On July 15, 2008, EatDrinkMadison.com went live as the only dining guide to help people find restaurants and bars based on amenities, events and occasions. It was the culmination of many months meticulously researching and typing in the information (e.g. address, meals served), description and amenities tags (e.g. pool table) for every establishment in the Madison area, though not all suburbs were present at launch.
Thank you for using the guide and reading the review section (blog). It’s been a fun and challenging journey, to say the least. Much has changed in the food landscape in Madison from 2008 to 2018. Here are some examples:
Prevalence of other dining guides. I couldn’t believe the number of dining guides out there, but most had incomplete or inaccurate information, and they were hardly ever updated.
- THEN: We used to have tons of local websites like madisoncuisine.com and madisondining.com. Almost all of them don’t exist anymore.
- NOW: Sites like Google scrape data or hope for user-input to create restaurant listings.
Drink prices. Every time a bar updates its specials (some bars do so way too frequently), they usually raise prices by 25-50 cents. That adds up over time.
- THEN: $2.50 Jack mixers Wednesdays at City Bar, $4 jumbo Absolut mixers Mondays at Wando’s, $4 jumbo Jack mixers Fridays at KK
- NOW: $3.50 Jack mixers Sundays at City Bar, $6.50 jumbo Tito’s mixers Saturdays at Wando’s, $4.50 single Jack mixers Fridays at KK
Web presence. Good luck finding information about a restaurant online in 2008 (that’s partially why EatDrinkMadison.com was created). One thing that has not changed: restaurants continue to forget to put their hours on their websites or social media accounts.
- THEN: Many restaurants have no online presence, although a few are on Facebook and surprisingly, MySpace. Most of the websites basically do nothing but list an address and phone number (e.g. no menu, no reservations).
- NOW: Many restaurants at least have a Facebook page, and every day more and more have a website created by EatStreet.
Taking photos and videos. I used to be slightly embarrassed about taking photos in a restaurant. Nowadays, it’s becoming common practice, even by non-food bloggers.
- THEN: I used my digital camera to take photos of food. No camera phone was good enough back then.
- NOW: People use their phones and immediately post to SnapChat, Instagram or other social media sites.
Deals, deals and more deals. At one point, EatDrinkMadison.com had a partnership with half-price deal company Mobile Spinach, which never paid me its commissions and went out of business.
- THEN: Consumers had access to half-priced deals from national companies like Groupon (first deal in Madison came on June 9, 2010) and Living Social; local companies like Dane Exclusive Deals; and local media outlets.
- NOW: Restaurants and retail stores became got tired of losing money and seeing little repeat business from the deals. New apps pop up now and then, but none seem to be able to sustain themselves.
Media appearances. What better way share your food expertise than by doing interviews with the media?
- THEN: I used to appear 3-4 times a year on the morning show of News 3, and I’ve done interviews with other outlets such as Fox 47 News and The Capital Times. I also used to host “Open Seating” on Madison’s CW.
- NOW: I mostly use my blog and social media platforms to connect with people about food and events. However, I’m still holding out hope for hosting a show on the Travel Channel or Food Network.
Product reviews. Many brands these days are seeking out influencers to spread the word about their products.
- THEN: Every so often I would receive an offer to review a product, such as Salute American Vodka.
- NOW: With a high readership, the blog is now listed in the media database Cision, and subsequently I receive 3-5 pitches every day.
We’ve also seen the rise (and sometimes fall) of several food trends, including cupcakeries, gastropubs, froyo shops, ramen noodle restaurants and poke restaurants. What’s in store for Madison in the next 10 years? I can’t wait to find out, and I hope you’ll continue the journey with me.
Thank you again,
Brian
