3 questions a Yelp Elite asks when choosing a local business

When Tomeka Wallace opened Happy Cafe in Virginia Beach, Virginia, her goal was to make customers happy—even if it meant changing her business operations and strategy. Over the years, Tomeka has adapted her menu, hours, and location based on feedback, including Yelp reviews.

“What I had to learn was we got to give the people what they want,” Tomeka said. “That’s how we’ve added some items on a menu. Because at one time, we only did pancakes, French toast, and waffles on Saturdays. Then we had customers say, ‘I would like to see this during the week.’ So we added it. I [always] listen.”

When you want to know what matters most to your customers, listening to them is the best way to find out. Below, Happy Cafe regular and Yelp Elite Odester H. shares three deciding factors she looks for in a local business, while Tomeka explains how she delivers on each promise with every visit.

1. Does your customer service make customers feel welcomed and taken care of? 

Customer service was a big theme in Odester’s review of Happy Cafe, and it’s also one of Tomeka’s biggest priorities as a business owner. Delighting customers with great customer service is the key to building customer relationships—and can even help you get more reviews for your business.

Odester: “Tomeka, the owner, walks the floor, she talks to the guests, she talks to the customers, she’s making sure they’re doing well. If you need more of something, she’s also tapping in: ‘What did you think about this? How did it taste?’ You can really tell that they really want to hear the feedback… They’re making sure that they’re taking care of you overall. They’re just not there to [ask]: ‘What do you need? What do you want?’ and get you out.”

Tomeka: “There’s three things [to the restaurant]: People come in for the ambiance [and] service. And food is always last. If we nail it with the service, but say there’s something on the floor or a table may not be clean, they’ll still come back because the service was good. If the food was messed up but the service was good, they’re gonna come back. So service is everything.” 

2. Do you value feedback and respond to reviews?

Customers like Odester are paying attention to whether you value feedback, and responding to reviews is one of the simplest ways to show it. According to BrightLocal, 88% of consumers say they’re more likely to use a business if they see the owner responds to reviews. 

Odester: “When Tomeka replied [to my review], it made me feel appreciated. Because once you spend your money, the transaction is done. But the fact that she takes the time to go on Yelp… just saying, ‘Hey, thank you so much,’ it definitely makes you feel valued. I haven’t had too many responses from owners, so when they do [respond], I’m definitely going to come back. It makes me feel like, ‘Okay, you value me [as] more than just a dollar.’”

Tomeka: “I do appreciate [that] my customers leave us reviews, whether it’s a positive or a negative. I can learn from the negative, if it’s something that we actually did. And the positive gives me more motivation to stay on top of myself and my team, like, ‘Hey, we gotta keep getting this right.’ 

“I try to tune in [to all of the reviews], but it’s important for me to get back. Whether it’s a week or two later, I try my best to get back to everyone… and just put that personal touch [into] it.”

3. Are you involved and invested in your local community? 

Like most users on Yelp, Odester is passionate about seeing local, minority-owned businesses succeed. In fact, a 2023 study showed having identity attributes like Black-owned on your Yelp Page can be a deciding factor for many customers. Sharing your business’s story, mission, and values on Yelp helps customers get to know you and gets them excited about choosing you.

Odester: “[Happy Cafe is a] woman-owned, Black-owned, family-run business. Those are hard at this time, especially with the pandemic. When I read about their start and what they’re doing, that was another big thing that brought me to their brunch the first time. 

“I like to read what [businesses are] about: What are you bringing to the community? What are you trying to do? What’s your goals? Especially in Virginia Beach, there definitely is a need for more Black-owned restaurants. [It’s important that] Tomeka gets her shine [and her] flowers for what she’s bringing to the community and what she’s doing for the people that she employs, how she’s taking care of hiring folks, and then on top of that, how she really cares about the community.”

Tomeka: “Happy Cafe was established in 2016 in my hometown of Blackstone, Virginia, which is a very small town [with a population of] about 3,700 people. When I would go home, there was never anywhere to get coffee to my taste, or just a nice place to be. [Blackstone’s population] is about 50/50 Black and white, but [the business landscape] wasn’t very diverse… So I [opened Happy Cafe] in my hometown because we needed a place where everyone could go.

“I am proud that I did start it there and I’m proud of my community because they gave me a lot of support… [Now that we’re located in Virginia Beach,] we have to make sure that we’re standing up to the standards of being happy. Because everyone deserves to be happy, regardless of what life may throw at us.”

Did you know? You can add unlimited attributes to your page to help you identify your business, including Black-owned, Asian-owned, Latinx-owned, LGBTQ-owned, Women-owned, veteran-owned, and more. Read more about how to add your choice of attributes.

These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Tomeka and Odester, or visit the episode page to read more, subscribe to the show, and explore other episodes.