Food is a good mixer for just about anything, but add politics to the menu (or politics to anything else really) and you have a recipe for a bad fit of choking… except there is this takeaway outlet in America (where else?) which only serves food from countries that the United States is in conflict with – the current menu is Cuban food, but previous menus include Afghanistan, Iran and Venezuela.
Located in Pittsburgh, The Conflict Kitchen changes its theme and menu every four months. The food wrappers have good quality information designed to educate customers about the facts of the conflict, prompting the Los Angeles Times to write: “The Conflict Kitchen specializes (United States spelling, not mine) in dishes and discourse from countries involved in scraps with America.”
The article goes on: “Our desire is to not to simplify, but to complicate the way … people think about another country,” said (Jon) Rubin, an artist who hit upon the idea for Conflict Kitchen as he and (business partner Dawn) Weleski were trying to decide how to use the tiny storefront adjacent to Rubin’s Waffle Shop diner, which opened in 2008.
If we look at The Conflict Kitchen example from a business and, more specifically, a networking perspective, what do we learn?
1. The Conflict Kitchen is different. It stands out, it’s memorable;
2. They clearly have a lot of engaging, topical content for conversations and marketing;
3. What they did, anybody could have done. It’s not revolutionary (tip hat to Cuba here).
I think the Conflict Kitchen is an inspiring example of how one can transform a businesses from mundane to different, and from boring to topical, without it costing the earth.
Answer me this question. Can you remember what you said during your last BNI 60 second? And the one before that? If you’re struggling to remember, will anybody else?
Even if you don’t have the time or inclination to completely remodel your business into something that is topical, engaging, memorable and current… you can change the conversations you have.
When next you’re preparing to do your 60 second, or attend a networking mixer, think about what’s topical and how you can relate it back to your business.
For example, the current Fonterra crisis lends itself to conversations about quality, communication, systems and processes, export, business conflict and resolution, profit and cashflow, even mortgages (I invite you to give me your thoughts on how the current Fonterra crisis relates to the subject of mortgages).
When you make your business relevant to current times, you engage your audience at level that is both interesting and memorable.
