Starting the Week off Right

Sometimes you gotta double up - a Baja-free weekend (pathetic) may just have to be followed by two visits on a Monday. At least that's how I felt today. One trip didn't do it for me, but I had to switch up both location and meal.

After going basic but bonafide for lunch - Baja burrito with steak, crispy - at restaurant #2, I went more advanced for dinner. How about a burrito customized from scratch: mixed meat, rice, queso fundido, cheese, guacamole, easy sour cream and some lettuce. Oh yeah! It all went down at restaurant #50, and it was delicious. The pic truly does not do it justice, so you gotta just take my word for it and try it next time.

On an unrelated note, I've been seeing a lot of Baja tweets over the summer, and you know the Baja Boyz recommend following Baja Fresh on twitter. Good to see them taking advantage of the social media tools available. We'll be coming back with more on Baja Fresh marketing though...

BB2

Spreading the Love

I was more than happy to help my local store manager promote a push for more online and phone orders by passing out coupons to my colleagues. Here is the text of an e-mail I sent to approximately 200 people in my office today.

Team,

As some of you know, I am a huge Baja Fresh fan. Today the local store manager gave me a wad of “$2 off next purchase” and “$5 off any online or phone order >$5” to share with you.

Get ‘em while they last and let please them know I sent you!

I tagged each of the coupons with my initials and will report back whether the manager sees and increase in store traffic from my efforts.

BB1

Free Burrito Day - July 22, 2009

Is Baja Fresh figuring out social media marketing? Perhaps...

On July 22, the company posted a free burrito w/ purchase of a regular beverage coupon on its Facebook page (note to self: rant about company doing a way with small drinks in a future post).

According to the company they gave away over 50,000 burritos last week. I'm curious about the rationale for such an investment. At an average $6 per unit, how do you recoup a $300,000 when it's being promoted primarily to existing customers? The promotion would need to hook 6,000 new loyal customers who spend a minimum of $50 in the near future just to hit break-even.

More commentary on recent Baja Fresh marketing activities in an upcoming post.

BB1

A New Fav BF Combo

Thanks to my colleagues Mark and Ian for turning me on to my latest favorite dish: Grilled Vegetarian Burrito; add chicken; black beans; easy sour cream. Captures all of the flavor of the Ultimo Burrito without the weight of the rice. Lettuce gave it surprisingly good texture and beans made it hearty and healthy too. I'm looking forward to trying different variations on this theme(add jalapeno, crispy, etc.). Just might head back there today for another go at it. Yum!

BB1

Thinking Small

It's refreshing when big brands think small. The manager of my local Baja Fresh on Friday picked up the tab for my lunch (Baja Burrito w/ chicken, crispy). The gesture was appreciated as a loyal customer, but also as a marketer impressed by a large consumer retail food chain empowering its local managers to embrace the communies they serve.

BB1

Guacamole Upgrade

Coincidentally, just days after commenting how impressed I was by Chipotle's guacamole (mainly because it had a nice kick to it), the manager at my local Baja Fresh invited me to give some feedback on their new recipe -- apparently they are the only store testing a new supplier of avocados from Mexico. It was fresh enough, but I don't expect Baja will have the balls to add jalapenos to the recipe, and it could use a dash more lime and garlic in the mix. In any case, I was happy to provide my feedback and will keep you updated on who has the best guac in the biz. For now the best recipe can still be found at my house. ;)

BB1

Unfaithfully Yours

Dear Baja,

I ate at Chipotle today. There, I said it.

I'm sorry, but it was bound to happen. After all, she's more conveniently located, sitting there all shiny and new and everybody talking about her free burrito promos, beer and whatnot.

For what it's worth, she's not half the burrito you are. I mean, sure the appearance of control calling my own ingredients sounds good, but it's quite a bit of extra effort having to make all those decisions. Besides, who wants to see all those tubs of meat, watered down sour cream and come face-to-face with their creator as she fumbles my tortilla? Not I. The corn and fresh fajita peppers are ok, but a buck sixty extra to add guac? C'mon! No thanks.

Her guacamole may taste a little better, but you've still got the best chips around (and thankfully you don't charge extra for them!). And salsa? She's got none! Nothing, nada, zip - no salsa bar! No kidding! Sheesh!

I love your after-taste and your quality, I don't care what anybody says. Chipotle ain't got any buzz on you baby. I hope you will forgive me, as I was really only conducting "research" I hope will help make us stronger.

Love,
BB1

Return to sender

Driving by again I was surprised to see the Baja Fresh logo covered by a "your name here" banner. Turns out corporate HQ moved to Cypress, CA, far from its Conejo Valley roots, so I guess it makes sense why nobody was too motivated to change the lights.

Wherever they go to work each day, I still have visions of a band of food service professionals scurrying to create new promotions and advertising to sell more burritos! I wonder if they are thinking of using social media to engage Baja Fresh brand loyalists like me?

BB1

BA A F E H - lights out

Driving on the 101 North through Thousand Oaks, California, if you look off to the right side of the freeway just after crossing the 23 interchange, you can catch a glimpse of the Baja Fresh corporate offices, marked with their signature red and green logo.

It always gives me a warm feeling knowing that a small cadre of businessmen and women are inside cooking up new dishes, launching new stores and creating promotions to make a marketing professional like me proud.

For the past year or so, however, driving by at night has been something of a letdown. Instead of a glowing becon of the Baja Fresh brand, 3 of the 9 lights which comprise the company sign adorning the side of its office building are out, making the company name appear to be BA A F E H. That's a full one third of the company's brand missing in action!

I wonder if BF pays extra for the building signage? If so, I would be asking for a credit -- and some light bulbs! C'mon Baja Fresh - turn on the lights!

BB1