Tavern on France Using Social Media to Build Following

The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the patio at couldn't have been more inviting on Monday afternoon, July 11. That's when the eatery chose to reward its Facebook followers with a Wooden Nickel Party, from 2-6 p.m.

"It's an exclusive party on the patio with a $5 food buffet that features a wide array of our favorite appetizers," explained manager Megan Clark.

Gaining entrance required RSVP'ing to the event on Facebook and then collecting a wooden nickel from the hostess station. There, Laurel Elm, social media manager for both Tavern locations and Flame at the Rosedale Mall, sat with her laptop and made it easy for folks to sign up on site.

Guests received free run of the Tavern's huge patio, an inexpensive buffet that included various sliders, bruschetta and spinach dip, and a couple of chances to enter a drawing for a 42-inch television. The wooden nickel also gives customers access to future discounts and special offers.

It is Elm's job to increase the neighborhood restaurant's online presence, which she has done by putting together events like the Wooden Nickel party. 

"The director of operations kind of challenged me to take it and grow it," Elm said of the bar's Facebook following.

The Edina bar has more than 1,100 Likes and going strong, especially after June's "Like Me" Loot contest that awarded a $998 gift card to Facebook fan Chad Forde. The Tavern gave an entry to those who "liked" its page and additional chances to those who shared the page. It promised to pay out an amount equal to the number of Likes received by a certain date, which proved to be exciting for Forde.

"The guy was just freaking out," said hostess Emily Reed, when she talked to him on the phone about the prize. Apparently he needed a manager to confirm that it wasn't just a blip on his Facebook screen, but that he was, in fact, the winner.

The Wooden Nickel celebrants enjoyed their day as well. Leah Toillion, who lives in Eden Prairie and works nearby, savored a cocktail and the buffet as she took in some sun.

She heard about the party, "just on Facebook," while she was surfing the internet.

"Actually, my company has a lot of parties here," she explained, so she knew the venue would be nice.

Alicia Ferrari, a Tavern regular, brought her mom Deanna to the party. They live in Edina and Alicia made sure they both signed up online.

"We live close by on Parklawn," said Alicia, who hangs out at the Tavern frequently.

Tavern on France attracts Edina residents and people who work nearby, as it's one of the only casual places to have a drink in the city. Elm is looking to use social media to reach out to more people in a fun way.

"We really wanted to do it more grass roots-y. Actual starting a conversation with people—get people here and involved and creating a community," she said.

It's catching on, as General Manager Shaun Hinson now checks in with Elm about how many followers they've gained. She started her career behind the bar in Edina, so she knows the clientele here well. 

"It's been really fun for me to watch it grow," Elm said. "I see new people when they come in and a lot of people know I run it."

There's more to come too, as they've yet to announce who won that Insignia HDTV and a sport-related offer is slated to run next for the pub's Facebook fans.

Of course there's only one surefire way to keep up with these developments—by "Like-ing" Tavern on France Edina on Facebook. While there, you can sign up for your very own Tavern Wooden Nickel as well.