Speedy Romeo is a neighborhood pizza spot in New York City, where the competition for delicious, cheesy pies is stiff. But this two-location business has earned its stripes across the city, beloved for their wood-fired pizzas, and their simple, rustic small plates. So much so, they’re serving up about 275 pies a day.
They also, it turns out, know a thing or two about using video to promote their doughy goodness. Head to their website (or press ‘play’ on the video above) and you’ll see their restaurant’s brand video of mouth-watering pizza, and a run-down of what makes Speedy Romeo so unique.
We got in touch with restaurant owner Todd Feldman and chef-owner Justin Bazdarich to learn more.
Tell us about Speedy Romeo.
We opened Speedy Romeo on the Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill border in 2011. Todd’s family owned a racehorse named Speedy Romeo, inspiring the name and horse racing inspiration behind the stable look and feel inside the BK location. Everything is cooked by wood fire using all fresh ingredients, and sourced locally when we can. We don’t use gas for anything.
How has your business grown over the years?
In 2015, we opened the second location on the Lower East Side.
Why did you add video to your website?
We both have a love of film, so we thought it would be cool to incorporate some kind of short story. The video has been live on our website for about two years.
How did the video on your landing page come together?
We met these two talented guys Alex and Alessandro that just started a production company called The Bulb Room. They were just starting out and looking to create new content so they gave us a good deal on the budget and treated it like a passion project. We felt they went above and beyond. They even got some drone footage!
What was your vision for the anthem video?
It feels like an old school VHS because the early footage actually comes from a VHS. Speedy Romeo is named after the horse that’s racing in the beginning. We wanted to tell an origin story like a super-hero movie and show all the elements of what people love about the place. The fresh ingredients we pick up at the farmers market, the wood-fired kitchen, and the customers and families enjoying themselves in the space.
How does video fit into your marketing strategy?
Part of the joy and excitement that people have around our food is understanding how it’s made. You’re not able to sit in the kitchen and see how everything is created, so video has been essential in communicating the thought and care that goes into each dish on our menu.
What are your plans for video in the future?
User-generated video will be at the forefront of our social media strategy going forward, along with hi-resolution video that we’re creating in-house. To this point, we haven’t closely monitored website traffic and video engagement. In the future, it would be interesting to see the correlation between video views and engagement metrics to restaurant traffic.
