Most Expensive
Customers may interpret a restaurant’s price range and quality based on the first menu item they see. Rather than automatically placing the most expensive item first, operators should feature a signature item that represents the restaurant’s identity. The impact of any change should be evaluated separately through ordering choices and customer responses.Key ConclusionAssessment by Director Kang Jong-heon: The first item should be a signature dish that communicates both the restaurant’s price range and identity. The…
Validate Restaurant Customer Psychology Strategies Before Applying Them
Customer psychology theories are not universal formulas for increasing restaurant sales. They should be used as decision-making tools for reviewing the in-store experience and customer responses. To reduce the risk of misapplication, define the customer behavior to be verified before deciding what to change. Actual restaurant performance and exceptions among different customer types must be validated separately.Key ConclusionKnowing about the primacy effect or anchoring does not in itself constitute a restaurant ma…
When the Trade Area Changes, Review Customer Touchpoints First
Restaurant marketing begins with identifying changes in the behavior of customers looking for the restaurant. Operators should not determine the cause based solely on intuition or feedback from existing regulars. Facts observed at customer touchpoints should be recorded separately from the operator’s interpretations.Key ConclusionWhen the local trade area changes, both the people passing by the restaurant and the ways they discover it may change. Operators should examine the criteria customers use to compare prices…
Evaluating Restaurant Marketing Through the Customer Decision Journey: Director Kang Jong-heon’s Criteria
Before choosing advertising channels, operators should examine how customers discover, select, and remember the restaurant. They should also determine whether the first impression, menu selection structure, and conclusion of the experience connect naturally. The impact of any changes must be validated separately using customer responses and operational records from each location.Key ConclusionDirector Kang Jong-heon’s assessment: Marketing begins not with the volume of promotion, but with the customer’s process of …
Before Increasing Promotion, Underperforming Restaurants Should Review the Customer Decision Journey
A restaurant’s problems may become apparent at customer touchpoints such as the sign, menu, service interactions, and payment process. Psychological concepts can help turn menu and service issues into specific review items. However, without customer response and sales data, the effects of any improvements cannot be determined conclusively.Where the Diagnosis BeginsThe customer journey can be divided into awareness of the restaurant, the decision to enter, menu selection, the dining experience, and post-visit recall…
Evaluate Restaurant Marketing by Customer Choice and Memory, Not Promotional Instinct
Before focusing on what the operator wants to promote, examine how the actual customer touchpoints connect. The starting point is to view discovery, ordering, dining, payment, and reviews as a single experience.Key ConclusionBefore adding promotional copy or events, divide the customer’s decision-making process into stages. Review restaurant awareness, menu exploration, price comparison, ordering, dining, payment, reviews, and return visits in sequence. If the message differs at each stage, the customer’s memory of…
Design Customer Experience Around the Sequence of the Emotional Curve, Not the Intensity of the Stimulus
Simply adding more individual services does not reliably create a consistent customer experience. Operators should first organize the baseline experience, then build a sequence of anticipation, positive reversal, and emotional afterglow. Because effective moments vary by establishment, the customer journey and operational feasibility must also be reviewed.Key ConclusionDirector Kang Jong-heon’s assessment: The emotional curve is a framework for managing the sequence and contrast of an experience rather than the int…
Gangjin County Launches “Connect with Young Merchants 2026!” and Recruits Young Merchants, Local Creators, and Young Creators
Gangjin County is recruiting young merchants, prospective entrepreneurs, local creators, and young creators to grow alongside the Gangjin-eup Autonomous Commercial District. The program aims to revitalize the local commercial district and strengthen the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem through customized, step-by-step support ranging from startup assistance to local brand content development and AI content creation.