Some restaurants are institutions. Izzy's Steaks & Chops is one of them.
Founded in 1987 by Sam DuVall, Izzy's has been a fixture of San Francisco's dining scene for nearly 40 years. A neighborhood steakhouse with loyal regulars, two private dining rooms and a reputation built one table at a time. When Sam passed away in 2020, his daughter Samantha Bechtel took over as managing partner, determined to keep his legacy alive while evolving the restaurant for a new era.
That meant a full renovation, a new culinary direction and an elevated wine program that just earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Izzy's serves a wide mix of guests, longtime loyalists, younger diners discovering it for the first time and everyone in between. Samantha knew the next chapter depended on getting savvier about marketing, building loyal guest relationships and owning the data behind reservations.
In the last eight months alone, Izzy’s has generated an estimated $450k in ROI through SevenRooms' Reservations, Marketing and CRM tools. Separately, Email Marketing has generated $405k+ in tracked revenue to date.
Choosing a platform built for relationships
When Samantha evaluated reservation and marketing platforms, she wasn't looking for a basic booking tool. She wanted something that could help Izzy's build strong guest relationships and communicate directly with its database.
"We chose SevenRooms because we were very impressed with what they were trying to do in the CRM and marketing space, which was at the time over and above their competitors in the market." — Samantha Bechtel, Managing Partner
The guest data capabilities were the deciding factor: rich guest profiles, audience segmentation and the ability to tie marketing activity back to actual reservations and revenue.
Email marketing that keeps the dining room full
For Siobhan LaPlaca, Izzy's Events and Marketing Manager, the Email Marketing feature quickly became the center of the restaurant's outreach strategy.
The team sends a monthly newsletter promoting upcoming events, special offers and seasonal experiences — targeted campaigns built around what Izzy's actually has on the calendar: holiday dinners, wine events, private dining promotions.
"We're getting about a 40% open rate with our clients who are opening those emails," Siobhan noted. "And we get a good amount of people who will go ahead and book with us from those communication channels."
Across all time, the restaurant's email marketing program has generated over $405k in revenue tracked directly through the SevenRooms dashboard.
Automations that turn first-timers into regulars
Alongside the newsletter, Izzy's runs automated emails triggered by guest behavior. The most important targets first-time diners, following up after their visit to invite them back.
It's a small touch that produces outsized results. Izzy's automated emails achieve a 78% open rate and have generated $20,000 on their own — with the full performance picture visible directly in the platform.
"The data points you're providing for us, as far as how they're reaching the client, are really valuable to us," Siobhan said. "That is information we're looking at regularly."
Selling out wine dinners before guests arrive
Izzy's sells its wine dinners as ticketed events through SevenRooms, capturing revenue at the point of booking rather than at the end of the night. Guests reserve their spot, select their menu and pay in advance.
"It's a great way for us to capture that revenue right as the guest makes the reservation," Siobhan explained. "When they do come in for the dinner, they're able to just sit down and enjoy themselves and don't have to think about the check."
Pre-sold events also give the team clear revenue visibility before service begins, making staffing and prep far easier to plan.
Knowing every guest before they sit down
Guest tagging through SevenRooms’ CRM is one of the features the Izzy's team references most. First-time visitors, returning regulars, high-value spenders — every reservation arrives with context the floor can act on.
"The system recognizes the guests and how many times they've been in the restaurant and whether or not they're new," Siobhan said. "We get those great tags on the reservations that let us know: let's welcome this guest, they've never been here before, or let's make sure we welcome this guest back."
Running a tighter floor
For Cynthia, Izzy's General Manager, SevenRooms has brought new operational visibility to a restaurant that moves fast. Turn times, server performance, covers by shift are all all accessible in a few clicks.
"You're able to see those turn times, see server performances, and that really helps with how efficiently we can operate the restaurant," Cynthia said. "Especially on those busy nights — how do I look at that report to be able to see and adjust constantly?"
SevenRooms is a "business must"
Izzy's is a restaurant in the middle of a genuine transformation: a 40-year legacy, a new team, a renewed ambition. For the people running it day to day, SevenRooms has become central to how they operate.
"I would say that [SevenRooms] is a business must," Siobhan said. "I don't know how a restaurant could function without it."
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