How a tire company got into the restaurant business and sold more tires.
There are too many restaurants in Vegas worth driving to.
It must be easy being a restaurant in a hotel on the strip.
Simply brand the restaurant and serve decent food; the people staying there will surely make an appearance.
As for the restaurants off the strip, that’s where the gems are.
Living in Vegas for two weeks, the Thai restaurant to visit is in Spring Valley, twenty minutes west of the strip.
Eating the best Thai food I’ve ever had, Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen was worth the short drive.
Which reminds of the story on how Michelin stars came to be.
Like how Ford created a reason to own a car, Michelin created a reason to drive.
In 1900, brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin created the first Michelin guide.
Inside, you would have found instructions on how to repair and change tires, plus local places to eat and visit.
Since few cars existed on the road, the guide was given out for free, establishing Michelin’s authority in the tire space and also encouraging people to drive more.
Because if customers drive more, the more they’ll need tires.
And as a tire company, the more tires you sell, the better.
By 1926, restaurants in France were capable of receiving a star for what’s considered a “fine dining experience.”
About a decade after that, the rating system was bumped up to three stars.
Here’s what the rating system looks like:
One star is for a very good restaurant in its category.
Two stars is for a restaurant with excellent cooking, worth a detour.
Three stars is for exceptional cuisine, worth making a special journey for.
While this whole rating system has evolved into something more restaurant-focused rather than car-focused, at its start, the premise behind the Michelin brothers’ guide still hold up.
Whether indirectly or directly, create an environment in which people need your offer.
In Michelin’s case, it’s giving people a reason to drive: dining at detour-worthy restaurants.
For another example on creating demand out of thin air, read here about how the two-day weekend was created.
— George
