In 2015, Nathalie Hudson and her husband Linden Pride took over Caffe Dante, a much-loved 100-year-old neighborhood institution in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Under their leadership Dante has grown to be a trendsetting brand known for its personalized service, elegant details, and innovation. They’ve added locations in the West Village and Beverly Hills, and picked up a few international accolades along the way, being awarded “Best Bar in the World” by both Worlds 50 Best and the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in 2019.
Yet at its heart, Dante remains a family-owned, neighborhood bar, treasuring every guest as a friend and every visit as an opportunity to create something special.
We had the great pleasure of sitting down with Nathalie, and with Dante’s Director of Business Development Rodrigo Leme, to hear how they use Ripples to craft the ultimate personalized experience for their customers.
Surprised by the Ripples Wow Factor
Linden and Nathalie were introduced to the Ripples concept as customers themselves, eating dinner at a favorite local restaurant. Linden ordered a beer as always. But this time, when it was served to him, there was a picture of Dante on the top.
“It made us feel unique. It made us feel special,” Nathalie told us. Enamored by the truly personalized touch, the owners of the “World’s Best Bar” knew they had to start providing the same kind of experience for their customers at Dante, quickly adding a Ripple Maker to their toolkit at all locations.
The Honey Bee
With their renowned eye for elegant attention-to-detail, Dante has developed their own twist on an espresso martini called the Honey Bee. This digestif is made with tequila and topped with a salted honey cream, and is designed especially to be topped with a Ripples print.
Creating Special Moments
With this specialty cocktail as a canvas, Dante has excelled at turning special occasions into unforgettable memories. “We often see if it’s someone’s wedding anniversary when they make a reservation…this gives us the opportunity to try and find a photo of them to put on a Honey Bee at the end of their meal,” Nathalie explained. From these well-planned moments to impromptu celebrations and photos at the table, the ability to instantly capture and commemorate moments on drinks adds an extra layer of delight for guests, and it’s a full team effort.The user-friendly Ripples WebApp empowers every member of Dante’s staff to be part of the creative process. Nathalie said, “All of our staff have the app on their phone…it’s super easy and in today’s world, I don’t even need to teach them how to use it.” Ripples’ easy process means that any guest can be easily treated like a VIP. Especially when they’re a VIP.When basketball legend Dwyane Wade visited Dante Beverly Hills shortly after his Hall of Fame induction, the restaurant surprised him with a cocktail featuring an image of Dwyane and his father at the award ceremony – a touch that turned a simple visit into an unforgettable experience.
A Sales and Social Media Boost
Business Development Manager Rodrigo Leme told us, “The Honey Bee cocktail with Ripples has become a phenomenon. Once you serve one, you’re going to sell another ten while the server walks from the bar to the table.”
And the impact spreads far beyond the restaurant’s dining room. “Do we have an influencer strategy? No, we don’t,” Rodrigo continued. “We have great guests, sometimes very famous guests, and we create special moments for them. They want to share their moments. They want to tell other people, and they start coming back.”
Expanding the Brand
As Dante looks to expand its footprint in Beverly Hills and beyond, maintaining this essence of connection and personalization remains a cornerstone of their growth strategy. Rodrigo explained, “At all of our locations, we want to keep the details consistent, and with Ripples we know it will be consistent across the board. Ripples has become part of the brand identity of Dante. It’s part of our marketing strategy.”Nathalie agreed. “We use the Ripples machine because it’s been so successful in every single one of our venues.”We love that the Ripple Maker helps Dante offer a lovely wow factor to their guests, and we’re incredibly appreciative that they’re letting us spread the word.
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