The Power of Social: Sisters Deli Uses Snapchat to Make a Big Splash in Portland

Here's a pretty cool story!

Almost everyone will tell you how hard it is to open a new business here in Maine, and that it's even harder to open a new restaurant in a city known for its food.

That didn't stop Michaela McVetty! She just opened a brand new deli in Monument Square this month, with a ton of local competition. Not only has Sisters Gourmet Deli been doing really well since it opened, it has been exceeding expectations.

Michaela credits at least part of that success to her use of social media, and snapchat in particular. When she was renovating the storefront, she decided to do something most people don't: she left the windows open for everyone to see the progress of the new deli. She hung signs in the windows with the usernames for their Snapchat and Instagram accounts, and saw their following beginning to grow.

When they finally opened in early May, Michaela underestimated how much business she would do in her first week. Instead of a steady flow of family, friends and people wandering by looking for lunch, dozens of people came in as soon as the deli was open, and said that they were following Michaela's story on Snapchat and her posts on Instagram.

So... if you're thinking about taking the plunge and opening a new business here in Maine, here's some inspiration!