Professionals cook up business over lunch

For many professionals, lunch is an opportunity to conduct business, whether closing a deal, treating a client or simply networking.

The payoff can be tremendous just ask Re/Max Realtor Janet Parsons. Parsons discovered a $700,000 real estate deal while eating lunch at Nearly Famous Deli, her favorite lunch spot for the last 15 years.

"A couple that I knew was sitting next to me," Parsons said. "(They) asked me if I knew of a home on a country club (where they) could watch the sunset over the golf course."

She showed the home later that day and closed the deal two days later. Parsons would not disclose the buyer.

While Parsons doesn't necessarily schedule business lunch meetings, other professionals do it religiously. Take Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance President Luke Nixon, who eats out five days a week.

"Lunch is a very important time for me," said Nixon, who divides his daily lunch hours between meetings with members of his sales staff and clients.

He conducts internal business three days a week and treats clients to lunch the other two days.

"It helps me to keep track of what's going on in the office and keep track with what's going on with them. It gives us one-on-one time," Nixon said.

Nixon's client lunch meetings have a different tone: less business and more personal conversation. "Mainly, it's getting to know them," he said. "It gives us a chance to talk about things other than business in an out-of-the-office environment. We talk about everything from kids to hobbies to business."

Nixon said he mostly frequents Steak and Ale, Thai House and his Wednesday favorite Galloway Station. "Sloppy Joe's on Wednesday, that's their special."

Commercial Realtor Tom Rankin uses his lunches as a tool to generate new clients and spend time with existing clients.

"It's a good time to hook up with them to discuss an idea or a project or somebody's real estate needs," Rankin said on his cell phone, while leaving a lunch meeting at James River Grill. "It might be an existing client who has a new need; they're looking at building a different facility or something's changed within their business and they want to discuss how it affects their real estate."

Targeting lunch crowds

Springfield restaurants only stand to benefit from business meetings over lunch, and a number of them cater to such clientele with reasonable prices and quick service.

Steak and Ale, where reservations are recommended, markets to the business diner with its six lunches for $6, all served in less than 15 minutes or the next lunch is free, according to restaurant General Manager Jimm Swafford.

"Those are affordable and for the folks that are in a hurry," Swafford said.

Since the restaurant began marketing the six lunches about a year ago, Swafford said lunch volume has risen 8 percent. Overall, lunch comprises 28 percent of Steak and Ale's business.

More than 50 percent of sales comes from Market Place Caf's lunch menu, according to Manager/Owner Doyle Simpson to emphasize his business clientele.

"Our location helps," Simpson said. "We're close to all the government buildings downtown; there's a lot of law offices around here, too."

He said the key is pricing meals inexpensively enough to keep customers coming back.

At Agrario, visitors during lunch make up about 40 percent of total guests, but only 20 percent of total sales.

"Dinner is where we make most of our money," said owner Eric Zackrison.

But the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant has been known to host a city government or downtown organization lunch meeting. Zackrison said the dining room's design facilitates private conversations.

"We're spacious enough so you can sit at one table and not be overheard," he said.

Other downtown restaurants are attracting new lunch clientele as well.

Springfield Ready Mix General Manager George Innes conducts most of his lunch meetings downtown, whereas a year ago he rarely did. Innes said he eats out downtown twice a week, sampling Trolley's, The Epicurean, Agrario and Rasta Grill.

"There are great downtown restaurants that we didn't have six to eight months ago," Innes said. "They're serving lunch, and the prices are cheaper."

And cheaper is better, Innes said, considering 90 percent of the time he is treating a client to lunch.

But business activities during lunch are not for everyone.

"I typically do not schedule lunches for conducting business. I usually talk business, but it's usually with someone within the company, not with clients," said Mark Harrell of Plaza Realty. Harrell said he prefers to avoid the difficulties associated with lunch meetings: distraction of food, conflicting schedules and lack of privacy.