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The rapid proliferation of large restaurant chains might threaten the typical mom-and-pop standalone restaurant, but it has had little impact on Bob Chinn's Crabhouse. Operating from a single location in the Chicago suburb of Wheeling, Ill., the crabhouse manages to pull in strong sales based on its total commitment to building its brand through excellent service and unmatched quality. Now, as U.S. consumer restaurant spending weakens with the economy, Bob Chinn's is embarking on several new initiatives to keep reeling in the customers.     

Since it opened in 1982, Bob Chinn's Crabhouse has become world-renowned for its seafood, famous Mai Tais and atmosphere. Among independently owned restaurants, Bob Chinn's Crabhouse ranks 15th in the United States in terms of gross sales, and 5th in total meals served. The 27-year-old institution serves over 3,000 patrons on a daily basis, hundreds of Mai Tais each night and more than two tons of fish each week.    

So what makes Bob Chinn's Crab House such a hit? Better ingredients, Chinn says. “The big difference in our drinks is that we use expensive ingredients, I can make the same flavor of a Mai Tai for a fraction of the cost, but we chose to use all fresh fruit juices in our drinks.”   

To produce a high quality product, the crab house has to work with only the best vendors. “My idea was to always turn out a better product while producing it a higher volume than my competitors,” he says. “In many restaurants, the purchasing agent never looks at what he or she is buying. I tell our vendors if it’s not the best, don't send it.”   

As important as it is for Bob Chinn's Crabhouse to continue its tradition of serving top-quality seafood to diners, Chinn – a self-described gambler when it comes to implementing new ideas – realized the business needed to find new avenues to attract business.

Mass Appeal
Although the restaurant has performed well from its one location, it is bringing the brand to the masses by participating in the neighborhood food festivals popular in northern Illinois.    

According to Group Sales and Catering Manager Joe Sanders, in the last two years the company has attended about 40 local festivals. At the festivals, staff sell featured menu items along with the famous Mai Tais.    

“We really tried to increase the awareness of the Bob Chinn's brand,” he says. “We are trying to introduce ourselves to people who are not familiar with us, or who may just need a reminder that we're still here.”    

In early November, Chinn added breakfast to its line-up, drawing on inspiration from his travels to Hawaii, while staying true to its roots as a crab house. Just as he did on his lunch and dinner menus, Chinn himself hand picked many of the items found on the breakfast menu. “A lot of the things Bob put on the breakfast menu are things that are typically only available in Hawaii,” Sanders says. “Bob's not afraid to introduce things to people that they might not have ever tried before, and he's always right on what to roll out.”   

Some of popular breakfast items from Hawaii include macadamia nut pancakes with a sweet cream sauce, Hawaiian sweetbread French toast, Portuguese sausage and, of course, the king crabmeat or shrimp omelet.    

Chinn's hopes to generate sales with new options such as its recently launched fast-casual counter and box lunch menu. In late June of 2009, it retrofitted space near its front-of-the-house bar to make room for its fast-casual counter. The new format caters to the lunch crowd and features sandwiches, salads and other quick-serve items.            

Although the breakfast and fast-casual initiatives are in their infancy, Chinn hopes customers will come to appreciate the same type of quality and taste in a new format. “We use the same food in our boxed lunches and fast-casual menus,” he says. “We’re not skimping anywhere, the meals might be packaged in a different way and cost less, but we never compromise the quality.”   

Bob Chinn's is also increasing its social media and Internet-based marketing efforts. The company maintains a Facebook page and Twitter account where it keeps customers informed of promotions, special events, the daily fish selection and seasonal menu items.