50 Great Ideas

Stamp of approval

When a server announces the specials of the day to a table of guests, there’s always one who asks that they be repeated. And table cards listing the featured dishes are kind of boring. Struggling to come up with something different for Yolo, his high-energy Fort Lauderdale, Florida, restaurant, owner Tim Petrillo remembered an event in Colorado where the hosts stamped the logo on each paper-covered table.

“I found a local business that crafted customized stamps,” he says. “They created a big one for us with inserts that can be changed daily to reflect our featured specials.” Yolo’s greeter now stamps each table with the fish, soup and chef’s choices of the day—providing customers with an indelible and unforgettable record.

“Guests love it,” Petrillo reports. The stamp not only generates a lot of buzz, it helps customers better absorb information and frees up servers from endless repetition.

#50 | Using your noodle

#49 | Eat a pita, feed a kid

#48 | Ask the staff chaplain

#47 | I’ll be calling you

#46 | Rolling in dough

#45 | Fried chicken flies the coop

#44 | A penny for your calories

#43 | Better than a lobster bib

#42 | Bending the bento

#41 | Billboard redux

#40 | Dining at the fountain of youth

#39 | Building a better box

#38 | Roll out the barrel

#37 | Mochi Madness

#36 | A toast to Belgium

#35 | Screening employees on the screen

#34 | An Olive Garden customer sat here

#33 | Setting the e-table

#32 | The buck strolls here

#31 | Gin game

#30 | Childhood revisited

#29 | Moveable feast

#28 | Certified gluten free

#27 | Buy a car, eat a meal

#26 | Locating the best Happy Hour

#25 | Local broadcast

#24 | Tabletop taps

#23 | Double the pleasure

#22 | The three Bs

#21 | Cocktails to amuse

#20 | Fans of the grape

#19 | Whole animal accessorizing

#18 | Translucent menus

#17 | Have oven will cater

#16 | Allergic interaction

#15 | Greener produce

#14 | Competing to win at weight loss

#13 | Space saver

#12 | Test kitchen=test market

#11 | Be my guest

#10 | Plug in and eat up

#9 | Rx for pilferers

#8 | Hands free—and clean

#7 | Some like it too hot

#6 | Chicken fried steak gets its day

#5 | The staff that reads together…

#4 | Twinkle toast

#3 | Stick with this

#2 | Stamp of approval

#1 | From seed to fork

Do you have a great idea for 50 Great Ideas? Please use the form below.

Stamp of approval

Quick Links