Finale Desserterie & Bakery — creating sensational dessert experiences

Established in July 1998, by Paul Conforti and Kim Moore, Finale set out to make super-premium desserts available to everyone. By Valentine's Day of the following year, Finale had attracted a lot of buzz from local and national media as well as a curious customer base. Having celebrated 10 years in business in 2008, Finale added three more locations and, consequently, more sensational dessert experiences for thousands.

Challenge: Communicating the mission and message

Since Finale is focused exclusively on desserts, the restaurant didn't suffer from a great deal of competition, but did face the perception that decadent dessert is an extravagant indulgence that may be out of the price range of many diners. In addition, while weekends, holidays and special occasions generated consistent business, attracting customers to the restaurant mid-week and 'just because' was a challenge.

Notes president and co-founder Paul Conforti, "We are a place where people can affordably indulge and escape the pressures of their daily lives. It's a treat for anyone, for any reason, with any budget."

As the media continued to highlight Finale's ultra-premium desserts, it became more imperative to communicate the message that Finale's desserts are not limited to special occasions, but ideal for everyone, anytime. In addition, Finale had cultivated a loyal, growing customer base to which it needed to communicate.

Solution: An ideal partner — flexible, affordable, functional and effective

Finale began using an email marketing solution from Constant Contact to communicate events, new desserts, special offers or other news to its customers. Conforti notes that Constant Contact provides several characteristics that make it an ideal partner. "Constant Contact offers affordability, functionality, ease of use, and effectiveness. Love it."

Finale quickly realized that it was experiencing a significant boost in reservations and inquiries following each email campaign it sent. "We always sell out events when we use Constant Contact to tell our customers about them," said Conforti. People are writing back just saying thanks for asking. It's a very real way to be connected to our customer base. "For example, we recently used it to tell our guests about a tasting at our Coolidge Corner location. We sold out 40 seats from an email we sent the week before. At $30 per seating for 40 seats; that's $1200 in revenue with one email message."

The restaurant has also used Constant Contact to request feedback from its customer base. For example, in July Finale sent out an email asking customers what they'd like to see on the holiday menu. Finale received more than 100 responses to its mailing in 24 hours and more than 300 in 72 hours.

"People are writing back just saying thanks for asking," says Kim Moore, Finale's co-founder. "It's a very real way to be connected to our customer base."

Results: Customer feedback says it all

Finale now has more than 14,000 customers who receive its emails. The results have been absolutely sensational. From sold out events to customer feedback thanking them for the emails, Finale recognizes the tremendous value Constant Contact has provided to the business.

Said Conforti, "It's the best when a customer writes back just to say 'you guys are great,' or 'wish you would open a Finale in XYZ city, because I moved here and I miss you!' It feels great to know we've connected with customers in such a way."

In addition, based on the success of the holiday menu email they sent requesting feedback, Finale will also soon roll-out Constant Contact's ListenUp! online survey tool in order to obtain even more valuable feedback from it's customers.

"No matter how successful a restaurant is, having the time and budget for a successful marketing campaign is difficult. Advertising costs too much money and it doesn't guarantee that guests will come to your wine dinner. And your publicist can't guarantee that the local paper will write about your event either," said Moore. "For us, we have been successful at filling the room on a Monday night with clear and simple email marketing through Constant Contact. And it only costs us a small monthly fee."