Industry Insights: Best Practices When Sending Journalists Restaurant Drop-Offs and Packages
I recently got an email requesting I do a dedicated post on do's and don'ts (and best practices) of when a restaurant sends journalists a meal or dish to try.
This may have several different roots:
1 - Perhaps a fast-casual chain is launching a new protein option for their popular burrito bowls and wants you to have an advance taste to assist with breaking the news.
2 - Maybe a beloved fast food spot is trying a spin on their spicy chicken sandwich and wants you to try it so you can write about it.
3 - Perhaps it's tied into some national X day. The salad chain wants to send you their latest salad collab for National Salad Day or the chain restaurant is celebrating National Taco Day by sending you their own spin on the taco that's about to be added to their menu.
This is pretty commonplace for food writers (and is a good problem to have!), but after years and years of this, there's absolutely been some revelations about the best (and worst) way to do this...
Maybe some of these tips will be of help...
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