Marketing Tips

You're posting three times a week but every caption takes half an hour — that is 90 minutes gone. The concept behind ChatGPT for restaurant marketing is simple: use AI prompts to draft social captions...

You're staring at an empty private dining room that hasn't had a booking in weeks. Tables still pushed together. AV screen gathering dust. Three competitors within a mile are booked solid because they...

You're staring at an empty private dining room on a quiet Wednesday night, knowing it has been dark since last Friday's birthday booking. Sound familiar? Your private dining restaurant marketing strat...

Your private dining room sits empty three nights a week. Meanwhile, corporate teams two streets away are booking competitors because they found them on Google first. Restaurant group dining marketing...

You've spent thousands on the fit-out, months on the menu, and your team is delivering a great dining experience. Yet the local newspaper has not mentioned you once. Why? Because roughly 95% of pitche...

You're scrambling through your phone gallery at midnight because a journalist emailed asking for your chef's biography, high-resolution photos, and a fact sheet. You type up a bio from memory and repl...

You're opening a restaurant in six weeks. The fit-out is on schedule, the team is hired, and the menu is almost finalised. But nobody outside your immediate circle knows you exist. No journalists, no...

You're scrolling Instagram and a competitor three streets away has a stunning review from a local food blogger. The photos are professional, the caption is glowing, and the comments are full of people...

You've spent months perfecting your menu, your team is finally hitting its stride, and the food is great. But nobody outside your postcode knows you exist. The UK full-service restaurant sector earned...

The grand opening went well — decent crowd, a few local faces, some nice photos for Instagram. Then comes Tuesday afternoon. Six covers. The phone isn't ringing. Nobody told you that opening a restaur...

You're staring at your opening soon restaurant sign through the scaffolding. People stop and peer through the window daily. But you have no way to reach them when doors finally open. No email list, no...

Launch day is tomorrow. You've spent months on fit-out, menu development, and hiring — the signage is up and you've told everyone you know. But around 60% of UK restaurants close within their first ye...

You've spent months on the fit-out, trained your team, and finalised the menu. Opening day is three weeks away and your Instagram account has 43 followers. That is not going to fill 60 covers on a Sat...

You've spent months on the fit-out. Opening day is six weeks away. You've got a marketing budget and a list of ideas from every restaurant blog online. What you don't have is a restaurant grand openin...

Your food is good. Your reviews say so. But when someone walks past, nothing sticks. The signage hasn't been updated in years, the menu is a Word document with clip art borders, and your Instagram has...

You're doing the marketing yourself after a 12-hour shift. The Instagram posts aren't landing, your Google listing is gathering dust, and the Facebook ads you ran last month cost £200 and brought in t...

You've spent three months paying a generalist agency. They got you 400 new Instagram followers. None live in your postcode. None have booked a table. In London, every empty cover costs more than anywh...

You're spending three evenings a week writing Instagram captions between clearing tables and cashing up. Engagement is flat. The chain down the road has a photographer, a content calendar, and a queue...

You've decided you need help with marketing. That part was easy. Now you're staring at a confusing mix of freelancers, agencies, and full-service companies. They all say the same things on their websi...

You're staring at a proposal from a marketing agency. It lists "social media management," "SEO," "content creation," and "paid media" under one monthly fee. It could mean anything. It could mean nothi...

You've spent the last hour Googling "best restaurant marketing agency." Every result looks the same: glossy case studies, vague promises about "growing your brand," and retainer quotes that make your...

You spent months getting the menu right. The food is great, the service is sharp, and the kitchen runs well. But online? The logo looks rushed, the colours clash, and your Instagram could belong to an...

You've been doing your own marketing for two years. Posting on Instagram between services, throwing £50 at a Facebook ad when things get quiet, updating your Google listing when you remember. Most wee...

A hospitality branding agency is a specialist firm that builds brand identities for restaurants, hotels, bars, and cafes. These agencies know that your brand must work across physical spaces, menus, s...

You have spent thousands on your fit-out, weeks perfecting the menu, and months building a team. Then a regular recommends you to a friend and the friend says "which one is that again?" Not because th...

You're posting on Instagram, running the odd Facebook boost, maybe even paying someone on Fiverr to "do your SEO." Nothing sticks. The covers don't change. So what now? Is a proper restaurant marketin...

You're staring at this month's sales data wondering where the profit went. Your lamb shank has a 68% margin but nobody's ordering it. Fish and chips is slammed but barely breaks even. The four quadran...

