In 2025, restaurants need to reach for new heights of sophistication by experimenting with unconventional techniques and new culinary technologies — especially in the UK, where competition is fierce.
Whether you manage a quaint café in the city, a bustling bistro, or a fine dining establishment in the most upscale part of town, it is essential to fully grasp the key concepts of restaurant marketing. By understanding the main principles of restaurant marketing, you can implement effective strategies to help you succeed in attracting new customers, retaining your current customer base, and most importantly, getting one-up on your competitors.
This guide provides actionable tips, practical examples, and tools that will help your restaurant reach its potential.
What is restaurant marketing?
When we talk about restaurant marketing, we mean the promotional and positioning activities an establishment undertakes to obtain more visibility.
As a result of effective strategies, restaurants can benefit from:
- Enhanced value proposition
- Bolstered brand image
- More coherent brand identity
- Impactful communication across multiple social media channels
Restaurant marketing also involves crafting a compelling storyline that deeply resonates with the chosen target audience. Alongside a well-executed marketing plan, you can boost your restaurant’s attractiveness, leading to higher customer numbers and increased turnover.
Restaurant marketing objectives
Navigating the UK restaurant industry can be challenging. To have a strong chance at success, it is key to define goals that will encourage the growth of your business. But why prioritise advertising, and how can restaurant marketing help to fill all your tables even during off-peak hours and, consequently, reduce no-show rates?
First, set achievable objectives that highlight your restaurant’s Unique Value Proposition (UVP) for your target audience. Refer to the SMART criteria as a guide, which states that every objective has to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. For instance, a goal for your restaurant might be to increase weekday lunchtime booking by 20% over the next three months.
Subsequently, monitoring results on a regular basis is also a core aspect of setting restaurant marketing objectives. This is where technology comes into play. Accessible and cutting-edge tools, such as TheFork Manager, can provide you with:
- Valuable figures sourced from detailed reports
- Tracked booking patterns
- Detailed customer preferences
- No-show rates
Understanding the marketing mix: 4 Ps restaurant
Have you ever heard of the Marketing Mix? It is one of the foundations of effective restaurant marketing strategy development and consists of four ‘P’s:
- Product: Crafting a high-quality menu with seasonal, local ingredients will cater to the taste buds of even the most diverse audiences, while also piquing their curiosity.
- Price: Keep your restaurant's prices competitive by offering lunch specials or happy hour deals. Implementing a tiered pricing strategy will encourage repeat visits.
- Place: Customers more easily perceive accessible and visible establishments as comfortable and inviting. To make your menu even more accessible, consider delivery and take-away options.
- Promotion: Raise awareness and enhance engagement by putting targeted restaurant marketing activities in place. Host events, create loyalty programs and outline social media, email campaigns and local partnerships.
Expanding the mix: the 7 Ps of restaurant marketing
In the last few years, the Marketing Mix has evolved to include three more elements:
- People: this ‘P’ is about your staff’s knowledge and experience. Investing in training is crucial to obtaining customer satisfaction and, ultimately, loyalty.
- Processes: quick orders and delivery, excellent complaint handling, reduced wait times, increased table turnover, and high-quality service are the secret ingredients for perfect restaurant management.
- Physical environment: atmosphere, décor, cleanliness, lighting, and music all contribute to enhancing your customers’ experience.
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Effective restaurant marketing strategies
Nowadays, restaurant marketing strategies blend traditional, digital, and creative techniques. A multifaceted approach can make a distinct difference in the current culinary context, as it allows experiments in and out of the kitchen and guarantees a long-lasting success.
Restaurants and “traditional” marketing
Despite the rise of digital marketing, traditional restaurant marketing techniques remain highly relevant in the industry. As an emerging new business, good public relations, word-of-mouth publicity, and personal recommendations from satisfied customers are invaluable.
To build a strong reputation and raise your business profile, local advertising in magazines, newspapers, radio, and TV can help promote your establishment. Seasonal offers, charity fundraisers, and special events can also help to fan the flames of your success!
Web marketing for the restaurant industry
In today's digital age, restaurant marketing has expanded, taking strategies online across several channels. Showcasing mouth-watering pictures of your dishes on Instagram, sharing behind-the-scenes content on TikTok and directly engaging customers with Stories all contribute to keeping viewers positively engaged.
Another powerful tool is e-mail marketing. Sending targeted newsletters allows you to attract and retain customers by getting in touch with them and designing tailored storytelling. This is only the beginning of creating a continuous dialogue that goes beyond simple promotions or invitations.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an asset that can optimise your restaurant visibility to boost your business and drive organic traffic to your website. Additionally, customers are now more regularly utilising online booking platforms — such as TheFork — meaning that having a good internet presence allows restaurants to gather valuable data insight while also boosting bookings and creating a loyal customer base.
