To better prepare students for management careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry, Saint Joseph’s University recently adopted a certification program offered through the National Restaurant Association. One of the first University students certified in the ManageFirst Program, Erin Weidler of Lititz, Pa., has applied her training to help a local restaurant stay competitive, despite the recession.
Weidler, who will graduate on May 16 with a degree in food marketing, worked over the spring semester with an area restaurant where patrons come for the spirits – both the drinking and paranormal kind.
Located in Mount Joy, Pa., Bube's Brewery is an intact historic 19th century brewery and museum complex rumored to be haunted. A large structure built in the 1800s by Alois Bube, a German immigrant, Bube’s Brewery consists of three restaurants, two bars and a Victorian hotel.
Weidler’s challenge was to help this family-owned business weather the recession. Higher unemployment, the economy and rising gas prices have impacted restaurants, fine dining in particular.
“In class, we learned strategies for helping businesses market themselves during a recession,” explained Weidler. “What I needed to do was to find a way for Bube’s Brewery to differentiate itself from competitors.”
When Weidler learned Bube’s offered the only location in the U.S. where patrons can dine in underground catacombs, she knew she had found her source for differentiation.
Located 43 feet below the ground, Bube’s Catacombs Restaurant is comprised of old stone cellars where enormous wooden casks used to store aging beer. The stone caverns are lit only by candlelight, which creates an atmosphere of mystery.
Weidler developed a comprehensive analysis and strategic marketing plan for Bube’s to capitalize on the uniqueness of the catacombs, which included a recommendation for the establishment to join Lancaster County’s Chamber of Commerce.
“The business of running the brewery is very consuming,” remarked Elizabeth Hoover, manager of Bube’s Brewery. “We don’t have the time to step back and think about things like strategic marketing, which is why Erin’s recommendations were so insightful. Already, we’ve implemented some new strategies and are seeing the benefits of those efforts.”
After graduation, Weidler has accepted a job with McCormick & Company, Inc., in Arkansas. She is confident the diversified skill-set she has developed through her food and restaurant marketing education has prepared her for a successful career in the food industry.
Contact: Office of University Communications, 610-660-1222, ucomm@sju.edu
