This public relations page includes a client outline, SWOT analysis, target audience, key messages, fact sheet, biography, media list, news release, blog post, social media plan, and press release for Pasta Beach, Newport, RI.

Pasta Beach

Client Outline

o Who is the client? – Pasta Beach 

o What do they do? – Restaurant 

o In which market(s) do they operate? – Food market (restaurant) 

o What is the client’s history? – They have three restaurant locations: Newport, Providence, and Boston. The restaurant’s Newport location was established in 2002, the Boston location in 2010, and lastly the Providence location in 2016. 

o Who is who within the organization? – Owners are Susie and Gianni Ropolo.

o Who is the client’s competition? – Italian Restaurants (ex: Bar ‘Cino) 

o What has the client done previously to promote itself? – Pasta Beach has an Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook account in which they use to promote themselves. 

SWOT Analysis

o What are the internal strengths and weaknesses of this organization? – One strength in particular is the food quality. According to Trip Advisor, the restaurant has a four out of five-star rating with over 400 unbiased reviews. Another strength is that pasta beach was rated number four of 14 Italian restaurants in newport. More strengths include the service, value, and atmosphere which all scored above a 3.5 for Trip Advisor ratings. Another strength is the location of the Newport restaurant which is only 0.5 miles from the cliff walk. A weakness would have to be the poor service at some points. A few Trip Advisor ratings were negatively commenting about the service and the lack of heaters outside on the patio. 

o What external opportunities and threats does your client face? – Pasta Beach has many opportunities because they have a restaurant in the three most popular places in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The restaurant attracts good service at each location. A threat would have to be the other Italian restaurants in the area. 

Target Audiences

o What publics will you target with your writing? – All ages but mostly Gen Z and Millennials. Tourists are also a target audience. 

o Why have these demographics been identified? – I will target all ages because it is a family restaurant. I will focus on the older generation rather than kids because the parents are the ones paying for the meal. 

Key Messages 

o Analyze the organization’s goals and objectives … What are they trying to say? – The organization’s goal is to have a nice ambiance for their customers, good quality food, good service, and value. The Italian restaurant is trying to bring quality Italian dishes to us locally. 

o Identify brand language, considering specific words / phrases to highlight. – They serve “Authentic Italian” dishes including the name of the meal, the way the meal is prepared, the ingredients, and the taste.  

o Are there any messages that could overlap with competitors? – One of Pasta Beach’s competitors is Bar ‘Cino which was rated 4.5 on Tip Advisor, but with only 46 reviews Bar ‘Cino was rated number seven out of 14 Italian restaurants in Newport. Many people comment on the great location and good service at Bar ‘Cino. A lot of reviews for both restaurants say, “delicious food.” 

Fact Sheet

Biography

Gianni Ropolo, founder of Pasta Beach Restaurant, is from Turin, Italy. He was a surgeon in Italy and fell in love with Susie Ropolo of Warwick, Rhode Island. After living in Italy and having two kids, the couple made frequent trips to their summer home in Newport, Rhode Island. The couple’s American friends always had requests to have an authentic Italian dish locally. Gianni Ropolo was so excited about the idea of opening up a restaurant and asked, “how hard could it be?” Gianni never cooked; he always called his mother for cooking directions. The main problem was the fact that the couple lived in Italy and wanted to open the restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island. Ten years into their marriage, the couple opened their first Pasta Beach restaurant in 2002 located on Memorial Boulevard in Newport, R.I. The couple later opened two other Pasta Beach Restaurants located in Boston and Providence. The restaurants were created to bring classic Italian dishes, made by chefs from Italy, to the United States for everyone to enjoy. Gianni Ropolo always tried something new, ordering what was suggested to him that evening. His vision was brought to life in three locations serving authentic Italian dishes to people locally.

Media List 

News Release

Pitch

To: Mia Lupo

Cc: Professor Jun

Subject: New and Informative Pasta Beach Blog Post!

From: Kaitlyn Burke 

Hi Mia Lupo, 

I have been researching Pasta Beach and reading your blog posts. I came across your post about Pasta Beach and absolutely loved it! I also really appreciated the quality photos you included at the end of your post about the restaurant. I learned that Pasta Beach is an Italian family restaurant with three locations: Newport, Providence, and Boston. The Newport restaurant is located at 138 Bellevue Avenue. The organization’s goal is to have a nice ambience for their customers, quality food, good service, and value. Pasta Beach is trying to bring quality Italian dishes to us locally. 

Pasta Beach has put many precautions in place in order to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. They are trying to make sure customers feel safe when eating at the restaurant. I think an updated post about Pasta Beach would be very beneficial in attracting business for the restaurant! Your personal blog is very well written, professional, and informative. I attached my favorite pictures from your blog post. 

I would love to talk to you more about Pasta Beach and marketing, so I attached my phone number below. Thank you for your time, have a great day!

Sincerely, 

Kaitlyn Burke

Kaitlyn.burke@salve.edu

Pasta Beach 

138 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 

Blog

If you are craving Italian food and beautiful scenery, come visit Pasta Beach Newport!

