Bottomless. Endless. Limitless. Never-ending. Those words are expected to precede the names of brunch cocktails when people are reading about your brunch program. So how do you stand out, and more importantly, how do you boost your brunch-time sales rather than give away the bar?
World Pizza Cup Champion Tony Gemignani’s rock ‘n’ roll pizza joint Pizza Rock offers bottomless Mimosas, Sangria and Bloody Marys for $15…if a customer purchases an entrée. The trendy pizza spot also offers food items – French toast, breakfast pizzas, eggs Benedict, and other brunch items – that are only available during their Acoustic Brunch. The brunch program is only available on Sundays and runs from 11:00am to 3:00pm, and that 4-hour window is the only time customers can order their specialty food items. Further setting the Pizza Rock Acoustic Brunch apart from the competition is the namesake of the promotion: an acoustic singer who entertains while guests dine.
Of course, you don’t have to offer bottomless brunch beverages. Public School 702, dedicated to sticking to their playful reputation, offers Just About Bottomless Mimosas, Beermosas, Micheladas, and Bloody Marys. Not only is the promotion whimsical, it’s responsible.
“Our brunch drinks are ‘Just about Bottomless’ [because] we pour responsibly,” explains Liz Geavaras, VP of Marketing of Grill Concepts for Public School, “which means your second cocktail is already on us.”
PS also puts a twist on each of the brunch food items, keeping things unique but familiar.
“We serve up really unique dishes, such as Eggs Benedict Pizza that has bit of a kick to it, Fried Jidori Chicken & Green Chili Cornbread Waffles, and a Stuffed French Toast of the Day (chef’s creation) that is different and new every weekend.”
Because brunch is the only time Public School serves breakfast, they crank up the fun factor to ensure it stands out from their lunch and dinner menus. The gastropub, known for their focus on craft beer and educating guests on beer and food pairings, has also created a number of specialty cocktails for their brunch program. Their Beermosa is made with Brooklyn Green Market Wheat, Gabriel Boudier crème de peche, and lavender simple syrup. Because the beer is made with mostly organic grain and has light fruit flavors, it plays very well with orange juice, creating a perfect beer lover’s brunch cocktail.
“Not many other places have a Beermosa on their menu with fresh squeezed OJ and that hint of lavender. Our servers are dedicated to teaching guests about the art of our food and beer, so you get an experience at Public School that you can’t get elsewhere.”
Chic steakhouse STK creates themes in conjunction with holidays. According to general manager Jordan Mendez, these themed brunches always lead to some memorable experiences.
“During the Super Bowl this year, we had a local high school band perform during halftime and handed out branded foam fingers and eye black stickers,” says Mendez. “For Easter, we did a family edition with an Easter Bunny photo op and candy-filled eggs.”
For Mother’s Day, STK planned a tea party theme complete with Veuve Clicquot Mimosas.
“Every themed brunch has an extravagant photo booth setup and we encourage people to post and tag with the Sunday Brunch Club information.”
A brunch promotion needs to differentiate the program from your standard menu in order to succeed. STK, leveraging the social aspect of brunch, offers lighter fare, featuring more salads and plates that can be shared easily with a group, such as vanilla bean waffles. STK’s strolling coffee cart is perhaps their most talked about promotional component.
“Tableside service is trending in Las Vegas right now and many restaurants are experimenting with different cuisine served directly at the table. We wanted to take it to the next level but still be brunch-appropriate with a tableside coffee cart,” explains Mendez. “Guests are able to order their favorites, like cappuccinos, mochas and caramel macchiatos, and for those who want a little extra kick we have both warm and cold alcohol coffee drinks as well. The cart is fully customized and we have specialty paper coffee mugs which give guests an Instagram-ready photo opportunity. It is definitely one of our most popular features during brunch.”
While STK certainly pulls out all the stops for brunch, they’ve taken care to stay true to their original concept.
“STK is known for its bustling and vibe-driven dinner scene, so we wanted Sunday Brunch Club to be a complement to that. Having a brunch service also lets people leaving Las Vegas on a Sunday kick back and relax, and gives Las Vegas locals a chance to grab a bite and catch up before the week starts," says Mendez. “Other brunches seem to either be a blowout party brunch with glow sticks and confetti or a laid-back, repetitive atmosphere. Our goal was to create an experience that’s in between – you can come, talk with friends, but still dance to the DJ and have Mimosa bottle service.”