Public Relations Campaign Plan

Sarah Mathis

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I:
Situation Statement ................ 3
About The Pine
Target Audience/Mission
Problems/Opportunities
Research ..... 4
Goals & Objectives ................ 4
Action Plan ................. 5
Strategies & Tactics
Evaluation
Budget
Timetable

PART II:
News Release ... 10
Fact Sheet . 12
Feature Pitch Letter .............. 13
Feature Release 14
PSA .............. 17
Speech .............. 18
Special Event Memo 23
Website Recommendations .............. 27

PART I

1. Situation Statement
About The Pine
Opening Sept. 16, 2014, The Pine is Athens new Southern inspired, globally influenced eatery
located in the landmark Lewis building in the heart of Five Points, replacing what used to be
Aromas Caf. Rooted in all American culinary and beverage traditions, The Pine is dedicated to
house-made dishes hearth baked in a wood-fire oven. Chic comfort recipes highlight local
sources and offer a farm-to-table style experience. Located at 1235 S. Milledge Ave., The Pine is
open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for dinner Tuesday through
Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the
late night bar is open Tuesday through Sunday until midnight.
Target Audience/Mission
The target audience consists of Athens residents aging from 21 to 45. Although The Pine is
family-friendly, one of its main amenities is its craft beer and cocktails, which would be targeted
to those at least 21 years old.

The Pines mission is to nourish, connect and fill its customers with a nutritious meal that is
carefully, locally-sourced and deliciously prepared.

Problems/Opportunities
Because The Pine is brand new, there is still an issue regarding recognition in the Athens
restaurant scene. However, this presents the opportunity to establish that recognition and bring in
new customers regularly.

Another opportunity that The Pine should take advantage of is its Internet presence. The Pine has
a very professional and attractive website; however, there is opportunity for improvement. The
website is lacking specific features that could benefit the restaurant in terms of interactivity and
attractiveness. These include a visitor tracker to monitor website traffic; a video that showcases
the restaurants concept, staff and food; photos of each unique menu item; and adding a page for
press materials.
2. Research
To increase awareness of The Pine among our target audience, it is important to know how our
competition created awareness upon their openings. By creating a survey to be distributed to the
Athens public, we can determine at what point people became aware of neighboring, competitive
restaurants and which methods were used in their promotional and advertising efforts. From that
data, we can determine which methods proved to be the most beneficial in alerting the public of
its opening.

3. Goals & Objectives

Goal 1:
To establish name recognition in the Athens restaurant scene.
Objective:
1. To increase awareness of The Pine among Athens residents ages 21 to 45 by 50 percent in
the next three months.
2. To increase the reception of monthly newsletters to Athens residents ages 21 to 45 by 10
percent in the next three months.

3. To increase the number of Facebook page likes by five percent each month from
September to December.

Goal 2:
To have a consistent growth in sales each month.
Objective:
1. To increase total sales revenue by 5 percent each month from September to December.

4. Action Plan
Strategies & Tactics
GOAL 1

The objectives will be accomplished through survey administration to our target audience
to determine The Pines rate of awareness. Because The Pine is not open for business on
Mondays, we will use this day each week for a month to intercept members of our target
audience in the Five Points area, downtown area, and UGA campus to complete a short
survey. We will offer participants coupons in which they can redeem for a free appetizer
with their meal.

Also while administering surveys each Monday, we will handout our monthly newsletter.
On the first of every month, we will send these newsletters out as mailers to businesses
and Athens residents as well as sending the newsletter via email to subscribers.

We want to maintain top-of-mind awareness by staying in front of customers with

regularly disseminated posts via Facebook and Twitter.

GOAL 2

In order to accomplish the objective of increasing sales for goal two, we have to have an
increase in customers. Each customer who refers a new customer will receive the lowest
marked item on their bill free.

The Pine has an advantage in that its menu offers unique items that people cant get
anywhere else. We will advertise via social media pictures of our signature products.