You've spent hours perfecting your signature dish. The presentation is stunning, the flavours balanced, the margins healthy. Yet it sits at the bottom of your sales reports while basic fish and chips...

You've spent thousands on your menu design. The photos look beautiful, the layout seems professional, and your chef is proud of every dish. But week after week, customers order your lowest-margin item...

You're looking at your menu data. Something doesn't add up. Your best-selling dish barely breaks even. Meanwhile, that fancy special you're proud of gets three orders a week. The problem isn't your co...

You've spent hours perfecting your signature dish. The flavours are spot-on, the presentation is beautiful. Yet it sits there, week after week, barely selling. Meanwhile, an average dish in the top-ri...

You've spent money on a beautiful menu. Crisp photos, elegant fonts, everything looks professional. But there's a pattern: customers order your lowest-margin dishes while signature items sit gathering...

You know there's money left on the table somewhere. Your menu looks fine — customers genuinely enjoy it, prices seem reasonable — but profit isn't matching what it should be. Research shows optimised...

You're doing decent covers. Tables fill up on weekends. Staff seem happy enough. Then you look at your bank balance at the end of the month and wonder where it all went — every restaurateur knows this...

You've got a queue out the door on Saturday nights. But Tuesdays? Wednesdays? You could hear a pin drop. You're posting on Instagram when you remember, writing the odd email, maybe even thinking about...

You're watching your competitors' blogs show up in search while yours has two posts from six months ago. You started with good intentions, then got slammed with a Saturday rush and forgot it existed....

It's 10pm, you've just finished service, and you're staring at an empty Instagram drafts folder. You know you should post something tomorrow, but what? Meanwhile, that new place down the road seems to...

You post a photo of your best dish. Lighting is decent, presentation is spot-on. Eight likes. Meanwhile, the chain across the road has a queue out the door posting the same burger every week. You're w...

90% of diners check restaurants online before deciding where to eat. You're posting three times a week. Lighting's decent, food looks good. Three likes — two from staff. Meanwhile, the chain down the...

You are staring at the blackboard. Last month's prices. You have been meaning to update it for weeks, but between 12-hour shifts and being down two staff, it never quite happens. A customer just point...

You have just finished a 12-hour shift. Your feet hurt. A customer just asked if you still do the lamb special — the one you took off six months ago. The crossed-out prices and handwritten amendments...

It is 6pm on a Friday. Your restaurant is filling up. A customer points at the menu asking about the sea bass special. The problem? You sold out two hours ago. Nobody updated the board. Now your serve...

You're watching a couple in their sixties squint at the QR code on Table 4. Meanwhile, your lunch rush just walked through the door, and your only server is explaining to a frustrated customer why the...

You're watching customers walk out. It's Saturday rush, you're down two staff, and the queue backs up past the door. Customers shuffle impatiently, checking their phones — some leave without ordering....

You've just finished a 12-hour shift. Your feet hurt, the kitchen's finally clean, and you're scrolling through your phone when you see it: a one-star review from someone you don't recognise. Your sto...

You've just finished a 12-hour shift. You check your phone and see a one-star review from someone who's never set foot in your restaurant. Meanwhile, your competitor down the road has dozens of glowin...

You have got twelve 5-star reviews. They were posted over a year ago. Meanwhile, the cafe down the road has 147 reviews from the past three months, and they are always packed. Your food is better. You...

You've been running your restaurant for years. The food is good, regulars keep coming back, and word of mouth has always done its job. But lately, you've noticed something: the place down the road wit...

You just served a table of four the best Sunday roast they have had in months. They smiled, tipped well, said they would be back. Three days later you check your reviews. Nothing. Meanwhile, the custo...

You've just finished a 12-hour shift. You're exhausted. You open your phone to check your restaurant's Google Business Profile and there it is: a one-star review from someone you've never served, clai...

The importance of restaurant reviews has never been greater than it is today, with the majority of UK customers checking online feedback before making a reservation. Reviews shape first impressions, i...

You check your phone after a 12-hour shift. There it is: a one-star review claiming the food was cold and the service was slow. You know Friday was chaos — you were down two staff and the kitchen prin...

You check your phone after a 12-hour shift. Three new Google reviews. Two are lovely. One tears into your chips. "Soggy." "Overpriced." "Wouldn't return." Your stomach drops. You want to defend yourse...

Related: Looking to improve your restaurant's overall online presence? See our guide to local SEO for restaurants. You're checking your phone between services, and there it is—another Google review no...

