Fast Casual Gourmet Pastries Marketing Case Study
SERVICES: Content & Communications
01. The Challenge
FROST is more than a local bakery; it’s a Pacific Northwest icon. Famous for its range of drool -worthy donuts, the single unit fast-casual pastry shop has a consistent line of fans waiting for its next new flavor – from hot takes on old classics to luxurious new taste sensations. The shop is the brainchild of Del Hernandez, winner of the Food Network’s ‘Donut Showdown’, and is supported by a range of additional venture partners. Its menu, which also includes homemade macarons, cookies, cakes, and unique coffee drinks, has been featured in a range of earned media from the Seattle- and New York Times to numerous online food influencers. The high-volume shop now caters to hungry locals looking to get in for a wide variety of sweet treats – all inspired by its adventurous brand of gourmet pastries.
With such a visually enticing product, the brand’s marketing stakeholder wanted to leverage a steady stream of high- quality “food-porn” to show off its latest creations. Locals who made it part of their daily regiment were its mainstay, but its broader audience of regional and national fans were what kept the brand in the spotlight as a top three spot for donut lovers globally. Doing it meant keeping the brand top of mind through online channels that required a constantly updated library of visual media. Like most small businesses, it didn’t make sense to employ a full time content creator. It needed an offsite resource who could work closely with the brand manager to ideate on, collect, and publish featured content through its primary communications channel, social media.
02. The Solution
We selected Front of House based on their proposed scope of work and cost associated, their location, expertise, and passion for what they do.
03. The Result
‘Front of House’s’ work was a major support for the company as it negotiated one of the most challenging periods for the food and beverage industry in recent memory. During public health closures, we worked with stakeholders to build unique outside-the-box viral content and communications to maintain engagement. Among them, supporting local first responders with deliveries to firehouses, emergency rooms, and police precincts, creating individually customized orders for surprise delivery to friends and family, and developing themed outdoor doughnut popups and drive throughs. The brand thrived through the pandemic and has since expanded its offering based on customer feedback obtained through FoH’s work with the business.
If you’re a fast-casual restaurant looking for content and communications or any other type of marketing support, let’s chat. We’d love to be a part of your growth.
