Site name: Buca di Beppo URL: www.bucadibeppo.com Background information: Buca di Beppo is a neighborhood restaurant where guests feast on family platters of real, immigrant, Southern Italian specialties in a boisterous, celebratory environment that recalls the Italian-American supper clubs of the 1940s and 1950s. In immigrant fashion, they serve their food family-style, in portions meant for sharing.

Site name: Chili’s URL: www.chilis.com

Background information: Chili’s offers a distinct, fresh, healthy mix of grilled American favorites prepared in a way that keeps guests coming back. Chili’s is part of a family of restaurants operated by Brinker International.
Site name: Smokey Bones URL: www.smokeybones.com Background information: Smokey Bones BBQ is a casual dining restaurant that combines great-tasting, authentic American barbecue with a rustic, mountain lodge decor. Smokey Bones is part of a family of restaurants operated by Darden Restaurants.
Site name: Outback Steakhouse URL: www.outback.com Background information: Outback offers high-quality food and service, generous portions at moderate prices, and a casual atmosphere suggestive of the Australian Outback.
Although beef and steak items make up a portion of the menu, Outback also offers a variety of chicken, ribs, seafood, and pasta dishes.
Exercises:

a. What characterizes a good restaurant Web site from a marketing standpoint?
What elements should be present on a Web site to make it an effective marketing tool?

b. Which of the above Web sites do you believe presents the best marketing effort?
Why?

c. Which of the above restaurants advertises promotional merchandise on their Web site? How effective do you believe promotional merchandise is in attracting customers?

d. Overall, discuss how effective you believe Internet Web sites are in marketing a restaurant concept. Why?