Beginning in October, at the beginning of each week, we will invite a different Athens
small business to dine with us for lunch. We will have orders ahead of time to ensure
when they get there everything will be waiting on them in time to have a quick and
delicious meal.

Evaluation
In order to determine whether the objectives were met, we will analyze data gleaned from
the surveys as well as how many coupons are redeemed each week from the newsletters.
We will administer the surveys regarding awareness of The Pine at the beginning of the
campaign and again in six months, compare the data, and then see what percentage
increase there is in awareness of the restaurant by our target audience. We will also track
Facebook likes and comments each month to see the increase in traffic the page gets.
Determining the increase in sales each month will be easy in that we will just compare
each month to the previous months earnings.

Budget
Num
ber
Surveys
Coupons

500
500

Newsletter

500

TOTAL

Cost
Per
Item
25 for
$30
0.19
25 for
$30

Tota
l
$600
$95
$600
$1,2
95

Timetable
September
Sept. 22 and Sept. 29 Administer surveys
October
Oct. 1 Release monthly newsletter; invite small business
Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 Administer surveys
Oct. 6 and Oct. 10 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Oct. 13 and Oct. 17 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Oct. 20 and Oct. 24 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Oct. 27 and Oct. 31 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Oct. 31 Evaluate Increase in sales and Facebook likes from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31
November
Nov. 1 Release monthly newsletter
Nov. 3 and Nov. 7 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Nov. 10 and Nov. 14 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Nov. 17 and Nov. 21 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch

Nov. 24 and Nov. 28 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Nov. 30 Evaluate Increase in sales and Facebook likes from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30
December
Dec. 1 Release monthly newsletter
Dec. 1 and Dec. 5 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Dec. 8 and Dec. 12 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Dec. 15 and Dec. 19 Invite small business for lunch/Host small business for lunch
Dec. 31 Evaluate increase in sales and Facebook likes from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31
Evaluate increase in sales since Sept. 16

PART II

News Release
FOR RELEASE ON: Sept. 24, 2014
Sarah Mathis
Public Relations Director
706-123-5555
sjmathis@uga.edu
The Pine Representing at Autumn Harvest Feast
ATHENS, Ga. Executive chef at new local southern eatery will participate in the fourth
annual Autumn Harvest Feast, presented by the Athens Famers Market on Oct. 5.
Jackie Burton, former chef at Heirloom Caf and Farm 255, is the head chef at The Pine,
Athens new southern-style restaurant that opened on Sept. 16.
Burton will join over 20 other local chefs in donating her time and talents for the
fundraising event, benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia, which sponsors the farmers markets
Double SNAP Incentive Program. The program facilitates local, sustainable and wholesome food
for nutrition assistance recipients, doubling the value of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program dollars at the Athens Farmers Market.
Using locally sourced ingredients, Burton will prepare chilled carrot and sweet potato
soup with charred leek and pickled shrimp. This is one of my favorite seasonal dishes to create
light but hearty, Burton said. To be able to combine two of my passions, food and
fundraising for the well-being of others, is a very fulfilling experience.
The fundraising feast will be paired with music provided by the band String Theory as
well as a silent auction.
To help ensure the sustainability of this community building program, purchase your
ticket for $75 at autumnharvestfeast.brownpapertickets.com. For more information about The
Pine, visit thepineathens.com.

Burton
Page 2
To be distributed to the Athens Banner-Herald

About The Pine

Fresh on Athens restaurant scene, The Pine is a southern inspired, globally influenced eatery
located in the landmark Lewis building in the heart of Five Points, replacing what used to be
Aromas Caf. Rooted in all American culinary and beverage traditions, The Pine is dedicated to
house-made dishes, hearth baked in a wood-fire oven. Chic comfort recipes highlight local
sources and offer a farm-to-table style experience. Located at 1235 S. Milledge Ave., The Pine is
open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for dinner Tuesday through
Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the
late night bar is open Tuesday through Sunday until midnight.

