For Mercer Street Hospitality, Real Life is Better

If Lure Fishbar were launching in today’s social media environment, it’s hard to imagine founder John McDonald would do anything differently.

The legendary seafood concept, whose Manhattan location celebrated its twentieth anniversary this year, has always thrived in the sweet spot between no-gimmicks quality and imaginative ambiance. The dining room’s maritime décor is a photogenic dream, augmenting Chef Preston Clark’s award-winning cooking. Lure’s combination of fun and food has proven to be a memorable one-two punch that, in many ways, anticipated today’s TikTok-driven buzz machine — without bending to it.

“In so many restaurants today, the personality you see online kind of takes on a life of its own,” says Lindsay Brandes, Director of Marketing for parent group Mercer Street Hospitality. On social media, Brandes is careful to convey the concepts’ distinct identities while keeping the focus on the in-person experience itself. “There’s something really fun about restaurants that know how to be playful and create this character, but it has to be backed up by substance,” Brandes says.

She recalls a recent team outing to a sceney new restaurant in Manhattan. In a post-meal debrief, people were heaping more praise on the ambiance than the food. “John was like, ‘Yeah, that’s great, but we don’t need to do any of that,’” Brandes says. “He just wants people to come in, love the meal and the vibe, and that’s it. He wants the food and drink to speak for themselves.”

This IRL-focused approach stands in contrast to many restaurants active on social media, which go overboard to create a scene or a brand idea while only winking at the in-person product. (Think grid posts of Audrey Hepburn photos, rococo oil paintings, etc.) Mercer Street is more interested in posting content that pertains to the kind of food and hospitality you’ll experience in the restaurant. Brandes points out that this philosophy happens to work better for today’s era of restaurant discovery.

“The stuff that’s performing right now is unpolished video content,” she says. “On TikTok and [Instagram] Reels, it’s less about the restaurant’s owned content and more about influencer-driven, user-generated content: video that’s not professionally shot, people talking about their own experiences in your restaurant. It puts the emphasis on what guests actually experience and see.”

Mercer Street believes even without social media, delivering a superior experience is the best form of marketing.

“When you consider the small number of people who see your content versus the hundreds of people who come into your dining room every day, multiplied by the power of word-of-mouth promotion, it’s clear to us that real people’s opinions have exponentially more impact,” Brandes says.

Delivering better hospitality, in fact, is what all of Mercer Street’s technology is about. “Technology is at the forefront of everything we do,” says Brandes. “I spend a lot of my day on Resy, SevenRooms, Yelp. On BentoBox I’m always updating our menus and hours and pop-up alerts.” Eighty percent of the group’s marketing is digital, Brandes estimates, spread across tools like email software, social media scheduling software, and ad platforms.

Beyond marketing, the operations team uses technology to communicate amongst managers and staff at ten locations around the country. They use CRM software to keep track of guest preferences across restaurants and ensure an elevated experience no matter where a guest decides to dine. “Being able to anticipate the kind of wine you want when you walk in always feels kind of magical.”

John McDonald’s single-minded focus on in-person hospitality resonates with the whole Mercer Street team. “Everyone who makes this all happen is so unbelievably passionate,” Brandes says of the Mercer Street team. “It was apparent from the first conversations I had — there is a true love at the center of this restaurant group.”

Follow Mercer Street Hospitality on Instagram @mercerstreethospitality, and check out the full list of The BentoBox 25.