R House to ‘our house’: how a Miami restaurant found its niche as a drag destination
R House Wynwood, a Miami favorite for drag brunch, has undergone several evolutions since it opened in 2014. Owners Owen Bale and Rocco Carulli originally launched as a fine-dining destination that showcased local art, selling paintings alongside tapas on busy weekends. But a few years in, the owners started experimenting with another artform: drag shows hosted by local legend Athena Dion.
“The feedback was so amazing,” Owen said. “So we responded. We followed the demand.”
The positive response from their community showed Owen and Rocco that R House had found its niche. Following their customers’ lead, they embraced a new legacy. “Now everyone knows it as ‘our house,’ and we want people to see it that way—like [this is] their place,” Owen said.
Sometimes, finding your niche as a small business means blazing a trail. But in R House’s case, it’s about listening to what your community wants. No one understands this better than R House superfans Farah A. and Diandra L., who are also members of Yelp’s Community team in Miami. “Reaching out to locals all the time, making sure locals are their bread and butter—that’s what really makes [R House] shine bright,” Farah said.
Below, R House’s owners—and two of their biggest champions—explain how the business transformed by tapping into the local community.
1. Build intentional partnerships with local experts
At R House, leadership requires sharing the spotlight. Owen and Rocco’s first step toward becoming a drag destination was not just sourcing local talent, but also empowering experts like Athena Dion to execute her own vision.
Owen, R House owner: “Athena Dion, who’s our primary hostess and our producer, really is a leader for our drag production. She’s a mentor, not just their boss. She coaches them in the outfits and all aspects of the performance. She’s always looking to enhance the show… That’s [a big] part of the magic of R House and the diversity in our community and our team.”
Diandra, associate regional manager on Yelp’s community team: “Places that become staples—like when you think of people who contribute to their city and paved the way—those are the businesses that locals ride hard for. Because they also give back to us…. The fact that [R House] creates so much programming and invests in local talent [has helped] create this culture of contribution to the businesses and people around them.”
2. Surpass expectations in other aspects of your business
Having a niche typically means doing one thing very well. However, the R House team aims to elevate every aspect of the customer experience—from the food to the service—in order to entice return customers and delight local fans.
Rocco, chef and owner: “We don’t want to rely on the show for everything. You have service, you have food, you have beverages, and now we have entertainment. If any one of those is really bad, you may not come back. Maybe you are coming for the show, but how many times are you going to put up with it if it’s not good? So it’s really important to us to have good quality food, drinks, service—everything.”
Diandra: “A lot of times when you go to these nightlife-y type places, you’re really just going for the show, and the food is ‘meh.’ But [R House] hits every time, whether you’re just going for a drink or dinner or happy hour, you’re going to go have this experience.”
3. Consistently evaluate feedback and respond to reviews
Owen and Rocco adapted R House’s business model based on customer feedback, so it’s no surprise they take Yelp reviews seriously. Leadership reviews them in weekly meetings and often implements changes based on their findings.
Owen: “It’s great having outside eyes looking at your business in ways that you might not have noticed. Obviously, no one wants to get a 1-star or 2-star [review] on Yelp, and thankfully we don’t get too many—but when we do, we don’t get defensive. We digest, and we try to take learnings from them that we can.”
Diandra: “Everybody also likes to know that they were seen. [When a business owner responds,] it could also be that ripple effect for that person. If they’re new to reviewing and [see], ‘Ooh, the business owner read this,’ it keeps them motivated to give more. On the flip side, if I see a business owner responding to a negative review, it makes me like that business more because I’m like, ‘Wow, they took the time to acknowledge this person’s feedback.’”
Why work with Yelp community managers?
Yelp community managers (CMs) bring attention to the best small businesses in their area through events and features on social media. R House is one of many Miami businesses that has collaborated with CM Farah to create connections with the Yelp community.
Farah, Miami CM: “As a community manager, our main job is to connect locals with local businesses and put them in front of their face… primarily with our Yelp Elite experiences, which are events where we’re giving Yelpers a specific amount of time to check out the business during its natural habitat. And R House does an amazing job at one—providing an excellent service and a Yelp Elite-specific menu, where we highlight some of their newer dishes.
“It’s great word-of-mouth [marketing] because Yelpers are usually going to come in with friends, they’re going to come in with family, and at that point, you’re creating a loyal customer. You’re creating someone who wants to come back. People are going to be posting about it, posting photos of themselves in the business, which works really well for our community.”
If you’re a business interested in hosting a Yelp Elite event and would like to connect with your local CM, please submit an inquiry. Plus check out www.yelp.com/events to see local events happening in your area.
These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Owen, Rocco, Diandra, and Farah, or visit the show homepage to learn about the show and find more episodes.