###

Fact Sheet

Company Profile for The Pine

Formerly Aromas Caf, The Pine opened Sept. 16, 2014 in the Five Points neighborhood.
Completely revamped, the casual venue deems itself a new Southern inspired, globally
influenced eatery. It features knotty pine floors, earth tone walls and a striking wood-fired oven
that cranks out hearth-baked dishes. All American craft beers are featured as well as spirits from
mom-and-pop breweries and distilleries. Chic comfort recipes highlight local sources and offer a
farm-to-table experience. The Pines mission is to nourish, connect and fill its customers with a
healthy meal that is thoughtfully and locally sourced and deliciously prepared.

Company:

The Pine

Headquarters Address:

1235 S. Milledge Ave.

Athens, GA 30606

Main Telephone:

706-208-0059

Type of Organization:

Private

Industry:

Restaurant

Products:

Co-founders: Scott Parrish and Sachin Patel

Executive Chef: Jackie Burton
The Pines progressive Southern menu includes items
such as pimento cheese, boiled peanuts, sandwiches,
salads and fire flats. Larger portioned plates will be
served as well as unique menu items, such as
individual servings of mussels cooked in cast iron
skillets. Gluten-free and vegetarian options will also be
available. Spirits and libations focus on small
American craft breweries, wineries and distilleries,
such as the local Terrapin and Creature Comforts
breweries.

Innovative Concept:

The Pine offers a farm-to-table style experience, using

locally sourced ingredients to create dishes hearth
baked in a custom wood-fire oven.

Public Relations
Contact:

Sarah Mathis
706-555-1234
smathis@thepineathens.com

Key Personnel:

*No sales information, as The Pine has only been open for business for one month.
The Pine 1235 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30606 706-208-0059 www.thepineathens.com

Feature Pitch Letter

Sarah Mathis, PR Director
The Pine
1235 S. Milledge Ave.
Athens, GA 30606
Oct. 1, 2014
Hillary Brown, Grub Notes Contributing Writer
Flagpole
P.O. Box 1027
Athens, GA 30603
Hillary Brown:
I read your Grub Notes piece from early May regarding the closing of Aromas Caf and the
opening of The Pine in its place. I read the piece as more of a farewell to Aromas, so I thought
your readers would be interested in what The Pine can bring to the table, literally.
The Pines staff is already well-known in the Athens restaurant scene. Jackie Burton, formerly of
Heirloom Caf and Farm 255, is the executive chef while local wine guy Scott Parrish and
former owner of Aromas, Sachin Patel, are co-owners.
To give you a brief idea of what to expect on the menu, the Southern inspired dishes are hearth
baked in a wood-fired oven. The recipes highlight locally sourced ingredients, which is an
important issue for the Athens community. The Pine prides itself with offering all American,
traditional libations, handcrafted by mom and pop brew masters, wine makers and distillers.
Because of The Pines very recent opening on September 16, a local feature story has not yet
been written. That being said, Id like to connect you with the owners and head chef for
exclusive interviews if youd like to cover this story.
If you are interested, I will contact you within the week about setting up a specific time for you
to visit The Pine and do a tasting so you can try out a variety of dishes and beverages for
yourself. Burton, Parrish and Patel will also be available for interviews if youre interested.
Sincerely,
Sarah Mathis
PR Director
The Pine
706-555-1234
sjmathis@uga.edu

Feature Release

FOR RELEASE ON: Oct. 22, 2014

Sarah Mathis
The Pine Public Relations Director
706-208-0059
sjmathis@uga.edu
The Pine Pin-Points a Culinary Prodigy
Personality Profile of Jacqueline Burton

ATHENS, Ga. Tattoo-sleeved with her hair tied up under a bandana, Jackie Burton looks more
like she belongs on the back of a motorcycle than whipping up deviled eggs and falafels. She is
tough and has had to be in order to reach what is currently the pinnacle of her career as executive
chef at Five Points newest Southern eatery, The Pine.

