For the Love of Fernet at Curio SF
MAY 9, 2023
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
A lively bar and restaurant known for live music, inventive cocktails and a chef-driven bar menu capitalizes on SF’s love of Fernet
The Challenge
Curio is a lively bar and restaurant in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District that has built a reputation around inventive cocktails named for mythical creatures, daily live music and a chef-driven menu that takes a playful approach to bar foods. Anticipating the post-holiday season lull, Curio wanted to generate excitement and drive business in a typically slower time of year. They also wanted to build upon their reputation in the industry. With the insight that San Francisco consumes nearly 35% of the country’s Fernet, Carbonate presented the idea for Curio to create a special three course Fernet-inspired tasting menu and a flight of Fernet cocktails for pairing.
The Result
The on-brand, month-long promotion showcased Curio’s quirky side and uniquely San Francisco perspective, gave the restaurant something to talk about, and created a new reason for people to visit. Email newsletters promoting the event had a remarkable 50 percent open rate—well above the industry average—and social media posts promoting the menu garnered nearly 14,000 views, and more than 700 engagements. Prior to and during the promotion, Carbonate secured media coverage in major local events-focused publications, including The Infatuation, San Francisco Magazine, Thrillist and more.
Our team also coordinated a partnership with acclaimed cocktail writer Camper English and Branca USA to host an industry event celebrating English’s latest book, which details the history of the spirit, in order to drive additional interest in Curio’s special menu. The kickoff event—combining tastes from the menu, a flight of cocktails and a reading from the book by the author—filled the space and copies of the book sold out. With a creative strategy, careful planning, and detailed execution, we were not only able to generate excitement and drive business, but also reinforce Curio’s reputation as a serious bar and restaurant with creative cocktails and a chef-driven menu.