Willy Wonka Dinner Experience

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

In an effort to boost wine sales and put on a one-of-a-kind dining experience, the Food and Beverage team came up with the concept of a Willy Wonka themed dinner. The dinner featured a 5-course menu featuring film-related items like 3-course gum, Fizzy Lifting Drink, edible wallpaper, snozzberries, etc. Wonka Bars were made and placed around the Club for promotion. In addition, “movie posters” promoting the event were hung in the entryway. While the event was decorated with everything Willy Wonka, the menu was exciting and the drinks were delicious, the real concept of the Willy Wonka Dinner was the promotion of the event and tickets.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

The idea behind this event came from BHYC’s Executive Chef Rich Heimbuch to help promote wine sales towards the end of the summer. On select weekends, when a member ordered a bottle of wine to the table, they had the chance to find a golden sticker on the bottle, followed by a golden ticket. The golden ticket was their complimentary entrance to the Willy Wonka Dinner in October. This helped push wine sales because members wanted to win the ticket and see what all the hype was about. The members were told about the promotion through social media, the website, and our email blasts. When the member won a ticket, they were featured on our social media pages as the lucky winners of the golden ticket. Five members won the tickets. We also put on social media an “evening news” video announcing the winner.