After Christmas, we spent two weeks in Vietnam, delighting in delicious food every day. It’s one of the real joys of the place – glorious fresh produce and an amazing variety of dishes.
Every region is different – and everyone in Vietnam seems passionate about the preparation of their particularly speciality.
The place we remember most fondly stands out not just because the food was superb.
Miss Ly restaurant in Hoi An was unforgettable because of the owners’ story.
As we stood in the glow of brightly coloured traditional lanterns at the restaurant entrance, our charming host, a rangy American, explained how he had visited Hoi An as an architect many years previously, and fallen in love with the owner’s daughter. They married, and now manage the front of house and kitchen, while her mum, Miss Ly, who founded the restaurant in 1993, is still producing her sophisticated Vietnamese treats.
Their story is reinforced throughout the restaurant with photos of the family
Together with a large and beautiful painting of Miss Ly herself.
At the conclusion of the meal, every diner is given a reproduction postcard of this painting as a memento. It’s a brilliant example of storytelling at the core of a business. We’ll never forget it.
How many great stories can you tell about your business?
Have you ever shared them?
Your customers are exposed to more than 5000 marketing messages per day. Consumers are becoming highly selective about what gets their attention.
Great storytelling can help you cut through the clutter. Especially the incredible amount of noise online.
By presenting interesting and relevant information, and being more imaginative about how you deliver it, you can be the tall poppy. Telling your story in print can be a simple way to stand out.
I love stories like this because they so clearly demonstrate the power of story telling. In this case, the fact that you will never forget this restaurant. Seriously how else could a restaurant in teeming Hanoi distinguish itself where for many service, quality or price may already be in place.
We remember restaurants if something memorable happens in them. These people have understood that their story is romantic and indelible and in a nice sort of a way they are leveraging it. for their business Everyone has romantic, happy, inspirational stories to share. Both off and online. Thanks for telling their story Vivienne.