OYES 40 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!

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Catering Available
Open 7 days a week for breakfast lunch and dinner
www.leosconeyisland.com

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Cakes for your every occasion
Cookies • Ice Cream • Fresh Coffee

Inside Sweet Dreams Bakery
Now Open! Nestle Toll House — Orchard Lake Location.
4153 Orchard Lake Rd., Orchard Lake, MI 48323 — 248.737.8900

Bakery Hours:
Mon-Wed 9am to 8pm, Thurs 9arn to 9pm, Fri & Sat 9arn to 10pm, Sun 11 am to 8pm
vvvvvv.sweetdreamsweb.com

Restaurant

I t alian Cuisine

248.476.0044

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Farmington Hills • Corner of Grand River & Haggerty Road
Auburn Hills • 1 "s miles south of the Palace of Auburn Hills

76

October 25 • 2012

1787520

I

f you live in Oakland County
a wedding that very night for a
and you haven't been to a
young lady whose bat mitzvah he
Matt Prentice restaurant, then
catered years before. He caters all
you don't know good food.
their family events, and, in fact, the
Matt has been a staple
matriarch of the family was
around here for 20-
one of his first diners at his
plus years. This has
first deli. She had ordered
been a big year for
a large platter and said,
Matt; he opened two
"Make it a good one, and
new restaurants on
I will tell all my friends, but
Northwestern Highway:
if it's not good — everyone
Morels, a fine dining
will know."
restaurant, and Detroit
Matt laughed and said,
Prime, a classic Detroit
"I guess she liked the
steakhouse, both under
platter, because I've been
his new company
working with her family
name, Matt Prentice A
ever since."
Culinary Experience.
I asked Matt if he
Matt also started a Facebook
planned on blogging that story with
fan page, blog, Pinterest board and
some pictures from different events;
Twitter account. Needless to say,
it could be a nice marketing piece
Matt Prentice is a busy man.
for him. He sounded hesitant and
This may sound crazy, but I am
said, "I bring the food and create
writing this article without having
the ambiance, but it's their wedding,
eaten at Morels or Detroit Prime, but their event and their pictures. It's
based on the rave reviews of others,
not my place to use their event for
I can only assume they are fantastic.
my marketing. I think the real story
My conversation
happens when their
with Matt on Sunday
friends and families
began awkwardly. I
come to their events
asked him if he would
and see my staff and
mind my recording
me every time. They all
our conversation on
know we do a great
my iPhone so I could
job for the family."
reference it later.
Matt is not wrong;
His response?
attitude is the essence
"You can record
of social networking.
conversations on your
When one person tells
iPhone?"
their friends what they
After a mutual
like, and why they
Matt Prenti ce
laugh, we started
like it, the audience
talking about his new company and
wants to find out more. Matt's
the social media platforms he uses
customers may not be checking
to promote the brand. He told me
in on Foursquare or Facebook
that he was just "someone who
every time they come to eat. They
makes excellent food and gives
may not be the type of people to
unmatched service" and joked about
tweet a picture of their dinner. But
his "inability to understand how
Matt can hire someone to blog
social media works."
and build his brand, use it to tell
Matt hires a company to run his
the history integral to the Detroit
social media experience. He sounded
Prime ambiance, he can even use it
apologetic while telling me, as if he
to attract some young folks to his
was apologizing for not knowing
restaurants who tweet and check in.
how to do it himself. I reassured
But the fact is that Matt knows
him that it's OK to hire experts;
social media better than he thinks.
consultants are hired everyday so
He is authentic, he is present
that business owners can stick to
where he believes to be relevant,
doing what they are good at.
and he wants to make long-term
As we talked about the different
connections with his customers. That
catered events that he offers, he told
is what social media is all about. The
me that he was actually catering
technology is just a tool. 17