Nearly everything about the experience is sensual, from the soft lighting and cushy booths to that last tart bite of Key lime pie. Even two restaurants that sound similar on paper can take their sites in different directions. That's where the similarities end. Nick's and Bob Chinn's have leveraged their sites in very different ways. In fact, as company executives tweak their respective sites, they are bound to become even more distinct, reflecting the different dining experiences served at each restaurant.
Restaurants appear to be leading the small business charge onto the Internet.
Larry Himelfarb, vice president of technology development and applications for the Washington-based National Restaurant Association, reports that about half of all restaurants have some sort of Web presence. By way of contrast, only about 37 percent of all small businesses have a Web site, according to a report released in November by International Communications Research. When it comes right down to it, though, restaurants face the same Internet problem most other small companies do. Customer intimacy is traditionally one of small companies' greatest selling points.