A Social Network For Restaurants

Redherring recently reported the launch of FohBoh a new social network for the restaurant industry. The site features forums, blogs, and videos on topics ranging from fast food to artisan cheese making. And even though the site is focused on industry insiders, it also includes a restaurant review section.

“When you go to general social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, it’s really all about you,” CEO and co-founder Michael Atkinson said. “FohBoh is for you and by you …Our focus is on the industry rather than the consumer.”

This is an interesting move by FohBoh to focus on the industry insiders and not the consumer. The consumer restaurant market is really crowded with social networks like Yelp, Citysearch, Yahoo, and Zagat. Sterling Market Intelligence analyst Greg Sterling says that rhe business-to-business aspect “offers a range of opportunities that consumer sites don’t have,”

FohBoh, which targets ad revenue, plans to develop a marketplace for buying and selling equipment, a job board, virtual gifts, and premium membership options for restaurants, vendors, and service providers.

“Restaurant people are naturally social,” Mr. Atkinson said. “Our ultimate mission is to provide an opportunity for everyone in the industry to have an interactive voice.”

FohBoh is among a growing number of social networks seeking to stand out from giants such as  Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and LinkedIn by appealing to a narrow (niche) demographic.

“This is representative of a larger future trend—vertical sites, loaded with social network features,” Sterling Market Intelligence analyst Greg Sterling said.