The Diplomat is a landmark restaurant in Regina, Saskatchewan and has remained the city’s premier steakhouse since 1979. Elite and locally owned, The Diplomat is best known for their fine wines, gourmet dishes, and has been ranked among the top 100 Restaurants in Canada.
The Diplomat has had years of success selling gift cards in the restaurant but owners Dimitrios, John, and Peter Makris wanted to take advantage of their online business opportunity. They wanted a platform where clients could make gift card purchases on their website while reducing cost. AnyCard provided just that; a low cost simple web-based solution that complemented their already popular gift card program.
Challenges
The ownership team was searching for a new way to increase revenue and decrease costs. Before AnyCard, the Diplomat had tried promoting the restaurant online with minimal results but they knew appealing to the tech savvy customer would set them apart from the competition. Recognizing that many of their customers were from outside the area, the Makris’ wanted to make it easier for anyone that couldn’t make it into the restaurant to purchase their gift cards and eliminate the hefty cost and waste of mailing out plastic gift cards.
How AnyCard Helped
“It was a great opportunity,” Dimitrios Makris noted when he learned about AnyCard’s e-gift cards. He and his partners were impressed by the variety of features and the advantage of having the restaurant open for business 24/7. Dimitrios enjoyed that customers could choose from dozens of unique designs and add a personal message to each e-gift card sent. He also liked that customers had the option to post-date e-gift card delivery so they could send it anytime, anywhere, to anyone.
“E-gift cards are not something that everyone offers right now. It sets us apart from other restaurants in the area,” Dimitrios explained. E-gift cards have increased The Diplomat’s revenue by $5,000 and are helping to broaden their appeal to out of town customers and late night shoppers. Now when there are inquiries about gift cards, they can simply direct customers to their website. They no longer have to worry about customers being able to make it into the restaurant while they are open. “I always rave about it. When people call I say, ‘you can just go to our website and buy a gift card!’ It’s safe and it gets sent right to their phone!”
For The Diplomat, the best part about using AnyCard is the costs they have been able to cut from mailing out plastic cards, “Now we save on the cost of the cards, packaging, mailing, and the resources to manage it all. Saving these costs is a big factor for me.” It also means less waste! AnyCard has helped The Diplomat become more cost efficient and environmentally friendly all at the same time.
At a busy restaurant, managers and staff don’t have time to worry about confusing and complicated technology but that’s not the case with AnyCard. “It’s a great system. Anyone from management to hostesses can easily use AnyCard. Everything has been pain free. It’s a really nice system.”
Key Takeaways
- The Diplomat increased their gift card revenue by $5,000 with e-gift cards.
- E-gift cards helped cut costs and reduced waste.
- AnyCard’s online and easy to use platform has upped their competitive advantage.
“It’s a great accessory to have,” noted Dimitrios. “It was very fast to get up and running: effortless, painless and we were set up before we knew it. “The Diplomat also benefits from Gift Card sales generated through the AnyCard Marketplace! It’s a win-win.”
You can gift a delicious meal to a friend, loved one or special customer right now by clicking Diplomat e-gift card.
Learn how we can help grow your business at www.anycard.ca.
Written by Alexa Taylor, AnyCard Marketing Coordinator