The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired is a small family-run cafe that opened its doors in Dulwich Hill back in July 2020. Specialising in bold Sri Lankan flavours, they have since grown from just a cafe serving brunch to also becoming a restaurant serving a successful dinner menu.
The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired crossed paths with Triple 888 after winning a month’s worth of social media management services for free in September 2020. As with the rest of the hospitality industry, they were facing the affects of COVID-19 restrictions plus the added pressure of having just recently opened their business.
Their main focus was to create noise within the food scene and to raise awareness of their unique Sri Lankan-inspired menu. They were hopeful that revamping their online presence would bring in more customers and keep their business afloat.
It was also notably the client’s first time working with an agency so it was important to ensure all relevant parties were aligned on the business’ goals.
Strategy Consultation
An initial strategy consultation was conducted between Triple 888’s social media team and The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired’s team. This allowed both parties to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s goods and services, as well as provide a forum for the client to address any concerns or questions regarding our social media management services.
During this consultation, we were also able to identify the business’ short term and long term goals and discuss a roadmap of strategies that our social team believed would be effective to achieving those goals. The strategies would be implemented over the month as well as during the two week onboarding period where applicable.
Photography
To present the cafe in the best light, Triple 888 collaborated with one of Sydney’s top photographers in the hospitality industry, Kera Wong. To prepare for the shoot, the social media team worked closely with The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired to note down any sources of inspiration as well as reference images of the cafe interior and utensils to better understand the environment and photo opportunities available.
This was followed by a runsheet specifying signature dishes, combos, signature cakes, team and venue photos, and any action shots worth taking. The team also decided it would be important to include photos for educational content e.g. a focus on the housemade condiments.
After approval from the client, Triple 888 and Kera worked together to explore any further ideas and props for the shoot and then it was all a matter of putting plan into action on shoot day.
Digital Footprint
As the cafe was still relatively new and the client’s focus was largely on social media and increasing revenue during uncertain times, the digital footprint of the business became neglected.
Triple 888’s social media team dedicated time during the initial onboarding process to create and manage The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired’s Google Business, Zomato and TripAdvisor listings. This was crucial in communicating trading hours, specials, and menu offerings to potential customers as they are generally more inclined to research a cafe/restaurant beforehand for additional information.
Part of this process also involved encouraging and posting customer reviews to also increase organic word-of-mouth.
Social Media
Besides raising awareness for the new cafe opening, The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired were also determined to educate Sydney-siders on Sri Lankan cuisine. With this in mind, the social media strategy was set to fulfil these goals organically through Facebook and Instagram, as well as through paid social media advertising. The social media campaign was officially launched in October 2020.
Organic Facebook and Instagram solutions included:
Paid solutions included an initial awareness ad campaign on Facebook and Instagram to expand their reach beyond inner west Sydney. This was targeted specifically to audience interests and behaviours.
Public Relations
While the importance of social media was not to be overlooked, a key driver for success for the hospitality industry is public relations. A media release was written by Triple 888 and then sent to Sydney’s top publications. The media release was centred around introducing Sri Lankan inspired brunch dishes to the Sydney food scene as well as the talents of the family behind it all.
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INCREASE IN POST ENGAGEMENT
USERS REACHED WITH FACEBOOK ADS
NEW FOLLOWERS
OPEN RATE
VIA EDM
PR FEATURES
When Augi De Hoedt was a boy, day-to-day life was shaped by ritual. Each morning, the eldest of four would get up before anyone else and start the fire to make tea.
Outstanding breakfast hoppers, a beautiful cafe by a former Momofuku Seiobo chef and a diner that uses produce from its own farm. Plus, a well-curated deli-cafe, a bagelry and a sandwich store.
Broadsheet.When Travin De Hoedt explains how the dishes at his new cafe, The Fold, are eaten in Sri Lanka, it sounds so simple. “We just use our hands,” he tells
It's lunchtime at The Fold cafe and we're sitting next to a couple who braved a long, rainy commute to eat some hoppers.
Due to these impressive results, the team behind The Fold Sri Lankan Inspired decided to continue with our social media services. We are still working together since their initial campaign launch in October 2020, and have since been able to play an integral role in their dinner menu launch campaign, as well as the annual Christmas cakes and Mother’s Day campaigns to name a few.
We are now in discussions with their team about integrated website development and management solutions.
BEFORE & AFTER