A New Jersey native, Burton got her start in the kitchen like many other chefs, by watching and
helping her mom cook while growing up. It wasnt until she moved to Savannah, Georgia, to
attend the Savannah College of Art and Design though, that she got her first restaurant job at
Chart House as a dishwasher. By the end of her tenure at Chart House, she had graduated as the
first female head broiler, where she was a certified grill master.

After graduating from college in 1993, another passion relocated Burton to Athens. She moved to
the Classic City to play bass guitar and keyboard in a rock n roll band. From Jersey to Georgia,
she soon found herself working under several luminaries of the burgeoning Athens food scene.
- more
Burton
Page 2

So which Athens eateries has Burton been a part of? Sheesh, name a restaurant, Ive probably
worked there, Burton said. She attributes much of her knowledge and experience to the various
chefs in which she has under-studied.

Her most notable gigs consist of her time under Chef Hugh Acheson at 5&10, where she
discovered his infusion of French and Italian, old-world technique to classic Southern recipes.
She was also a sous chef alongside Top Chef contestant and Executive Chef Whitney Ottawka at
Farm 255, where she was immersed in the locally-sourced, farm-to-table movement. Starting in
December 2013, she became executive chef at Heirloom Caf for about six months before she
was approached with the opportunity at The Pine that she couldnt resist.

Burtons former roommate and chef at the Georgia Theater Rooftop, BJ Bracewell, is who she
credits for connecting her with The Pines owners Scott Parrish and Sachin Patel. The three
quickly formed a trifecta. In fact, Patels Indian heritage has even recently inspired Burton to
delve into Indian dishes.

Speaking of inspiration, she draws hers from fresh seasonal ingredients. A staple ingredient used
in most of her dishes is sorghum, a syrupy substance that does the job of honey but is vegan. She
also loves to incorporate heat of some sort, often using chile, habanero and jalapeno peppers.

-moreBurton
Page 3

For the first time in her career, Burton has total control of the menu at The Pine and is really
proud of the unique and approachable dishes that she says reflect her sense of humor.

Burtons favorite part of her job is having the freedom to experiment with new flavors and ideas,
and providing people with a satisfying meal unlike any theyve ever had. There is nothing
worse than going out, taking a chance on something, spending your money and receiving a
disappointing meal, Burton said, So I strive for the opposite.

She is also always on the lookout for opportunities where she can direct her time and talents to
worthy causes. In early October, she participated in the Athens Farmers Markets annual Autumn
Harvest Feast, a fundraising event benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia, which sponsors the
farmers markets Double SNAP Incentive Program. The program facilitates local, sustainable
and wholesome food for nutrition assistance recipients, doubling the value of Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program dollars at the Athens Farmers Market.

Anything I can do to help folks promote healthier, more accessible ingredients or eating habits,
Im there, Burton said.

###
To be distributed to the Athens Banner-Herald, Athens Magazine and Flagpole Magazine.

PSA

Contact: Sarah Mathis

The Pine
1235 S. Milledge Ave.
Athens, GA 30606
706-208-0059
thepine@thepineathens.com
Start Date: Oct. 22, 2014
Kill Date: Nov. 28, 2014
Shop Locally-Sourced Food
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Shop Local:30

Do you want to shop locally-sourced food and support the regional economy at the same time?
You can do this by supporting Wholesome Wave Georgias efforts to commit to producer-only
farmers markets. Each SNAP dollar spent at a participating market becomes two dollars for both
the shopper and the farmer, making nutritious food more accessible for Georgians.
A message from Wholesome Wave Georgia, sponsored by The Pine.

______________________________________________________________________________

Client Speech

CLIENT SPEECH
This speech is to be given by the owner of The Pine, Scott Parrish. It will take place at The Pine
on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 at 8 p.m. The purpose of the speech is to provide background
information on Parrishs journey to owning his own restaurant, about The Pines dedication to
support Wholesome Wave Georgia and to thank attendees for donating to the charity event. The
audience will consist of prominent members of the Athens community that share the same
dedication to the charity. The ages of attendees range from 33 years old to 55 years old. The
expected attendance is 50 people.

