Did Buffalo’s best BBQ just get better?

“That’s impossible!” you say. “Chiavetta’s marinades and sauces have been perfect since 1954!! It couldn’t possibly get any better!!!”

Okay, yes, you’re 100% right.

But do you know what Chiavetta’s hasn’t had since 1954? A delectable website that lives up to its family name, fuels its business, and entices an entire community. Until now, of course.

When Chiavetta’s came to us to help update its website, we couldn’t wait to sink our teeth in. But first, we had to set the table.

The website would need to accomplish six goals:

• Promote brick-and-mortar locations
• Enhance product sales
• Attract people to pop-up events
• Explain how to host a fundraiser with Chiavetta’s
• Reinforce the the brand’s commitment to the community
• Differentiate catering packages

Here’s how we did it.

1. Promote brick-and-mortar locations.

Most people in and around Western New York know that Chiavetta’s is famous for popping up in parking lots, setting up grills, and serving the best BBQ chicken dinners to happy customers (in nine counties across the region, by the way).

But did you know that Chiavetta’s has two brick-and-mortar restaurants?

It’s true!

There’s a Chiavetta’s restaurant—yes, restaurant—in Brant, New York. There’s also another Chiavetta’s restaurant in Lockport, New York. But not everyone knows that, so we’re making it clear up front and in your face on the Chiavetta’s homepage.

2. Enhance product sales.

If you ever visit Chiavetta’s on Facebook, you’ll find 22,559 followers who simply cannot. Get. Enough. Of. Chiavetta’s.

There’s even a dude out there who wants to put Chiavetta’s up against South Carolina’s finest BBQ! As in world-famous South Carolina BBQ. That’s high praise.

People from all over the country are clamoring for Chiavetta’s, so how could we satisfy their insatiable appetite for Buffalo’s best BBQ?

The answer is simple: Design and develop an online shop for all things Chiavetta’s. Marinade. Sauce. Salad dressing. Chips? Yes, Chiavetta’s has its own brand of salt and vinegar BBQ chips! All for sale. All spectacular. And with all new product photography, they look better than ever.

As for the B2B wholesale crowd—they’ve got a private, password protected page to shop on, too. On this page, reps from local retailers can buy in bulk and stock their shelves with Chiavetta’s marinades, charcoal, and chips all year long.

3. Attract people to pop-up events.

We’ve already touched on this, but Chiavetta’s works with community leaders and businesses to host pop-up chicken dinners in parking lots all across the region. High schools. Fire halls. Bowling alleys. If you’ve got pavement, you’ve got a pop-up.

But not everyone knows that these events are open to the public. And even if you did, where could you find one?

The simplest solution was to carve out a section of the homepage that would speak specifically to pop-up events. From there, people can access a super clean, user-friendly events calendar that shows them where and when to find them.

4. Explain how to host a fundraiser with Chiavetta’s.

How does a Chiavetta’s fundraiser work? What will Chiavetta’s provide for your fundraiser? How much does a fundraiser cost? We worked with Chiavetta’s to collect all these answers, and then we designed and developed a fundraising page that lays it all out as plainly as possible. Within that page, of course, is a quick and easy form for people to submit on the spot.

5. Reinforce the brand’s commitment to the community.

Our copywriter was absolutely drooooollliiiiing over the opportunity to tell the Chiavetta’s story. Does that come as a surprise to us? No, it doesn’t. The guy loves food. And writing. So when it came to coming up with content for the Chiavetta’s “about us” page, he knew exactly what to do and how to do it. He took the task and devoured it.

What’s more, he’s using the experience as an opportunity to share some copywriting tips. What are some good ways to write content for a website’s “about us” page? There’s a video for that coming soon!

6. Differentiate catering packages.

Chiavetta’s offers two different catering options:

• Full-service catering: Recommended for big events with large gatherings. See the full-service catering packages!
• Pick-up/drop-off catering: Perfect for smaller groups outside or around the house. See the pick-up/drop-off catering menu!

It’s important for users to see each catering option on the same page, so we:

1. Customized a universal catering page

2. Wrote a general headline with supporting copy to explain/promote catering services

3. Split the page into two sections, where each section:

• Features custom iconography (to attract users)
• Has a bold, easy-to-see headline (so users know the page’s purpose right away)
• Explains which sort of events the catering option will best serve (so users can make the best decision)
• Has its own tagline (to get users excited about the catering option)
• Includes a button with “SEE PACKAGES” CTA (so users can see specific packages within the catering option)
• Lists a Chiavetta’s location, its phone number, and “CALL TO ORDER” CTA (so people know how to order catering)

Thanks for eating!

Yep, you read that right.

We’re assuming you’re ready to find a Chiavetta’s pop-up near you, order takeout online, or cater your next event. And since you’re already so hungry, maybe you’ll want to sink your teeth into some tasty Quilted Squirrel original content, such as: our staffers’ own takes on BBQ, a sneak peak at our backyard BBQ, and these admittedly less-appetizing thoughts on how words have meaning.

Too much? Not enough? There’s no way to know. Unless you send us a message. Or call us (716) 926.9266. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo. Or something! 🤙