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Ponchatoulas / Log Cabin

Our Story

Work Includes

  • BRANDING
  • PRODUCT PACKAGING
  • WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
  • MENU DEVELOPMENT
  • SPECIALTY MARKETING

The Start of the Difference

The initial spark of what would turn into a long-time partnership began in the late 90’s with local restaurant owner, Johnny Gaudet, on various local restaurant ventures. In 2004, Gaudet joined Ruston local, Chris Garriga, and introduced to the market what is known known as the Ruston college-town staple in Ponchatoulas. Shortly thereafter, another soon-to-be staple restaurant, Log Cabin Grill & Market, was introduced by the partners and the quick growth of the two establishments was the first peek at the immense potential that resided in their partnership. Ruston, Louisiana prides itself on tight-knit community values and unmatched Bulldog spirit as the home of Louisiana Tech University – a rapidly growing higher education institution.

The two establishments present a different appeal within the market as Ponchatoulas is known for its Louisiana, Cajun flare and “The Cabin” is coined as the downhome grill and market, presenting extensive variety in offerings from TexMex and steaks to seafood. The difference in market appeal between the two establishments lead to different objectives on the hunt for a partner in growing the business, calling for an agency that could not only navigate the multi-fold objectives as a partner but that could excel within them, as well. Ponchatoulas, a weeknight and weekend hub for college students, was looking for a partner that could not only build upon the college student base with promotion of the bar and restaurant business, but that could grow the establishment as a local business lunch spot and a must-stop for tourists. On the contrary, Log Cabin Grill & Market needed a partner with an intense understanding of the full-service restaurant business and an ability to market it in a way that built long-lasting customer loyalty and retention. Kalmbach Smith Meadows fit the bill as the right agency for the job and over 15 years later, the establishments have grown into multi-faceted operations that include a Ponchatoulas wholesale and packaging division, as well as a full-service Market for the Cabin; not to mention an extensive catering presence made possible through the acquisition of private-label catering trucks.

BRANDING

Product Packaging

With the introduction of the Market within the Cabin establishment, the agency developed a floorplan for optimal traffic and product merchandising and designed the interior of the Market for visibility of core branding elements through signage such as door clings, wall hero logos, point of purchase displays, and lobby presentations. As the Market began to take its form, we developed product labels for local Ponchatoulas and Cabin favorites to be offered in the Market: seasonings, heat-n-serve sides, fresh meats, and branded T-shirts. The local’s favorite offerings soon turned into an opportunity for a wholesale division requiring product one sheets, sales booklets for distributors, website development for distributor links and pass-through ordering, as well as a presentation to sell distributors on the food items that so quicky captured the affection of the surrounding area.

Website Development

With an existing POS and online ordering system, Ponchatoulas and Log Cabin were not in need of e-commerce functionality but rather a custom CMS website with portal integration that allowed for a continued flow of commerce. Kalmbach Smith Meadows built both websites to be mobile-responsive: a critical element in an age where an average of 60% of all online searches occur on a mobile device. Each site features video elements to optimize brand and product visibility, as well as landing pages that feature certain products. As the Wholesale division was introduced, it was important to align the recognition and recall behind Ponchatoulas’ existing brand with the wholesale launch. Our recommendation was to integrate the wholesale division and necessary functionality into the existing site but to also create a specific URL for clarity in the wholesale distributor search. Inside the wholesale URL is a password-protected portal for distributors to access their own accounts which include necessary marketing materials.

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Menu Development

Patrons need to know what their options are and at these two establishments, they have plenty! After receiving the menu items and associated pricing, Kalmbach Smith Meadows reviewed, providing consult for product positioning and organization of item by best seller or loss leader. The agency developed and designed dine-in, lunch, to go, drink, kids and catering menus. Each menu was crafted in part by custom food photography attained through on-location sessions that are organized and coordinated with restaurant staff in order to ensure timely execution; as we know that in the restaurant industry, time is money and the kitchen doesn’t close. Each image was shot with professional grade quality, optimized for all forms of application (including menus, social and digital platforms, billboards and signage.) We, as an agency, know the value in adapting to worthwhile trends and with the adoption of QR codes during the COVID-19 pandemic, all menus were converted to digital formats and available for scan on each table, allowing the restaurant to implement a touchless process for patrons.

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Specialty Marketing

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As the catering business grew, so did the need for a way to transport significant amounts of food to the target venues. Custom designed vehicle wraps were added to catering vehicles and trailers for brand extension in the market, according to exact model specifications.

While we wish that we had a way to print vehicle wraps in our office our agency maintains exceptional relationships with third-party vendors and often, our clients do, too. Working with a reputable, local vendor with ties to the Ruston partners, custom vehicle wraps were ordered through the third-party and billed direct net to the client. Ponchatoulas and Log Cabin incurred only production costs with the agency for the artwork files. Case in point: if we can’t directly do the entirety of a job ourselves, we know those and partner with those who can.

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T-shirt Designs

In a town filled with young college students and an expressed need to reach them, it was crucial to meet our audience where they are. In this particular event, that need uncovered the value in Snapchat filters based on geographic parameters around the facility. Extending the social presence, the filters were designed, developed, and put into play by the agency.

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