For some time now I've been wanting to talk to someone on the show who manages the marketing - and the profiles - of restaurants. I'm interested in how eateries, especially the top shops, market themselves. This is particularly tricky in a world where everyone seems to be a critic and even the very best operators can find themselves at the mercy of 'keyboard warriors'. While people have a legitimate right to tackle venues on poor service or experiences - balance, good judgement and manners are often left at the door in the online world we navigate. Then there are those who may never have set foot in your shop who will weigh in with their 'opinion', and hack at you about anything from pricing to menu choices, labour practices or the car you drive. It's an issue constantly on the minds of restaurateurs. Jo Smith runs Pillar9 and describes herself as a Reputation Strategist. I've chatted to a few of her clients on the show, and started nagging a while back about getting her on to talk about what she does. I learned a lot about what it takes to build and manage the reputation of a restaurant, and picked up a classic new word: 'bandwagonism'. Thanks Jo.
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay