I recently took a long and arduous journey to visit a chef in the far reaches of the exurbs. Okay, so he's at the western edge of Cook County. Still, as weekday excursions go, this was a doozy for me, fraught with bumper-to-bumper traffic, look-alike exits, and daytime radio.

By the time I got there, I felt like I deserved a spa day. Instead, Chef and I had one of those conversations that I later recount to my poor mother with equal parts incredulity and frustration.

You see, this chef had it in his head that in order to increase sales, he'd have to attract Chicago's young, hip, food-loving scene to trek out to his restaurant for regular visits.

To my mind, there are three flaws with this logic:

1. First and foremost, why not make sure existing customers come back more often? Chef told me he runs a "special occasion" place, where people come once a year for their birthday or anniversary. Okay, I said, let's start there. Imagine if you got them to come in not just on their birthday, but also on their anniversary, Mother's Day, and New Year's Eve. You've just tripled the butts in your seats without even having to convince someone new to walk in the door.

2. Chicago's young, hip, food-loving scenesters are fickle. Even if they do make it out to the 'burbs on occasion to hit up a hot new restaurant, they won't become regulars. Which brings me to my third point ...

3. Did I mention how far this place is from the perspective of a city-dweller? I had the feeling when I got in the car to set out for this place that I should bring a snack and a canteen (ironic, as I was going to a restaurant).

My point is this: Think carefully about how you're spending your precious marketing dollars. It's not just about getting butts in the seats. It's about getting the right butts.