You know the feeling. You've just finished a 12-hour shift, the kitchen's finally quiet, and you check your phone. One new Google review. One star. A customer complaining about something you can't eve...

You have finished a 12-hour shift. Your feet ache. You check your phone and see a new Google review. Good news? Criticism? Either way, you need to respond. This guide gives you ready-to-use restaurant...

You're checking Google Reviews between services, replying to one TripAdvisor complaint during a quiet Wednesday night, and completely forgetting about OpenTable because who has the time. Meanwhile, a...

You're scrolling through industry articles at midnight after a 12-hour shift, wondering if AI will replace your front-of-house team. The future of restaurants combines technology adoption with evolvin...

You're posting three times a week. The food looks great in person. But on Instagram, it looks like every other plate on the platform. Meanwhile, restaurants with stunning photos have queues out the do...

You're three months into the year. Revenue's up but you're still barely breaking even. Your food cost percentage looks high, your labour costs are climbing, and you're wondering: is that normal? Witho...

Why do your restaurant photos look flat when the space looks stunning in person? You've spent thousands on the dining room. Lighting's perfect at 7pm, tables spaced beautifully—but photos disappoint....

You've just spent hours updating your menu. The descriptions are perfect. The pricing is spot-on. But there's one problem: why do customers keep ordering the same three dishes whilst your £18 signatur...

Three likes on your latest food post. One from your mum. Your food looks incredible on the plate, but grey and unappetising in photos. You've got a menu full of dishes you're proud of—beautiful platin...

You've spent thousands on camera gear and practised plating shots for months. A local restaurant asks what you charge, and you freeze. Quote too high and they walk away. Quote too low and you're worki...

74% of consumers use social media to decide where to eat—but you've finished a 12-hour shift, your feet hurt, and you've got nothing posted. The 3 3 3 rule in marketing offers exhausted restaurant own...

The 7 P's of restaurant marketing is a framework that helps you identify gaps between what you promise diners and what you actually deliver. This guide covers Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People,...

Sound familiar? You're pulling 10-hour days. The morning rush was chaos, the 3pm lull gave you just enough time to wipe down tables, and now you're meant to figure out marketing too. Meanwhile, the ch...

You're up before dawn, grinding beans and steaming milk. By mid-afternoon, you've served dozens of customers, managed staff, and somehow kept the espresso machine from throwing another tantrum. Why is...

A digital marketing agency for hospitality is a specialist partner providing SEO, paid ads, social media, and content creation for hotels, restaurants, and venues. UK agencies typically charge £1,500-...

You've poured everything into your hospitality business. The food is brilliant. Service is on point. Yet the tables stay empty on a Tuesday night while the chain down the road fills up. The difference...

You're posting food photos every few days. The lighting's decent, the dishes look great. But your engagement is flat, and you're not seeing new faces walking through the door. Meanwhile, the chain dow...

Hospitality digital marketing is the practice of using online channels like social media, search engines, email, and websites to attract guests and drive bookings for hotels, restaurants, and venues....

It's 9pm on a Tuesday. You just finished a 12-hour shift. The food is brilliant, the soft opening got glowing reviews, yet empty tables stare back at you. Meanwhile, the chain down the road has a queu...

A loyalty program for restaurants is a structured rewards system that incentivises repeat visits by offering customers points, discounts, or exclusive perks based on their spending or visit frequency,...

You're posting about your specials on Facebook. You've tried a few offers here and there. But it's Wednesday night, and you're looking at empty bar stools while the gastropub down the road has a queue...

{% figure image="/images/blog/restaurant-loyalty-scheme-hero.webp" alt="Independent UK restaurant customers using loyalty cards and mobile apps at the counter" caption="Loyalty schemes drive 39% of al...

You're pulling 12-hour shifts. The food is good, customers who find you love it, but your phone stays quiet during those slow Tuesday afternoons. Meanwhile, the chain down the road always seems busy....

A restaurant deal of the day is a limited-time promotion featuring a specific dish or meal at a reduced price, typically changing daily or tied to particular days of the week. The best restaurant deal...

Restaurant discount ideas are pricing strategies that offer customers reduced prices in exchange for specific behaviours like visiting during quiet times, booking in advance, or bringing new customers...

Restaurant happy hour ideas are promotions designed to attract customers during the traditionally quiet period between lunch service and evening dinner, typically 4pm-7pm. The best happy hour promotio...

Restaurant loyalty offers are structured reward systems that incentivise repeat visits by offering points, stamps, or credits towards future benefits like discounts, free items, or exclusive experienc...

Restaurant midweek offers are promotions specifically designed to attract customers during traditionally quiet periods from Tuesday to Thursday, when most restaurants struggle to fill tables while sti...

Restaurant promotion ideas are marketing activities that attract customers through added value, experiences, or incentives rather than simple price reductions. The best promotions create genuine reaso...

Restaurant seasonal promotions are marketing campaigns designed around calendar events like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, and seasonal transitions when customers have already planned to sp...

Restaurant special offers are promotions, discounts, and deals that UK restaurants use to attract customers during slow periods, build loyalty, and boost revenue without slashing prices. The most effe...

Restaurant voucher ideas are promotional tools that offer future value to customers, typically in the form of discounts, free items, or credits redeemable on subsequent visits. The best voucher strate...

How to improve restaurant customer service means training staff well, setting clear standards, and building a culture of care. You're running a solid kitchen. Good food, fair prices, nice atmosphere....

Restaurant customer complaints are guest concerns or dissatisfactions that require staff response—from minor issues like slow service to serious problems like food safety, allergies, or incorrect bill...

Restaurant customer satisfaction is the degree to which guest expectations are met or exceeded across food, service, atmosphere, and value—measured through feedback, reviews, return visits, and recomm...

Restaurant customer service is the combination of every guest interaction in your venue—from the first greeting to the final farewell, including seating, ordering, serving, and problem-solving—that de...

Restaurant customer service standards are written rules that define exactly how every guest should be treated, from the moment they arrive until they leave, ensuring consistency across your entire tea...

Restaurant customer service tips that work aren't about grand gestures—they're about small habits done every shift, by every team member, from greeting to farewell. Your staff work hard. Food goes out...

Restaurant customer service training is a set of lessons that teach staff the skills and habits needed to give guests a great time. You're hiring new staff every month. Turnover is relentless. Yet whe...

Restaurant guest experience is the complete journey a guest takes with your venue—from discovering you online through booking, arrival, dining, payment, and departure, including every interaction that...

Restaurant service quality is the measurable gap between what guests expect and what they actually experience across tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy—the five dimensions...

It's two weeks until opening. You've sunk your savings into the fit-out. The menu is ready. Staff are hired and trained. But your Instagram has 40 followers—all family—and nobody knows you exist yet....

You're spreading yourself across five platforms but can't tell which one actually fills tables. Every marketing guru has different advice—"be on TikTok," "invest in signage," "email is dead, no wait,...

It's 10pm, the kitchen just closed, and you're staring at an empty Instagram feed wondering why your competitor down the road always has a queue. You've tried posting photos of your food. You've hande...

You've got 30 minutes between lunch rush and prep. Your Instagram has 200 followers. Your competitor just opened a second location. And you're wondering if there's a single restaurant marketing idea t...

You're posting photos, asking for reviews, maybe even running the occasional ad. Yet the restaurant down the road—with food no better than yours—has a queue every Friday night. What are they doing tha...

You're watching chains spend thousands on advertising while you're wondering if you can afford a Facebook boost this month. Your marketing "budget" is whatever's left after wages and suppliers—which i...

You've been meaning to create a restaurant marketing plan for months. Every time you sit down to write one, you stare at a blank page and wonder where to start. Meanwhile, your competitor down the roa...

Restaurant marketing ROI (Return on Investment) measures how much revenue your marketing generates compared to what you spend—calculated as (Revenue from Marketing - Marketing Cost) / Marketing Cost ×...

You're posting on Instagram, updating your Google listing, maybe even trying TikTok—but you're not sure what's actually working. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Restaurant marketing trends...

You're running promotions but can't tell if they work. Maybe a 20% off voucher that attracted the wrong crowd, or a loyalty card nobody remembered. You've tried discounts before—and now you're stuck w...

It's the week before Valentine's Day and you've just remembered you need a special menu. Sound familiar? If you're scrambling every holiday season while competitors are fully booked, you're not alone—...

You've invested hours in your menu, your service, your sourcing. Yet when someone searches for "Italian near me" on their phone, they find a clunky site with tiny text and a menu that requires pinchin...

A restaurant booking website is an online platform that allows diners to reserve tables directly through the internet or mobile app, handling reservations, table management, and guest communications a...

Your homepage has three seconds. That's how long visitors give you before deciding whether to stay or click away—and 53% will leave if your page loads slowly. You've spent thousands on photography and...

You've spent money driving traffic to your website. Ads running, social posts scheduled, maybe even a mention in a local food blog. People are clicking through. But when they land on your page, nothin...

