Martin Kruger, owner of Nautical Bowls Richfield and newly opened Nautical Bowls Mall of America, shares his unique experience of turning a missed opportunity into a thriving catering success story. For Martin, the key ingredients were not just açaí, granola, and peanut butter, but a genuine connection he built within the community.
It all started with a missed encounter at Nautical Bowls Richfield. A potential catering guest had stopped by the store, but Kruger wasn’t there at the time. The Shift Lead collected the guest’s name and number and within hours, Martin was calling the guest only to discover the guest had already placed an order with a competitor. Undeterred, Martin expressed his willingness to cater for future events. Little did he know, this initial outreach would set the stage for a significant turn of events. Later in the week, the potential guest gave Martin a call, “The one thing he mentioned about the competitor was they [the bowls] weren’t ready on time and they had to make two trips to deliver the product. Marginal product with marginal service was what he was implying,” recalls Kruger. Determined to showcase Nautical Bowls’ commitment to excellence, he ensured the guest that the Nautical Bowls order would not just be on time, but also provided with white glove service – no room for marginal products or services!
Martin took the extra step to build camaraderie with the customer, recognizing the power of personal connections in business. “People buy from people they like,” he emphasizes. This approach proved fruitful when the customer, impressed by Martin’s commitment to the business, walked into the Mall of America store and requested another catering order.
“The business he works for does a lot of catering for their employees. He does the ordering, and he is now a fan of Nautical Bowls so he added us to the rotation. Really, it was more organic than anything,” explains Kruger. The repeat business wasn’t a result of aggressive marketing; instead, it evolved naturally from a positive and authentic interaction that could have been missed without follow-through.
For Kruger, the key takeaways are clear: build rapport with all guests, ensure every order is first-class, and identify potential catering opportunities within local businesses. “The hard part is getting to that decision maker. If you do and they’re a fan of the product, that is when and how to secure catering orders,” advises Kruger. He shares his strategy of dropping off free bowl cards to decision-makers, turning them into fans, and subsequently gaining access to their employee catering rotation. “Make the decision maker a fan, and other employees will follow suit. They’ll eventually get you into the rotation,” he suggests.
In a world where relationships matter as much as the product, Martin’s journey exemplifies the power of community engagement and personalized service in building a successful franchise business. His story serves as an encouragement to see each interaction as an opportunity because one positive connection can lead to remarkable success, no matter how the connection is made.
