Groupon: A way for new restaurants to become known

On Tuesday I published a cranky column on Groupon, the red-hot online/email discount coupon service. Unlike regular coupons Groupon requires an investment from the consumer, like buying a discount gift card.

Several readers argued that Groupon is a great way to promote your restaurant if it's new and unknown. Sure, it's expensive, they said. But you're investing in your brand, filling the seats and laying ground for a sustainable business at full price. Indeed, that's what Mike Sproge, whom I quoted in the column, was thinking when he used Groupon to get The Falls off the ground, and he said it worked. However he also said he wouldn't use Groupon again because the economics were weighted too much in Groupon's favor.

Here is some of the feedback:

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