The Pine Gathers for Fellowship and Charity

Id like to begin by saying thank you all for coming out on a Monday night. I know how
Mondays can be so hopefully our event tonight has allowed you all to start off your week on a
less hectic, more relaxed note. On behalf of our family here at The Pine, we sincerely appreciate
your support and attendance tonight.
For those of you who are visiting The Pine for the first time, we hope you are impressed,
and for those who are returning guests, welcome back.
Today we are celebrating three months of business and we couldnt think of a better
group of people to celebrate with. Look around each of you are influential and respected
people in Athens who share the same passions as us a passion for business, a passion for
comradery and a passion for helping enrich others lives.
I have been in the restaurant and hospitality business for over 20 years now. But until
opening The Pine, I have never had my own business, but have always worked under someone.
Opening my own restaurant has been a dream of mine ever since I got into this business and Im
thrilled that you all have had some part in this journey with me. To say I couldnt have done this
without you all would be an understatement.
One of my biggest role models in life is a guy named Danny Meyer whom I met about
eight years ago sitting at a New York restaurant bar called Gramercy Tavern. He was alone and
he noticed I was alone, so he struck up a friendly, casual conversation with me, only for me to
discover he was actually the owner of the restaurant. Come to find out, he owned three others as
well.
I shared with him my dream of owning a restaurant one day and told him I would love to
pick his brain. He told me the best way to get inside his brain would be to read the book that he

had published, called Setting the Table, so I went out and bought it the next day. In it I read
several tokens of advice that I have taken with me on this journey.
The first is that the common key to the success of these projects is creating an
environment where how a customer feels is even more important than what he or she is served.
The second was quite simple actually, in that you get more when you give more. Meyer wrote
that hospitality is a hug, and the best way to get a hug is to give a hug. Think about it. (pause)
Have you ever given a hug where you didnt get one back? The third point was that your greatest
strengths can become your greatest vulnerabilities. My personal favorite quote of his states, If
you don't like pitches, you shouldn't be in baseball. If you don't like waves, you shouldn't be a
surfer. If you don't like problems, you shouldn't be in business.
These lessons that I have learned from Meyer really can be applicable to many facets of
life, not just in the restaurant business. This is also my own way of giving you all a hug and
graciously thanking you for helping support my dream.
Being the owner of a restaurant has not only been something I can check off my bucket
list, but it has also supplied a platform that I can use to give back to this awesome community we
live in. Upon your reservation to tonights event, each of you in this room has graciously made a
donation to our charity event, benefiting Wholesome Wave Georgia. A concept that our chef
Jackie Burton and I have been adamant on is strictly using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients in
each dish. We share the same belief as Wholesome Wave Georgia in that all Georgians should
have access to good, wholesome, locally-grown food.
At The Pine, we are doing our part to help the local economy by only sourcing our
ingredients through the Athens Farmers Market, a participating market of Wholesome Wave
Georgia. This means that every dollar we spend at the market doubles in value, becoming $2 for

the shopper and for the farmer. More money for farmers means more Georgians gain access to
wholesome, locally-grown food. Its a win-win for everyone.
Whether from a business or out of your own back pocket, your gracious donations are
helping the economy and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
Through your generosity, we collectively have raised $5,600 that will be donated in full
to Wholesome Wave Georgia. Since the value of SNAP dollars doubles at the farmers markets,
this total is actually valued at $11,200.
Its an incredible feeling knowing that accomplishing one of my biggest aspirations of
owning a restaurant is in turn helping out a bigger cause. This is what makes all of the hard work
we have put into The Pine worthwhile.
This is an event that I am planning to host twice a year. Having a place where we can all
eat, drink and laugh together while doing something for the greater good was the ultimate goal of
The Pine. Thank you again for coming, and on behalf of The Pine family, we hope to see you,
and feed you, again soon.

