I was invited to an open house last night at Well Seasoned, a gourmet food store in Langley. The event went from 6:30 to 8:30, but when my husband texted me to let me know that there had been ANOTHER car accident in the Massey Tunnel...it was a miracle I made it at all! I managed to arrive around 7pm, and it looked like the event was in full swing. The parking lot was set up with 6 or 8 tents, and I could smell delicious food the minute I got out of my car. There were already at least 50 people milling around, clearly enjoying themselves. Some calling out to owner Angie Quaale, and others looking more like first timers. There were samples of everything from chicken wings rubbed with a secret recipe of spices, from The House of Q, to a new flavour of cracker from local success story Gone Crackers, owned by Heather Nicol, to turkey sausage bites courtesy of JD Farms. There was also a local winery supplying tastings, Township 7, as well as a local craft brewery showing off it's latest offering courtesy of Central City Brew Pub.
When I had my store, customer evenings were part of appreciating my customers, and mine always featured some sort of fashion showing, as well as drinks and snacks. The evening was always designed to showcase new product, as well as a Thank You, to my regular customers, for, well, being my customers. I believe that too many retailers think that the cost of putting on these events does not pay off. I really admire the innovative way that Well Seasoned pulled this evening together. The sampling was a way to showcase suppliers, but not at a huge cost to the business hosting the evening. How often do you, as a business owner ASK a supplier to help you out with a special event, through something like a door prize, or in this case, setting up a tent, providing tasting, and meeting some of the customers that continue to purchase your products from YOUR CUSTOMER...in this case, Well Seasoned? I believe that every business, wholesaler, or retailer, need to do this kind of customer research. In every case, I know that they come away with at least one comment that leads to a fine tuning, or outright change in the way they purchase, or even do business.
I saw a lot of happy people at this event...and better yet, I saw a line up at the cash register that went on for the hour and a half that I was there. I heard people joking about how they had just come out to support Angie, and to say hi...but for the most part, they were struggling to juggle multiple bags of just purchased product. I heard one customer say, that after having a look around with a friend,that they had both decided to sign up for ANOTHER cooking class. In this economy, the need to connect with the people who are key to your business's success such as suppliers, business neighbours, and especially customers, is more important than ever. Well Seasoned understands that, and it shows.
The next big event for Well Seasoned is Barbeque on the Bypass, on Sunday September 19th. If last night's attendance, and enthusiasm is any indication of things to come, my advice is to get there early! Check the website for more details. www.wellseasoned.ca
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