Thanks to the internet (errr…twitter), I spent last Sunday having a ton on fun. I know I should have been home cooking soup or cleaning a bathtub but …..I have my priorities. It’s called “ENJOY TORONTO”. Which is exactly what I did.
My day looked like this:
11:00 – noon: Met a friend at La Bamboche (1712 Avenue Road) to try their green tea croissant. I had been reading updates on this croissant on twitter and facebook and knew I wanted to try it. PS. While I’m mentioning La Bamboche, can you please mark off March 20th in your calendar for Macaron Day!! I will be blogging about this special day in a few weeks. Promise.
Love the concept of a green tea croissant. Just had to try it!!
12:30-1:30 pm – Dropped by the Junction Flea Market. For close to two hours I strolled by 3 floors of unique exhibitors. I was so impressed by this impressive event which is held the second Sunday of every month. I didn’t buy anything but boy was I tempted!
Special mention to these vendors: These Woods, Rune, @crownflora,
2:00 – 3:30 p.m – Went to The Rhino (1249 Queen W) to enjoy their Winter Beer Fest. I had NO idea that there would be 300 other craft beer fans there!! As Rob said (from Beaus All Natural). “Clearly there is a demand for more Craft Beer events”. I had a blast sampling a variety of beers and can’t wait to return for their next Beer Fest.
Beers ..that I sampled!
NO shortage of beers to try!!
People ask me all the time “How do I found out about all these events”. The answer is: “I find out about these events on Twitter”. Seriously.
Wonder what I will be doing this Sunday? Stay tuned!!
Beaus All Natural, Beer, Junction Flea Market, LaBamboche, Macaron Day, Rune, The Rhino, These Woods
Dear Restaurant Owners:
I have been involved with social media now for the last three years and have always been an advocate that restaurants should be using twitter and facebook.
I know for a fact that when restaurants engage with me, I will most certainly be “checking out” that their restaurant to show some “love” right back at them. Case in point: Table 17. They engaged with me so much, that I organized TWO tweet ups there.
I’m a little slow with “liking” restaurants on facebook but lately have gotten up to speed. (what took me so long?). One weekend, I saw THREE facebook updates that interested me:
a) Butter Avenue posted: Matcha Latte is now available.
Perfect for a Winter Day
b) LaBamboche posted: Here’s a photo of our bacon and blood orange macaron
c) SmashCake Desserts: She posted on twitter about her frozen peanut butter cheesecake cookies. I was so intrigued that I ordered 4 of them in a heartbeat. I would have never heard of this young entrepreneur based in Toronto had I not seen her tweet.
Guess who went running to both restaurants? ME. That’s right. What I’m trying to say is: Facebook and Twitter really work. There is a ROI – it’s hard to tell because not everyone announces that they came to your restaurant cause they saw your post but it DEFINETELY works.
However you have to use it and manage it. You can’t just post or tweet and not check in for a week. This defeats the purpose.
It also defeats the purpose if your staff do not know that the restaurant is on twitter and what the twitter username is – this actually drives me crazy. I can’t spread the love about your restaurant on twitter if none of your staff know the twitter username!
Ok – enough said. I think you get it.
PS. Would love to know from anyone else who has made purchases as a result of facebook or twitter.
For more info:
Butter Avenue 3467 Yonge St. (647) 341 8686 Twitter: @butteravenue Facebook: www.facebook.com/butteravenue
LaBamboche: 1712 Avenue Road & 4 Manor Rd Twitter: @labambocheTO Facebook: www.facebook.com/labambochepatisserie
SmashCake Desserts: Twitter @SmashCake_TO Facebook: www.facebook.com/iwantsmashcake.com Tel: (905 616 2480).
Butter Avenue, Facebook, LaBamboche, Macaron, Matcha Latte, Restaurants, Smash Cake Desserts, Social Media, Table17, twitter
News Flash: There is a great event supporting a great cause on March 20th and I really hope you can participate.
This special day was created by the owner of
La Bamboche who knows a thing or two about making great desserts and has a vested interested in “community causes”. He knows that there’s a lot of macaron fans out there as well as pastry shops that were all too happy to participate in
Macaron Day. The whole concept of Macaron Day is simply genius and I’m sure a lot of money will be raised (for the
Red Door Family Shelter, by the way)
and a lot of macarons will be eaten too.
Sadly I will be eating my way thru Detroit on March 20th and unable to participate. (sniff). But I have a feeling this won’t be the only Macaron Day and I will be able participate sometime in the future.
Hope you have a chance to visit any of the pastry shops listed below to support Macaron Day.
You can also follow them on twitter @MacaronTO. #JustSayin’
Congratulations in advance, as I know this will be a spectacular event.
LaBamboche, Macaron Toronto, Macarons, Red Door, Red Door Family Shelter, Toronto
