Wheelhouse Pizza Kitchen Grand Opening

Established in 2018, Wheelhouse Pizza Kitchen in Oklahoma City offers New York-style pizza, wings, sandwiches and more than 20 craft beer options in a family-friendly environment. The concept was created by Loc Le, founder of Edmond-based Jimmy’s Egg. The restaurant offers space for more than 90 guests and the pizza is made from scratch with well-sourced, fresh ingredients.

CHALLENGE

Wheelhouse Pizza Kitchen was an entirely new concept and not a recognized brand. There was a need to promote their grand opening in a market already saturated with pizza restaurants. The restaurant’s location, at the intersection of May and Hefner, was chosen for the community feel and close proximity to popular residential neighborhoods. However, there were concerns because of its location outside of Oklahoma City’s up-and-coming entertainment and dining districts within the urban core. Koch Communications partnered with Wheelhouse Pizza Kitchen to provide public relations services during the months leading up to the grand opening.

STRATEGY

Koch Comm conducted competitor research and focused on similar local restaurants and how they interacted with customers, media and influencers to determine the best approach for outreach. Research also included identifying bloggers and media that were not only local but would also actively engage with the brand on social media and/or be interested by focusing on the unique aspects of the restaurant.

To combat the concern of location, Koch Comm targeted influencers who work in the area and live in the surrounding neighborhoods to increase interest in the new concept. Unique influencer outreach included food and travel bloggers, local podcast hosts and local photographers.

The Koch Comm team was constantly in communication with the client to create a strategic campaign, and a mutual trust was established that made brainstorming a team effort between the two entities. Additionally, Koch Comm implemented community outreach efforts to gain awareness before the grand opening, creating buzz and excitement. This included a formal press release announcing the grand opening, a media preview event and multiple media interviews. The Koch Comm team also assisted by inviting influencers to soft opening events.

During the media preview event, Koch Comm targeted highly-active and engaged media members ranging from radio personalities to newspaper, magazine and television reporters, and local bloggers. The team also hand-delivered custom invitations to media members that included coupons, a menu and a formal invitation.

RESULTS

The media event, soft opening and grand opening were a success for the client. Koch Comm effectively engaged the media and community to achieve and exceed the client’s goals.

– More than 90 inches of printed news stories

– 37 media/influencer mentions ranging from social media posts to television coverage over a two-week time period

– Total earned media value of $47,591