30 Best Ways to Market a Restaurant

Are you searching for restaurant marketing ideas and tips? Do you want to attract more customers to your restaurant business? Find here in this article, a list of simple low-cost ways to promote your restaurant business and increase profit.

The restaurant business is no doubt one of the most profitable ventures in the food retail industry. However, you may face stiff competition from potential competitors. If you want to be successful in the longer term as a restaurant owner, you need to always look for innovative ways of promoting your business for making a sustainable profit.

List of 30 Restaurant Marketing Ideas

#1. Comfortable Ambience

This is one of the most important aspects of the restaurant business. According to your target demographic, you must provide a satisfying inside atmosphere. Great food, great service, good prices, a nice atmosphere, and good music with clean toilette are some of the mandatory things.

#2. Print Leaflets

Generally, leaflets play a very crucial role in the restaurant business. Additionally, leaflets are the cheapest way of restaurant marketing. You must try to create the leaflets attractive and full of information.

#3. Foodie Photos

Photos induce hunger. And restaurant owners know this fact very well. So, you must use foodie photos in every marketing tool. Additionally, these photos will help you in attracting users on social media platforms.

#4. Happy Hour Selling

This is a proven concept. You must offer your customers happy hour discounts. This offer works best to boost your sale during the slow hours of the day. Generally, the afternoons of Monday to Thursday. Create a happy hour menu with half-price wine lists, cheap cocktails, and side dishes, and your guests will happily pay and eat much more.

#5. Craft a Menu

Crafting the right menu is highly important. However, it depends hugely on the taste of your target demographics. Create an easy-to-read menu list with the price tag. Never include a menu that is not available at your restaurant.

#6. Offer Delivery Service

Offer delivery services. It will definitely help you to increase sales. Just make your food available at your customer’s doorstep. You can also offer both online payment and ‘cash on delivery. This idea is also cost-effective. Because you are charging the same from a customer who is not occupying your retail space.

#7. Off On Delivery

This is another great restaurant marketing idea. You can offer at least 10% off on the bill when a customer orders the food for delivery. To make it more attractive, offer a discount for a limited period of time.

#8. Offer Coupons

Coupons are the most lucrative offers nowadays from a customer’s point of view. You can send coupons and menu details to your customer email. However, for this, you must have a customer database with you. Make the offer attractive as possible.

#9. Reach the Neighboring Customers

You must reach your neighboring clients. Identify the offices, business organizations, and commercial places nearby your restaurant. Meet them with your leaflets and menu card. You must aware of the food and services you are offering.

#10. Local Directory Listing

This is a must. There are several popular local directories that allow you free listing. Additionally, there are some directories that only allow paid listing. Identify the most popular directory in your area and make your restaurant available there. Study shows, 90% of customers check the nearby restaurant and price online.

#11. Advertisement On Food Magazine

Food magazines are a great place to advertise your restaurant. Through these ads, you can directly reach the foodie people. Additionally, it helps tremendously in building the brand. You can also consider publishing the advertisement in the local newspaper.

#12. Build a Website

Building a website is a must nowadays. Additionally, you must create a website as an effective marketing tool. Your website must clearly represent who you are and what you exactly do. Use the right theme and domain name. Add the contact details and the menu list clearly.

Related: How To Create A Website 

#13. Develop Brand Identity

Developing a brand identity is a must for any small business. Some people believe that developing a brand is hugely cash-intensive. However, there are several low-cost ways also. And you must have a budget for building the brand.

#14. Online Table Booking Facility

Offer your customers an online table booking facility. Generally, it makes easier your customer’s life. You can use your company website to offer this service. However, you have to make the entire process easy for your customers. So that they can book a table for a specific day and time.

#15. Use Mobile Ads

Generally, half of the Google paid clicks come from mobile. Additionally, mobile advertising is cheaper than desktop advertising. Generally, people check the nearby restaurants on the way. So the chances of getting customers are more from mobile advertisement.

#16. Host Theme Party

A theme party is a great idea for enhancing customer attraction. You can host a theme lunch party or the dinner party for your customers. Change the inside atmosphere according to your theme. Additionally, craft the menu as per your theme. Your customers will definitely love it.

#17. Have A Blog

Nowadays, the weblog is the strongest way of communicating with your customers. You can give any message, advice, news, and tips to your customers through your blog. Post updated pieces of information and helpful content regularly. If you really show an intent to help your consumer, then you can definitely get more users.

#18. Invite Food Bloggers

You can invite established and popular food bloggers to taste your food. In the restaurant business, a blogger’s review makes a huge impact. The more you get a positive review, there are more chances to get new customers. However, if you get any negative reviews then respect the customer’s opinion and reply to it.

#19. Open Your Google My Business Account

Opening a Google My Business account is just necessary for restaurant marketing. When anyone searches for a business on Google, Google’s Knowledge Graph provides the business’s details in the sidebar.  Google’s Knowledge Graph fetches the maximum information from Google+. So, having your business listed in Google Business ensures better availability of your business on Google.

#20. Reply Tweets

Your Twitter handle can play a big role in enhancing the orders. And timing your tweets can have a big influence on hungry stomachs. You can schedule the Twitter messages targeting the time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Additionally, be specific in answering the Tweets.

#21. Use Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual social media platform. You can post a large number of images on Pinterest and pin them. Go to Pinterest.com, and sign up for an account using either your Facebook account, a Twitter account, or an email address. However, it is better to open an account with an email address.

#22. Promote on Facebook

Having a Facebook business page is just mandatory nowadays. Facebook has the largest user base globally. And you can share, and communicate with a large audience with your Facebook page. And it is free. Decorate your page as detailed as you can.

#23. Facebook Advertisement

Facebook advertisement is a great restaurant marketing idea. Additionally, the advertising is cheap also. You can target Facebook followers in your area, as well as user types. Nowadays, Facebook advertising is an effective way to attract a large audience within a limited period of time.

#24. SMS Marketing

SMS marketing or text message marketing is another great option for restaurant marketing. And there are several types of software you can use for this. Just promote your deals and discount offers through SMS. Additionally, you can send coupons out there. This helps you to build a loyal customer base.

#25. Buy Google Adwords

Google Adwords is a cheap way of online advertisement. Additionally, you can reach the target audience through Adwords. You can also consider having the pay-per-click ad on Bing. When a user searches for a specific food then search engines place the advertisement in front of them.

#26. Email Marketing

When you have a website, you can generate an email list of your loyal customers. And you can use those emails to promote your menu, discounts, deals, coupons – everything. Additionally, you can send the weekly newsletter to your customers. There are several email marketing software available for small business owners.

#27. Create an App

These days, maximum users come from mobile devices. And you can offer an app to your regular customers. It will make them easier to check details and put orders. Make available the app for free download.

#28. Start a Food Truck

Starting a food truck not only helps in restaurant marketing but also enhances the profitability of your business. As you initiate a food truck, you can reach your customers with all your food menus. However, check the local laws before commencing the food truck in your area.

#29. Franchise Your Business

Franchising helps a business in numerous ways. Apart from marketing, it helps to build the brand and enhance profitability. Any successful restaurant business can go for franchising with strategic planning and goal. However, this is not an easy task. You must consult with the experts to get everything in the right place.

#30. Tie-up With Food Delivery Services

Food delivery companies generally deliver the food to the customer’s doorstep in exchange for some transaction fees. Identify the popular food delivery company in your area and have a tie-up. You can have tie-ups with food delivery companies like Swiggy.

Starting and operating a restaurant is a self-rewarding business. And there are numerous options for expanding the business at any moment in time. We hope this list of the best restaurant marketing ideas will definitely help to make your restaurant business more profitable.