TavCo’s new owner launches upscale menu

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published March 2 in The Heights Observer
The Tavern Company has a new owner and a new menu.
Chris Armington, who worked for 12 years at Brennan’s Colony as a bartender, server and manager, now owns The Tavern Company, also known as TavCo. “It’s always been a dream of mine to own my own business,” he says.
After signing the papers last November, his dream came true, and in January, Armington introduced a new menu for 2010. “If you’re a bar on Lee Road, you have to have wings and burgers, so we do that. But we also wanted to offer things that are a little more high end, and not be like every other bar on Lee Road.”
Additions to the menu—such as the seared tuna sandwich with orange pickled fennel and tarragon aioli on a crispy portabella mushroom bun, which replaces the old menu’s tuna melt—provide a more sophisticated take on the restaurant’s previous offerings.

Social Media: Reaching Out To Consumers

by KELLI FONTENOT

Published in the November/December issue of Candy and Snack Today magazine

The Internet connects suppliers and retailers with millions of consumers every day. Discover how networking sites can gauge shoppers’ attitudes, raise brand awareness and reinforce positive associations with the category.

As candy retailers and suppliers explore sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, they are realizing their impact on brand awareness and company credibility.

Social media is definitely sparking consumers, with more than 105 million in the U.S. using these sites. What’s more, two out of three participants in a recent social media marketing industry report noted an increase in web site traffic, subscribers or opt-in lists after investing just six hours per week.