Bibliography
Meyer, Danny. Setting The Table. 2006. HarperCollins Publishers. New York.
Wholesome Wave Georgia. 2013. <http://www.wholesomewavegeorgia.org.>

Special Event Memo

To: Scott Parrish

From: Sarah Mathis
Date: Nov. 15, 2014
Subject: Special Event Proposal
________________________________________________________________________
Dear Scott Parrish:
Since The Pine has had a few months to get its feet on the ground, this current holiday season
would be an opportune time to host a charity event benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia. The
planning and logistics of the event are listed below.
The Event
The special event will be a charity night benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia. The Pine will
host 50 of Athens most prominent members who share the same dedication to the cause. The
Pine will host its guests for a night of music, beer, wine and food tastings. The idea is that the
invitees will purchase meal tickets, each ticket being $50, and all proceeds will be donated to
Wholesome Wave Georgia. Because The Pine is normally closed on Mondays, the event will
be scheduled on a Monday evening so as to not intrude on the restaurants regular business
schedule. The planned date will be Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. For the
future, this will become an event hosted twice a year, once in the winter and once in the
summer.

Logistics
Because the event will be at The Pine, no outside resources will be necessary, such as permits
or equipment. There is plenty of parking behind the restaurant so there will be no issue there.

For the guests, there will be a raffle that each guest is entered into once their meal tickets
have been purchased. Every $50 donation enters a guest into the raffle once. For example, if
a guest makes a $150 donation, he or she will be entered into the raffle three times. Raffle
prizes consist of coupons and discounts at The Pine, such as free appetizers or even one free
meal. The big raffle at the end of the night will award the winner with free meals at The Pine
for a year.

Jackie will create the evenings menu and will spearhead all dish preparations. She will
purchase all necessary ingredients.

The Pines manager, Jessica, will be in charge of creating the invitations as well as seeing
that they are delivered. She will also be in charge of creating the final guest list as well as
confirming guests attendance. The day after the event, she will send a follow-up email to all
guests thanking them for their attendance and participation.

Sachin will be in charge of arranging all alcoholic beverages as well as making sure there are
unique nonalcoholic beverages for guests who do not drink alcohol.

One of The Pines bartenders is a member of a band that has volunteered to provide the
musical entertainment for the evening. Because this is a charity event, they are not requesting
compensation for their time. They will provide all of the equipment, such as instruments,
microphones and speakers.

You will be in charge of making a staff schedule who will work the event, including
waitresses, bartenders and bussers to clean up afterwards. You will also need to prepare the
speech you will give at the event, which more information for is listed below.

Promotion
Because this will be an invite-only event, we will send out formal invitations in the mail
requesting the presence of each guest. Invitations will be mailed three weeks in advance,
ensuring ample time for guests to RSVP. One week prior to the event, there will be a final
guest list in place. Once the list is in place, we will then call each guest and make a final
reminder and confirmation on their attendance.

A speech will need to be written for you to give at 8 p.m. The purpose of the speech will be
to provide background information on your journey to owning The Pine, about The Pines
dedication to support Wholesome Wave Georgia and to thank attendees for donating to the
charity event.

Calendar
The calendar below highlights the tasks to be completed in preparation for the event. The
timeframe is approximately a month.
Date
11/15/20
14
11/17/20
14
11/18/20
14
11/22/20
14
11/24/20
14

Summary
The

Task
Submit event proposal to Parrish
Develop tentative budget for event
Meet with Parrish to review proposal and
solidify plan
Jessica to create formal invitations
Jessica to mail formal invitations

12/8/201 Jessica to have final guest list

4
12/10/20
Scott to have staff schedule completed
14
- Jackie to have all ingredients for event
12/14/20
- Sachin to have all beverages for event
14
- Scott to revise and memorize speech
12/15/20
Day of Event
14
12/16/20
Send out Thank-You email to guests
14

charity event
benefitting

Wholesome Wave Georgia will be hosted at The Pine on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 from 7 p.m.
to 11 p.m. The purpose of the event is to raise money for Wholesome Wave Georgia while
also having a night of comradery and fellowship with 50 other Athens members who share
the same dedication to charity. A calendar is included in this memo to keep planning on
schedule.

