As a senior in college, I can thoroughly attest that getting a cheap meal is the highlight of my week. A local favorite, Fuji, does just that Monday through Saturday from 11-2. Fuji has implemented a lunch special in hopes to attract a younger crowd, get them hooked with a cheap meal, and keep their attention long enough to return to their restaurant.
When speaking to the manager of Fuji, she stated that it is their main goal to attract young people with a special and then keep their attention with their excellent service and great food. She then went on to say that from personal experience and from also looking at what other local restaurants have done, have a special of some sort can do just that. The menu for their special is a little smaller than the normal menu, but the options for $7.99 hibachi are: chicken, vegetable, steak, and shrimp, which from what the manager and chefs told me are the most popular items on the menu to begin with.
In a perfect world, marketing in such a way would work for every local Ames restaurant, but that is not the case. Often times businesses in college towns (The Other Place) don’t last simply because students are there nine months out of the year and then the remainder of the time it is a ghost town. Students broadening their horizons and trying new places, then voicing to community members, family members, and friends what they like about certain places can be just the difference