U.S. Postal Service Helps Restaurants Reach New Patrons With Every Door Direct Mail® Service

HOUSTON, June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For any restaurant or small business to succeed, they must identify, grow and retain a customer base. To help restaurant owners understand how to reach new customers, the U.S. Postal Service hosted a discussion with Underbelly's Chef Chris Shepherd, Restaurant Owner and 2014 James Beard Foundation Award Winner, today at the Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace. Shepherd shared marketing insights from his own experience and highlighted the benefits of a service like Every Door Direct Mail® from the U.S. Postal Service for local restaurants.

Every Door Direct Mail from the U.S. Postal Service allows restaurant owners to send a wide range of promotional materials like menus, coupons or fliers to potential customers in the surrounding area. Local restaurants can use the free service to digitally map their neighborhood and quickly find and target their ideal customers based on demographic information such as median age or household income.

'With all the information out there for how to run a business and retain customers, it can be overwhelming," said Chef Shepherd. "Direct mail is a great tactic for small businesses and a service like Every Door Direct Mail from the U.S. Postal Service makes it more accessible for local restaurant owners.

Direct Mail Helps Small Business Reach New Customers

Direct mail is an effective way for small businesses to generate leads, traffic and sales. It helps a message cut through the clutter and encourages interaction by putting your message directly in a consumer's hands.

• According to the USPS 2012 Mail Moment Research, seventy-five percent of people like to discover what's in the mail and consider the time they spend with the mail well spent.
• Direct mail creates that one-on-one connection that other media channels can't match.
• Every one dollar spent on direct mail generates $12.57 in sales according to the Direct Marketing Association.

"Direct Mail can be an extremely effective tool to not only find new customers, but also to build relationships with current customers", says Joyce Carrier, Manager of Sales Outreach for the U.S. Postal Service. "We've seen restaurant owners show their valued customers they appreciate their business through thank you cards and discount coupons or by offering special birthday or anniversary discounts. These easy-to-implement direct mail pieces help restaurants go that extra step and offer a personal touch."    

U.S. Postal Service at Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace

Shepherd joined the U.S. Postal Service earlier today at the Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace - the largest foodservice tradeshow in the region - to discuss Every Door Direct Mail and share marketing tips with restaurant owners and chefs.  Chef Shepherd shared his experiences to help other small business owners navigate the various marketing opportunities out there to establish a successful plan. Recently, he also used Every Door Direct Mail to help spread the world about some exciting, new changes to Underbelly's wine line with more than 2,000 households in the restaurant's immediate neighborhood.

For more information about essential shipping and marketing solutions from the U.S. Postal Service including Every Door Direct Mail, visit usps.com/business/business-solutions.htm.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service