Suggestions to improve this bistro
Stentorious-PGO
Posts: 50 ✭✭
Hello all I realize back in April i shot myself in the foot putting trainer instead of villager in the supplemental info. And I guess I need to sell this a bit better. Beyond those two fixes any other tips on how to improve this nomination?
Comments
I think you might struggle to find something that raises it above everyday restaurant?
So it serves "good food", but what about it meets the eligibility criteria? There is nothing in your description or supporting statement that explains that. And saying that it is a "great place to meet" without any supporting context isn't enough. A random street corner can be a "great place to meet", but that doesn't mean the street corner is eligible.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm always shocked how little effort people put into learning about the things they are nominating. The FIRST thing I do when I'm nominating some local business is pull up their Facebook page and website. How do THEY present themselves as unique to the community? What things do they promote?
In this case, the website is underwhelming - locally sourced food and wine you can carry out. Big whoop.
But on the FB page, you'll see that they host wine tastings and have live music "Music in the Cellar". They also sell something called a "wine slushie." That sounds like a unique product to me. I had to click on "Mentions" to see this info.
I don't know why but I can't add the link to the FB page - I found it through Google from several states away.
There's a lot here to add to the nomination to make this place sound unique and interesting.
I agree with the suggestion above about citing the music performances. Links to published reviews or awards would help too. Finally, you're going to have some trouble with "Location Inappropriate" rejections in the US because it serves alcohol. Without awards and accolades to get rid of all the "Other Rejection Criteria" votes, I don't think you'll make it past the "Location Inappropriate" crowd. It's got potential, but will take a lot of work and probably multiple submissions, imho.
@SeaprincessHNB-PGO wrote:
But on the FB page, you'll see that they host wine tastings and have live music "Music in the Cellar".
Now, this is something that would allow me to justify accepting it as a great social gathering place. It allows the bistro to stand out instead of being "just another restaurant".
They also sell something called a "wine slushie."
This isn't as big of a selling point for me, but it is something worth mentioning since it is a unique food item. But typically, I find descriptions focusing on food to be bad in general, but YMMV depends on who you get as reviewers.
Now compare your description to one that I had recently got accepted through appeals.
Title: Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse
Description: Beckley's premier Japanese steakhouse and popular spot among locals and travelers looking for an unusual dining experience. Guests can be entertained by talented hibachi chefs at the open grills, dine at the expansive sushi bar, or by romantic candlelight.
You will notice that in my description, I don't mention the food at all beyond the general genre of the restaurant. Instead, I focus on the restaurant's unique atmosphere and why someone would want to go there.
As for my supporting information:
Featured on the official West Virginia state travel website and guide (https://visitwv.com/) under casual dining. Note that the January 2020 clarifications states that restaurants, pubs, or any other businesses featured in travel guides meet the Wayspot Criteria.
Since this nomination, the restaurant was moved from the casual dining to fine dining category and the criteria were updated later in November. So the clarification I cited wouldn't be relevant to nominations today. But again, you will see that I did not focus on the food, but on what makes the restaurant stand out from its competition.
I want to emphasize that mentioning the wine slushie is one prong in a multi-pronged "attack." It's not the only highlight I would use but adding it in a sentence shows that they have unique items on their menu that you can't find anywhere else in town.
No worries as you may see from my number of posts I’m very new to this. This post was made on my very first initial round of submissions. I didn’t even know this community existed or that people were so skeptical. I assumed when it said a place to socialize and not a chain restaurant voters would be happy to approve this place. Thanks all for the advice.