The Abbi Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and a chef at Reno Local Food Group, a restaurant group with about 10 locations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Abbi Agency?

We use The Abbi Agency to help us with our messaging, branding, PR, and community involvement. We’ve also leveraged their expertise in the national media. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’ve worked with the Abbi Agency since I had my first restaurant. It started with the planning of our website’s design, including its color, look, and feel. 

Then, from that point onward, they’ve helped us get the right people in our events, such as in grand openings. These people can be local dignitaries, personalities, or charities that we’ve always wanted to work with. They also help us get into publications and magazines and be ahead of any news of what’s coming into town.

We run the business, and The Abbi Agency helps us get notoriety. My job is to be willing to follow their advice, host people, and provide customers a great experience. Their job is to bring me these people and help me grow. We’ve become bigger, and we use them now for project management and specific campaigns. They’ve also helped us develop our social media platform. 

What is the team composition?

We always work with a client interaction manager, so we always have a person to go to if we need direct access to the agency. We work with 2–10 people whenever we have a grand opening, a launch, a rebrand, or any ongoing event.

How did you come to work with The Abbi Agency?

I knew Abbi (Owner) as an intern at the first restaurant I had in 2002. Over the years, we’ve remained friends. When I came down to Reno, I was the sole proprietor of my group. When she came down to Reno, too, we pushed each other’s careers and went to work together. I’ve known her for almost 20 years now.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the years, we’ve spent at least $500,000 for their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2010, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’ve seen a 500% increase in ROI. The Abbi Agency provides similar metrics quarterly. I’m not too concerned about those metrics, however, since I’d rather have their people spend time on doing things for us instead of showing me what they’ve done. 

We’ve earned around $5 million back from them. We’ve acquired social capital and views from magazines, TV, publications, social media platforms, and blogs. We’ve received many awards, and a lot of them are based on the hard work of The Abbi Agency. Our company has also received nominations, recognitions, and local and national press coverage.

We started as a small, independent restaurant, but we’ve now grown into a restaurant group that’s always at the forefront of every story coming out of Reno — and that has been based on the work that the Abbi Agency does for us. 

How did The Abbi Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything about their project management is excellent, including their PR, marketing, and social media services. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What distinguishes the Abbi Agency from other providers is that they’re real. They’re in our community, and they’re hardworking and hands-on. There aren’t any people sitting in a big castle in the sky telling other people what to do. They have their boots on the ground. The team is willing to engage with everybody, and that’s one thing I truly enjoy about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none. They’re doing a great job. Abbi is known for being passionate about whatever causes. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you hire The Abbi Agency, they’re not going to create the business for you. They’re not going to tell you what to do. You have to have a vision, and you have to know what you’re doing. Then, you can use them and give them direction. They’ll give you suggestions, but as a business owner, you should know what you want. 

Listen to what they have to say — it’s a two-way street. Be willing to listen to what they’re doing. They’re thinking outside the box, and that’s what makes them so great.