I am looking forward to meeting with you Nov. 18, to review the event plan and begin the
planning process. Upon your approval of the event, I will present a budget for you to review
and approve.
Website Critique

Memo
To: Scott Parrish
From: Sarah Mathis
Date: Dec. 2, 2014
Subject: Website Recommendations
______________________________________________________________________________
Dear Scott Parrish:

Upon conclusion of analyzing The Pines website, there are effective communication methods
implemented while there are simple yet necessary additions that could be made to further
enhance the interactivity and attractiveness of the website.

The overall appearance of the website is appealing to the viewer. The consistent color scheme
and theme match that of the rustic vibe of the restaurant, with earth-tone colors and a wood
graphic for the background. Adding to the appearance is a slide show of various pictures of the
restaurant and menu items. As for readability, the website consistently uses bold, black headers
that are highly legible. However, the font type used for the copy under the headers could be
larger to enhance readability. For appearance, the website would get a five out of five ranking
while the readability would get a four out of five ranking.

In terms of functionality, the website is extremely user-friendly. It has a straightforward

navigation bar on the left side of the page that lists the lunch, dinner and drink menus, upcoming
events, a photo gallery, the crew page which gives a brief description of the four main
employees, and a contact page. Also included is a search tab as well as direct links to The Pines
other forms of social media, including its Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus pages, Yelp site,
Instagram account, Foursquare and Pinterest pages. For navigation, the website would receive a
five out of five on a ranking scale.

All of the content throughout the website is appropriate in that any question a visitor of the site
may have should be answerable, including menu items, location, upcoming events and hours of
operation. If for some reason there is a question that the website cannot provide an answer to,
there is a suggestion or question box that is directed to The Pines email address, which is
monitored daily in order to ensure a prompt response. The website is updated daily, as it lists the
specials of the day, and new pictures are constantly uploaded to the site. For appropriateness of
content, the website would receive a five out of five ranking.

As for completeness, the website would receive a three out of five ranking because of the
additional features that could be included. Because of the unique menu items that are exclusive
just to The Pine, it would be beneficial to include pictures of each item. Another feature that
could be added to enhance the completeness of the website would be to include a tracker to
monitor website views. One feature that the restaurant Gramercy Tavern uses on its website is a
video that encapsulates the restaurant in one minute, from its staff to its food to how the
restaurant began. This would be great for The Pine because it is still such a new restaurant and

could showcase the personality and vibe of the restaurant to potential patrons. One final
recommended addition would be to have a tab that links to any articles or press releases that
feature The Pine.

For the most part, the home page consists of the majority of writing on the website. The other
pages, including the lunch, dinner and drink tabs, list menu items with very brief descriptions.
The tab that gives descriptions of four of The Pines members is also very brief, about one
sentence each. The majority of writing is on the home page where the restaurants concept is
described. The tone of writing is very colloquial, warm and inviting. The passages are in short
chunks so as to not bog down the reader. The Pines motto, Eat, Drink, Together is displayed in
punchy headers on the home page that further invokes a sense of comradery. The mature yet
friendly tone of writing is appropriate for the target audience, Athens residents aging from 21 to
45, who are the most likely audiences for The Pines website.

It should be noted that the graphics and photos throughout the site are professional and high
quality. Items are also quickly and easily downloaded.

Overall, The Pine has an effective form of communication in its website, but has much more
potential. It has several strengths, in that it has an attractive and professional appearance and is
very user-friendly. However, there are certainly some additions that could be incorporated to the
website to make it even more interactive and attractive, such as adding a visitor tracker, creating
a video of the restaurant, including photos of each menu item, and also adding a page for press

materials. These few but crucial recommendations could catapult the website into being a much
more high-traffic avenue.