Business Literature

In this age of computers and high speed Internet access, every company should have some type of Internet presence, a Website. With all the tools and free web hosting company's it is very simple to develop a website, so every company should have a site. Just having a website is not enough, the need to understand the customer is very important and with all the tracking tools that are available, it make this very easy to do.

The company that will be researched Ruby Tuesdays, http://www.rubytuesday.com. If you are not familiar with Ruby Tuesday's, from the news from this past week, it is a restaurant chain with about 500 stores worldwide. The company uses the web and web browsers to connect each store to the home office in Maryville, TN. They have a very user friendly website that promotes the menu, the company and new things that they are doing to keep the customers interested. Currently they are promoting their new Gift Cards, a month ago it was the new menu rollout. The company also has a section just for kids, drawing and nutritional information. The company does not do any direct selling from the website; they make you go to a store to reap the benefits of what the website is promoting. They have an "Ask Dr. Ann" section so that you can ask the doctor nutritional questions and get a response from the doctor, herself.

Ruby Tuesday's uses an Intranet/Internet to help each store connect directly with the home office and to have relevant reports and current data current, or within the last 15 minutes, at there finger tips. The "Portal" is universal to all stores, but much of the data that is seen (sales, labor, etc...) is only about that particular store. The "Portal" also connects directly to the home office for accounting, food ordering and e-mail.

The website has financial statements, franchise capabilities, investors, current press releases and where to find current and new stores, all this information is just a couple of mouse clicks away. A potential employee can find a store close to their home and can join the Ruby Tuesday's team and future franchise investors can start getting there ducks in a row to become a franchise owner. You can also contact Ruby Tuesday's with questions, problems and/or comments about anything you wish. How convenient is that?

Every form of research is being used to help stay competitive in the food service industry. The research that is mostly used is the customers purchases and there comments about the food. Ruby Tuesday's was the first restaurant company to put nutritional information on the menu and be one of the first with the low carb menu items. Listening to the customer is what Ruby Tuesday's does and that is how they are able to be successful.

For the first time in Ruby Tuesday's history, they have started to advertise on TV, a company with 500+ stores and been around for more then 30 years, has just started doing TV commercials. That is a little unbelievable. They have been using the internet to add value to there company, customers, investors and there employees. Some of the things that they put on there