How to Market a New Restaurant

Launch Marketing Plan: How to Market a New Restaurant

Marketing Plan For New Restaurant Launch

Opening a new restaurant is an exhilarating journey filled with endless possibilities, from crafting a unique menu to designing a captivating ambiance. However, one of the most critical elements for ensuring your restaurant’s success is an effective marketing strategy. In today’s competitive food industry, simply having great food and service isn’t enough. You need to attract customers, create buzz, and build a loyal patronage right from the start.

When it comes to how to market a new restaurant, many operators make the common mistake of deferring marketing to after restaurant opens. The common thinking is “Let me deal with the million things that need to be done to open the doors; there isn’t enough time to think about marketing now.”

In the months and weeks leading up to the grand opening, there is really a one-time opportunity to create buzz for your upcoming new restaurant.  

In this article, we will walk you through the essential steps to market your new restaurant. Whether you’re a first-time restaurateur or an experienced industry player launching a new concept, these strategies will help you create a solid foundation for your marketing efforts. From leveraging social media to optimizing your online presence and engaging with the local community, we’ll cover all the bases to ensure your restaurant gets the attention it deserves and set it on the path to long-term success.

Market a New Restaurant: What You Can Do to Build an Audience and Create Demand


Pre-Opening

In the 6-8 weeks leading up to the opening of your restaurant, you have the opportunity to build a audience and create a “new restaurant coming near you” buzz for your business. Here are the steps you can take to begin the process:

  • Registering a domain name: The absolute first step is to register your domain name. Do not search for domain name availability and leave it to register it later. You may find that your domain name has been hijacked and demand for hundreds or thousands of dollars to sell it to you.
  • Website landing page: In the weeks before your grand opening, the website doesn’t need to say much more than the name of your restaurant, and “Coming Soon.” You can also put a brief description of the type of food you’ll have on the menu. Again, you’re trying to provoke some curiosity. Install an email registration on the website, to begin the process of building an email list of local customers. 
  • Set up a social presence: You can set up a Facebook business page and Instagram page for your restaurant to start building an audience. This is a good opportunity to interact with the local community, and begin to find your voice.
  • Developing branding guidelines: Building a strong brand is crucial for differentiating your restaurant from competitors and creating a lasting impression on customers. Develop a brand identity, including logo, signage, and marketing materials.
  • Activating marketing channels for organic audience growth: Activate marketing channels such as social media, email, and mobile to organically grow your audience. A larger audience leads to more effective remarketing campaigns post opening.


Location Opening

Host a soft opening to test operations and gather feedback. On the day the business opens, set up your local presence on Google My Business. The key benefit of this feature from Google is a prominent box on the right side of the search page. There are some key opportunities here for visibility.

Google My Business offers a visual layout, with buttons for directions, your website, and reviews, among other things. Make sure you take the time to fill out all the information for this feature so that you can take advantage of some free visibility.

Grang opening announcement: Announcing the grand opening of your new restaurant through multiple marketing channels ensures maximum reach and engagement. By leveraging these channels, you can create buzz, attract a crowd, and ensure a successful restaurant opening.


Post-Opening

In the first 90 days after you open, focus your attention on increasing your local visibility and growing your business awareness. The marketing plan includes digital strategies to implement, such as enhancing  Facebook and Instagram efforts, running PPC ads in conjunction with your growing page. Other methods might be to call your local newspaper, and make your storefront more visible with inflatables or feather signs. Make sure you are working to create awareness with your local audience.

When you promote a new restaurant, it’s also important to create a multi-channel marketing plan in the early days. Not only that, but you’ll want to refer to it through the course of the year. Your marketing plan should serve as your roadmap and blueprint. It should highlight the opportunities you see, and how you want to capitalize on them. It doesn’t have to be overly-complicated. In fact, you can create a quality marketing plan in less than a day.


For over 10 years, The Digital Restaurant has been helping restaurants successfully open new locations. Discover our proven strategies and marketing plans.

Case Study: Launch Marketing for New Restaurant Openings

Contact us to get a copy of our “Launch Marketing” detailed case study


Conclusion

Opening a new restaurant is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning, dedication, and a clear vision. By following these steps, you can set the foundation for a successful restaurant that delights customers and thrives in the competitive food industry.

The most important thing to remember is that marketing can be a lot of work. If you’re slightly off on your timeline, don’t sweat it. The important thing is to execute the marketing plan, and do everything you can to market your new restaurant favorably in the local community.

Next Steps:

  1. Subscribe for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest restaurant marketing trends and tips.
  2. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our marketing experts to develop a customized marketing strategy for your restaurant.

FAQs


How do you attract customers to your restaurant?

Get found online by investing SEO. Engage with potential customers on social media platforms. Manage your online reviews actively. Grow an customer email list to be able to re-market cost effectively. Build partnerships with local businesses and organizations. Create attractive offers and run promotions. Develop a loyalty program.
Learn more about how to attract more customers to your restaurant


How do you promote a new restaurant?

Effectively promote your new restaurant through a multi-channel marketing strategy for maximizing reach and engagement on social media, email and mobile platforms. Use NGAZE marketing platform to run multi-channel marketing campaigns.
Learn more about multi-channel marketing campaigns


How can I generate more sales?

Determine the segment you want to generate more sales – dine-in, carryout or catering. For each of those segments your marketing strategies will differ with the offers and promotions you run. Use the NGAZE marketing platform to run multi-channel marketing promotions to generate more sales for each of those segments.


How can I get new customers online?

Manage your online reputation since new customers check that first before deciding to give you a try. Invest in SEO to be found online. Maintain a social presence to be top of mind of potential customers. Use email and mobile marketing effectively to drive them to your business.
Learn more about restaurant reputation management


How can I make my restaurant successful?

In addition to providing a great experience that includes good food and great customer service, the expectation of the customer is changing. Convenience is now becoming important. Online presence, social engagement and offering carryout and delivery is becoming crucial for success.
Learn more about restaurant marketing mix



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