Your menu page is doing the heavy lifting on your restaurant website. When 77% of customers check your website before deciding where to eat, your menu page becomes the make-or-break moment that determ...

You're posting on Instagram, responding to TripAdvisor reviews, maybe even running the odd Facebook ad. Yet when someone Googles your restaurant name, the first thing they see is a bare Deliveroo list...

You've spent all week running service, and now you're staring at quotes ranging from £200 to £10,000 for what looks like the same thing. One agency promises "premium design" while a freelancer offers...

You've spent months perfecting your menu, but potential customers are clicking away before they taste what you're cooking. Restaurant website design determines whether visitors book a table or leave....

You've spent money on a website that looks nice - but bookings aren't coming through. Visitors land, scroll, then leave. Your site is working against you if they can't book within three clicks. With 7...

Restaurant website features are the key elements that help diners find your menu, book a table, and learn about your business online. With 89% of people researching restaurants online before choosing...

You've been meaning to sort your website for months. The current one looks outdated, or worse, you don't have one at all. Meanwhile, customers search "restaurants near me" and click on your competitor...

You've tried boosting posts. You've spent £50 here, £100 there. The likes roll in, but the tables stay empty on Tuesday nights. They're running Facebook ads for restaurants properly—and it's working....

You're running a restaurant. Your tables are empty on quiet midweek evenings. The place down the road has a queue. They're not better than you—they're just showing up when people search "best Italian...

You've spent £20 boosting a last-minute Facebook post. Three tables still empty. Most restaurant owners either spend too little on ads to see results or waste their budget on campaigns that never conv...

You've spent £500 on Facebook ads. The results? Three likes and your mum asking why you're advertising to her. Meanwhile, the chain down the road fills tables every night. Restaurant ad campaigns can...

You're paying £2 per click on Google Ads. Someone clicks, lands on your homepage, gets overwhelmed by navigation options, and leaves without booking. That's £2 wasted—hundreds of times monthly. Restau...

You're spending money on ads and posting on social media. Yet the restaurant down the road has a queue while your Tuesday nights stay empty. With 47% of UK restaurants investing in paid advertising, t...

You've spent £500 on restaurant paid marketing this month. The ads looked great. Your reach numbers went up. But the tables? Still empty on Tuesday nights. Meanwhile, the café down the road seems to b...

You've just finished another quiet Tuesday service. The walk-in traffic that used to fill your tables has disappeared. Meanwhile, the chain down the road seems packed every night. Their secret? They'r...

You're spending money driving traffic to your website. People browse your menu, check opening hours, maybe even start a booking. Then they vanish. Without restaurant retargeting ads, those almost-cust...

You have spent years perfecting your menu, training your staff, and creating an atmosphere people love. Yet tables sit empty on quiet nights while loyal customers forget you exist between visits. Emai...

Full house last Saturday. Great Google reviews. But this Tuesday? Three tables all night. A restaurant CRM (customer relationship management) system is software that helps you collect, organise, and u...

{% figure image="/images/blog/restaurant-customer-retention-hero.webp" alt="Happy customers returning to their favourite local restaurant in the UK" caption="Improving retention by 5% can increase pro...

A restaurant email list is a collection of customer email addresses gathered with consent that you use to send promotions, updates, and offers. Done well, it becomes your most reliable way to fill tab...

You know the couple who comes in every Thursday. The bloke who always orders the same burger. The group of friends who celebrate every birthday at your place. But here's the problem: you couldn't pick...

You're running a solid restaurant. Good food, friendly service, regulars who know your name. But here's what keeps you up at night: 70% of first-time diners never come back. That's not a problem with...

{% figure image="/images/blog/restaurant-repeat-customers-hero.webp" alt="Busy UK restaurant with happy returning customers being greeted by staff" caption="65-80% of restaurant sales come from regula...

Why do three out of four first-time customers never return? You know the Tuesday regular: same table, same order, same friendly nod. But for every loyal face, three others visited once, enjoyed the me...

{% figure image="/images/blog/sms-marketing-for-restaurants-hero.webp" alt="Restaurant owner checking SMS marketing campaign results on mobile phone" caption="SMS delivers 98% open rates—your messages...

It's 3pm on a Tuesday. You know you should post something. But what? The content calendar is blank, service starts in two hours, and inspiration is nowhere. Sound familiar? These restaurant social med...

You've taken a great photo of the day's special. You're staring at the caption box, cursor blinking, wondering what to write. Sound familiar? These restaurant social media posts are ready to copy, ada...