The famous Pasta Beach Italian restaurant has three locations in the New England area: Newport, Providence, and Boston. The Newport restaurant was the first location and has been thriving since 2002. The restaurant has many strengths and features that add to it. One strength in particular is the food quality. According to tripadvisor, the restaurant has a four out of five-star rating with over 400 unbiased reviews. Another strength is that pasta beach was rated number four of 14 Italian restaurants in Newport. More strengths include the service, value, and atmosphere which all scored above a 3.5 for trip advisor ratings. Another strength is the location of the Newport restaurant which is only 0.5 miles from the cliff walk. 

Some popular dishes are the margherita pizza, pomodoro, caprese salad, and pepperoni pizza. One thing on the Pasta Beach menu that I have not seen anywhere else is their “Nutella Pizza.” This dish features pizza dough covered with Nutella, topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Another good feature on the menu is the fresh complementary bread given out to all customers. Some popular drinks are the sangria and gimlet. 

Social Media Plan

Platform 1:

Platform: Instagram

Rationale: I chose to use Instagram as one of my social media platforms because it directly attracts my target audience. The audience for Pasta Beach is all ages because it is a family restaurant. When focusing on a more niche and target audience, the older generation is more important rather than kids because they are the individuals paying for the meal. I will focus mostly on Gen Z and Millennials, but tourists are also a major target audience. Almost everyone has an Instagram account so that’s why I chose it as one of my platforms. Instagram is an important platform because it has the ability to post pictures and captions. Other people can also like, comment, and share your posts.

Post 1: Come check out the menu at Pasta Beach Newport for a delicious Italian dish. Some popular dishes are the margherita pizza, pomodoro, caprese salad, and pepperoni pizza. 

Post 2: Look at this beautiful scenery! You can enjoy your meal surrounded by bright decorations and fresh flowers at Pasta Beach Newport. 

Post 3: Try the pomodoro pasta, you will not be disappointed! The spaghetti is al dente and the sauce is so tasty.

Platform 2: 

Platform: Twitter

Rationale: My next social media platform is Twitter. Posts on twitter are usually shore, concise, and casual. For my posts I will focus on the popular drinks on the Pasta Beach menu. I will post a short caption as well as pictures. Twitter’s target audience is millennials. 

Post 1: Everyone has to order the pomegranate fizz because it is amazing! The wide variety on the Pasta Beach drink menu is compelling but try this one and you won’t regret it! 

Post 2: Some popular drinks are the sangria and gimlet. The sangria is sweet and strong filled with fresh juice and wine. 

Post 3: Take a look at the wide variety on the drink menu for Pasta Beach. You will definitely find something that you like! Get a refreshing drink to quench your thirst. 

Platform 3:

Platform: Facebook

Rationale: Facebook is my last social media platform. This app connects people with old and new friends. This app is good for recommendations for products and services. Facebook’s target audience is mostly Gen Z which is good because those are the people who will be paying the bill at the restaurant. 

Post 1: This pasta dish is delicious, flavorful, exquisite, and all the different flavors come together nicely. The grated parmesan on top makes the dish even better! The pasta from Pasta Beach is al dente which makes it even more tasty. 

Post 2: Pasta Beach’s margherita pizza might be one of the best pizzas I have ever had. The bread is so fresh, the sauce is spread evenly, there is a perfect amount of mozzarella, and the basil isn’t too much. This is definitely a must try dish from the famous Newport restaurant located on Memorial Blvd.

Post 3: One thing on the Pasta Beach menu that I have not seen anywhere else is their “Nutella Pizza.” This dish features pizza dough covered with creamy Nutella, topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It can be a dessert or even a meal! 

Press Release

How Pasta Beach Newport Has Handled COVID-19 

NEWPORT, R.I.– Pasta Beach Newport petitioned to add tables in their back courtyard for outdoor seating and is currently open for dine-in, take-out and catering. The restaurant will keep their patio open as long as possible, weather permitting. 

Pasta Beach has put many precautions in place in order to keep everyone safe. For example, all the employees are required to wear masks at all times. The mask must cover their nose and mouth. The restaurant also enforces the rule of wearing a mask to the costumers. You must wear a mask upon entry and keep it on until you arrive at your table. Masks are not required for costumers at their tables but must be worn on the way to and in the restroom. Another precaution is the guest screening sheets that are daily sign in logs from staff confirming that they do not have any symptoms prior to starting a new shift. There are also guest screening sheets at the door outlining symptoms that should preclude a guest from entering the restaurant. The daily cleaning logs cover the communal areas with dates and initials by the staff member that service areas. All reusable materials are constantly being sanitized to ensure everyone’s safety. 

Inside the restaurant are dividers at both the counter and bar spaces separating parties of two. For table seating, everyone is spaced out a distance of eight feet from one corner of the table to the next one. The indoor capacity is currently very limited because the restaurant itself is smaller. The inside dining room can safely seat a total of 50 people at one time. The outdoor space will remain open for as long as people are willing to sit outside. 

The hospitality association has kept Rhode Island restaurants informed with ever changing safety regulations that restaurants need to be adhering to.

About Pasta Beach

Pasta beach is an Italian family restaurant with three locations: Newport, Providence, and Boston. The Newport restaurant is located at 138 Bellevue Avenue. The organizations goal is to have a nice ambience for their customers, quality food, good service, and value. Pasta Beach is trying to bring quality Italian dishes to us locally. Pop in whenever, the beach is open all year round!###