Bricks Wood Fired Pizza Finds the Secret Sauce for Success
“The biggest thing that hit me was not only the number of vouchers sold, but that 46% of those 11,000 customers were visiting Bricks for the very first time. All you can ask for is for a person to come in for the first time.”
Bill Wilson, owner of Bricks Wood Fired Pizza and Cafe
About Bricks Wood Fired Pizza and Cafe
Bricks Wood Fired Pizza and Cafe was founded with one goal: prepare great pizzas the way they are supposed to be.
Bill Wilson, its founder, began its journey from a memorable family vacation. About 15 years ago, Bill experienced the delight of brick oven, wood-fired pizza during a trip to San Diego. This experience left an indelible mark on him, and after three years of research and development, Bricks was born.
The local pizzeria now serves delicious brick-oven pizzas. “I wanted to center the menu around that brick oven. 2500 years ago, it started this way and it's still the best way. It's pizza as it was meant to be," says Bill.
The Challenge
Initially, Bill Wilson had no interest in couponing or traditional advertising for Bricks. Relying solely on word-of-mouth marketing, he felt that his product and service would speak for themselves.
However, when a Groupon representative reached out, Bill decided to give the platform a chance and discover the results a local marketing campaign from Groupon could deliver. “I had a Groupon representative give me a call one day to explain the program. And I thought, you know what, I’m gonna give it a whirl and the rest is history,” Bill recalls.
The goals Bill set for his first Groupon campaign was to attract new customers without a substantial advertising budget and to turn these first-time visitors into repeat patrons.
The Results
The first Groupon campaign was launched just before Thanksgiving, positioning it as a great gift for Christmas. The results were astounding: over 5,000 Groupons were sold. A second campaign in the spring generated even more success. What’s more, 46% of the restaurant’s Groupon customers were first-time visitors to the business, giving Bricks a chance to wow them with an amazing product and bring them back for more.
Bill couldn’t have hoped for a better result for his restaurant. “It was a madhouse the day after the beginning of the first campaign, and for 2.5 months after that. After this, it's up to you to get them back with your product and with your service. And we feel we have done that. The repeat business this year has shown us to be up over 15% in sales from last year. A lot of that Groupon is responsible for”, he explains.
“With Groupon, it's like a second coming. I get goosebumps every time we talk about it because where else can I get 5,000 people come through my door and 46% are first-time visitors.
I could spend thousands of dollars every week on every magazine publication in the neighborhood and I wouldn't get that response."
Bill Wilson
Top Tips for Working with Groupon
👉 Leverage Groupon for Visibility: Groupon can be a powerful tool for attracting new customers. As Bill’s experience shows, it can significantly boost traffic and expose your business to a large audience with minimal upfront cost.
👉 Plan Strategic Launches: Timing is crucial. Launch your Groupon campaigns during high-traffic periods or special occasions to maximize visibility and sales. For example, Bill launched his first campaign just before Thanksgiving, capitalizing on holiday gift-giving.
👉 Focus on Customer Experience: First-time visitors are an opportunity to showcase your products and services. Ensure that the customer experience is unforgettable, and you will convert one-time visitors into loyal patrons.
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