TO: Megan Akatu, Director of Sales and Marketing & Joe Kurth, General Manager
FROM: Erin Moston, Patrick Shea, Eric Moser, John Rumer, Karie Wolf
SUBJECT: Recommendations to improve the Morris Inn marketing Plan and Dining Experience
PURPOSE
The purpose of this memo is to recommend several strategies to improve the marketing plan for the Morris Inn team. The goal is to increase awareness about the newly improved Morris Inn within the South Bend community. If that is achieved, the suggestions should help fill the Morris Inn restaurants- Sorin’s and Rohr’s- with local customers. Additionally, the strategies are put into place to increase returning customers on a regular basis. Our team is determined to improve the image of the Morris Inn and replace the dated concept that is currently associated with the Morris Inn.
BACKGROUND
The Morris Inn was built in 1952 on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Its construction was primarily funded by a generous donation from Ernest M. Morris, a 1906 alumnus of Notre Dame. In 2012 Ernestine Morris Carmichael Raclin, the daughter of Ernest and Ella Morris, provided funding for the Morris Inn as a gift to the University. This renovation brought major improvements to the outdated Morris Inn, including expanding it from 92 rooms to 150 rooms, 18 of which are suites. The size of the beds improved from double and single sized beds to king and queen sized beds. In addition to the improvement in bed size, the renovation saw the introduction of the Irish tavern Rohr’s and improvements to the fine dining restaurant Sorin’s. Also, the new 24-hour fitness center, gift shop, and the Fireside Terrace, an outdoor extension of Rohr’s that is complete with sofas, umbrellas, and fire pits, are a result of this renovation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Increase exposure efforts in the South Bend area, while focusing on specific target markets
In order to encourage more locals to come onto Notre Dame’s campus to eat at