
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 11, 1993                   TAG: 9312110017
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

CLUB A DEAL FOR DINERS, RESTAURANTS AND NRCC STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR

A local college student has started a business he hopes will help put him through school and pump money into the local restaurant industry while also offering cheap eats to area residents.

Todd Mastrorilli, a student at New River Community College, is owner of Total Marketing in Radford, which started the New River Valley Dining Club.

Here's how the dining club works: A member pays $19.95 to join and is allowed to buy two dinner entrees for the price of one at participating restaurants.

It operates on the same premise as the International Dining Club that opened earlier this year in Roanoke.

Mastrorilli, 25, said more than 30 restaurants in the New River Valley have signed up for the program. Among those participating are: The Huckleberry, South Main Cafe, Nickleby's, Peking Palace, Souvlaki and Stone's Cafeteria.

Restaurants aren't charged to participate, so Total Marketing makes its money off membership fees.

Eateries agree to offer the buy-one, get-one entree, and we agree to advertise and promote restaurants to bring more customers in the front door, Mastrorilli said. "Really it's free advertising for them."

Bill Ellenbogen, owner of Bogen's, said restaurants hope customers will order more than entrees - cocktails and dessert, for instance.

"You hope the customers like what they eat and come back," he said. "Really, it's just a traffic builder."

So far, over 100 members have signed up for the dining club.

Total Marketing, located at 220 First Street in Radford next to Legg Mason, also offers a variety of advertising services. The small company, with a staff of six, can print logos on just about any item, including uniforms, banners, hats and pencils.

Mastrorilli worked for Total Marketing's main office in Woodbridge - which handles all of the telemarketing for the Washington Post - before relocating to Radford to attend school. The franchise also has a location in Fredericksburg.

Mastrorilli, who plans to transfer to Radford University and get a degree in speech communication, said running the new business leaves him little time to study.

"I'm pretty busy, up late at night," he said.

by CNB