As a musician and restaurateur, that event from the past played a big role in my decision to offer music when I opened my Deli.
I know a lot of musicians and I found it wasn’t hard for me to get quality musicians to play. We started offering live music Friday and Saturday nights—featuring all kinds, from folk to jazz, country to blues. We’ve even had a classical duet drop by to play. As the music caught on, we considered having music every night. Ultimately we stuck with Fridays and Saturdays only, so that customers who prefer a quieter environment could have their night.
Our business has definitely benefited from having live music.”
Our business has definitely benefited from having live music. Our revenue has grown and we have built a reputation for bringing in high quality performers. Of course offering great food never hurts.
It seems our business has benefited from revenue growth and the growing reputation for offering high quality music with our great food. Musicians love to gig here. They play for 1-1/2 hours and we feed them. Another big plus is their families can experience their music without having to hang out in the bars where they typically perform.
I truly believe the right kind of live music ads to the pleasure of dining out. It creates a welcoming environment that increases your sensory experience. It makes it more enjoyable to eat out instead of eating in. I’m sure many folks have music on at home when eating, but nothing beats live music.
That’s not to say that it always works. If music is too loud, it cuts off conversation. The Deli is not a concert venue, and music is not our main focus, so we take care to remember that. In addition, not everyone is going to like every artist and, since we cater to families, we can’t have any music that might be considered risqué or offensive.
Fortunately Salt Lake City is beaming with talent, so it’s not hard to find the right kind of music.
Of course we don’t charge guests for the music, but we do unashamedly ask them to support local live musicians by tipping generously. Some guests do not feel like they need to support music that they did not ask for, but even so—most like the music and show their appreciation. Musicians keep coming back, so I guess it’s working for them. This seems to be a good balance.
What’s in it for me? I mentioned increased revenue but, more importantly, I get to combine my passion for the business with my love for music. This is the first time in my career I have been able do that. I can be seen playing my music on the occasional weekend nights. I’m not using the music to make money, directly, but it has developed our business in several ways. Our brand has evolved from SLC’s only Jewish Deli with great traditional food but also one of SLC’s most unique music venues. And we may be the only Jewish Deli in the whole country to offer live music in our dining room!
Take that Adam Sandler!
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.