When you decide to look into a new restaurant, where do you find out the latest information? Seasonal Dining Deals hopes to attract Naples residents to their site where they list some of their favorite dining deals in the area. They offer information that will help someone hoping to dine on a budget make the right choice in restaurant. Finally locals and tourists alike can find good food at a price they can afford.
I recently spoke with Joshua Yearout about his website and the restaurants he lists.
Tell us a little about Seasonal Dining Deals.
Seasonal Dining Deals is a Naples, Florida website dedicated to providing the largest and most complete listing of dining specials for this area. It is our goal to provide an easy to navigate, informational site that will help locals and tourists alike enjoy that special restaurant they have always wanted to try or to find a jewel hidden in a set back strip mall.
What inspired it?
The idea for Seasonal Dining Deals began when two couples prepared to go out to dinner one August evening. The restaurant had not yet been chosen, so the discussion was based around what each wanted to eat and what each knew about the specials being offered at local area restaurant. Ideas were coming from everywhere, first hand experiences, suggestions from coworkers, ads in the newspaper, on the radio or television. It was then that we realized a need for complete listing of these specials that everyone loves so much. So from an established need and a hunger for good food and great value, Seasonal Dining Deals was born.
How does it work?
The site navigation and search functions are simple. You have the options of searching by restaurant name, cuisine, location, or special type. You can select one attribute or multiple to limit your options down, from there our site will search through the local specials and present the ones that meet your selections. Once a search is complete and you are viewing a restaurant our site continues to offer similar specials at similar restaurants through our “Notable Specials” Tab as well as our “Featured” Tab. These tabs are linked into your searches to provide you with additional options that match what you are looking for.
How many restaurants would you say are listed on your site at this time?
Currently we are listing approximately 80-85 restaurants offering dining specials like 50% select items, two 3-course meals plus a bottle of wine for $35, BOGO dinner offers, and fixed price menu’s.
If a local restaurant is interested in being listed, what do they need to do?
If a local restaurant is interested in being listed, they would want to contact us directly at (305) 741.DEAL or [email protected]. The other option we make available for our dinners and restaurants alike is the “Recommend a Restaurant” page. Here you are able to suggest a restaurant that we may not be currently listing.
Do you have any goals that you hope to accomplish over the next year or so?
Well seeing as we have just launched the site our goals over the next year are primarily sales goals and upgrades to the initial site. Within 2 years we are looking forward to spreading Seasonal Dining Deals to 8 other seasonal markets.
What are some lessons your business has taught you?
I have learned literally thousands of lessons from the various businesses in which I have been involved. Some of the greatest lessons Seasonal Dining Deals has taught me are: 1) Great businesses don’t have to cost a lot of money to start. 2) Outsource! Let others do what they do best, your time is often worth more than what you will pay someone to do certain jobs. 3) Start sooner than later or time and ideas will pass you by. 4) Follow through else all of your work will go to waste. 5) The biggest lesson I’ve learned from other ventures that have not succeeded was to learn from your mistakes and get back up to try again.
Do you have any tricks that have helped you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
At least once a week put it all down… Leave your work alone for a day, it will be there when you get back. Life is to short to be focused on work 24/7 most of us are starting businesses to be able to enjoy life, never forget that and the balance will come.
What advice would you like to offer fellow entrepreneurs that are just getting started?
Get started, follow through, and don’t quit. I have a few other entrepreneurs that I bounce ideas off of and get great support from and they have been an invaluable resource. Get plugged in and if you can find a mentor who will help you learn, but not do it all for you, then you will be 1-step ahead of the game.