London restaurateur joins forces with Qype

6th May 2009, 10:38am

London restaurateur Charlie McVeigh has teamed up with food bloggers via Qype.co.uk, a site for user-generated reviews and recommendations, to help increase custom as the credit crunch continues to bite.

As a result of listing his business on Qype, McVeigh has been able to contact the growing online group of food bloggers who have attended events at Chilangos, his Mexican restaurant.

McVeigh explained how teaming up with Qype has benefited his business: "Registering my business with Qype has really opened up opportunities for me to connect with individuals that I wouldn't usually have access to. Following the recent Qype event at my restaurant I now have great links with the online community, and that's opened up a new way of promoting my business. Qype has been a very positive influence on the business, before Qype we had no online presence whatsoever, and now we are very strong online."

The use of social media and blogs allows business owners to communicate with potential customers in new ways, something that is becoming increasingly important as the recession continues.

Stephen Taylor, chief executive officer of Qype commented: "More and more SMEs are recognising the benefits that building profiles on social networking sites and connecting with bloggers can have. There is no better publicity than a positive review from a happy customer and many people rely on personal recommendations when choosing a local restaurant, pub or service. That connection allows business owners to communicate with people that they may not have had access to through traditional marketing methods. "

Since launching in 2005, Qype has grown to cover more than 15,000 towns and cities across Europe, forming a community that offers trusted, independent reviews and recommendations on everything from bars and restaurants, to museums and pet shops.

Qype lists over 25,000 businesses in the UK and currently 100 new business owners are recognising the benefits of signing up to claim their listing on Qype every day.

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