The new frontiers of restaurant marketing
Do you feel like you’ve reached the limits of your success with conventional marketing strategies? Then you should embrace creative restaurant marketing strategies to make your activity stand out in the industry.
Guerrilla marketing may be the perfect unconventional approach and a perfect fit for you if your goal is to create a buzz and catch customers’ attention. Many restaurateurs across the UK have decided to use this strategy to boost their activity. Flash mobs have been a huge hit in the past few years, dancing in unison, performing in random places, and mesmerizing crowds.
If social media marketing works for your business, consider influencer marketing. The principle is similar to word-of-mouth but across social media channels. Influencers suggest items to followers, including clothes, restaurants, places to visit, while also endorsing their sponsors and leveraging their reach and credibility.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can also set your restaurant apart, offering immersive previews of your dining space or interactive menus. This will make your customers' engagement skyrocket.
Tips for successful restaurant marketing
Being successful requires working on various areas of your business at the same time. Here, you can find a series of marketing best practices you can easily implement to boost your restaurant.
- Understand your target audience. It is crucial to be aware of their tastes, culinary culture, background and habits to enhance their experience with a tailored approach.
- Define your brand identity, making your restaurant instantly recognisable in the eyes of potential customers.
- Develop a 360° marketing plan. This will outline your objectives and tools for measuring your advancements. Elevate your management approach with TheFork Manager — a user-friendly, multi-faceted online platform.
- Fine-tune your restaurant marketing strategies based on data for effective, long-term results.
11 restaurant marketing examples
Effective restaurant marketing is about using a smart mix of strategies to attract new diners and keep regulars coming back. From leveraging digital tools to engaging with your local community, there are countless ways to build your brand and boost your bookings. Below, we explore 11 practical, real-world examples that you can adapt for your own restaurant to see immediate and long-term results.
1. Seasonal menus and limited-time offers
This strategy involves creating special menus or dishes that are only available for a short period, tying into seasons, holidays, or local events. It creates a sense of urgency and novelty, encouraging both new and existing customers to book a table before the offer disappears. This is a classic way to leverage the "fear of missing out" (FOMO).
- Valentine's Day: A romantic tasting menu for two.
- Summer: A "Seafood Week" featuring fresh, local catches.
- Local Festivals: A special pre-theatre menu during a nearby arts festival.
- Christmas: A festive set menu available throughout December.
To implement this, plan your promotional calendar at least a quarter in advance. Use social media and your newsletter to build anticipation, highlighting the unique ingredients or the limited availability to drive immediate bookings.
2. Loyalty and reward programmes
A loyalty programme is a system that rewards customers for their repeat business, making them feel valued and encouraging them to return. It is far more cost-effective to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one, and these programs increase the lifetime value of your regulars by giving them a clear incentive to choose you over a competitor.
- Digital Stamp Cards: "Buy 5 coffees, get the 6th free" tracked via a mobile app.
- Points-Based Systems: Customers earn points for every pound spent, redeemable for discounts or free items.
- Tiered Memberships: A VIP club offering exclusive perks like priority booking or members-only events.
Start by choosing a simple system that is easy for both your staff to manage and your customers to understand. Promote it clearly in-house and make the rewards genuinely appealing to ensure strong participation.
3. Collaborations with local suppliers or brands
Partnering with other local businesses is a powerful way to build authenticity, strengthen community ties, and tap into a new, relevant customer base. This strategy involves cross-promoting with businesses that share your values, creating a marketing effort that benefits both parties and resonates with customers who love to support local.
- Local Brewery: Host a "Meet the Brewer" dinner with a specially paired menu.
- Local Farm: Feature a "Supplier of the Month" and highlight their produce in your dishes.
- Nearby Winery or Distillery: Co-host a tasting event or create a signature co-branded cocktail.
Begin by identifying potential partners in your area whose brand aligns with yours. Reach out with a clear, mutually beneficial idea for a collaboration and promote it jointly across your social media and email channels.
4. Social media campaigns with user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is any form of content - photos, videos, reviews - created by your customers rather than your brand. Encouraging and sharing UGC is a form of modern word-of-mouth marketing. It leverages social proof, as potential diners trust recommendations from their peers far more than traditional advertising, and it provides you with a stream of authentic, free promotional material.
- Branded Hashtag: Create a unique hashtag (e.g., #MyMealAtJoesBistro) and encourage guests to use it.
- Photo Competition: Run a "Photo of the Month" contest, with the winner receiving a voucher.
- Feature on Stories: Regularly share the best customer photos on your Instagram or Facebook Stories.
To get started, promote your hashtag on your menus and in your restaurant. Always engage with users who post about you by liking and commenting, and be sure to ask for permission before reposting their content on your main feed.
5. Influencer and micro-influencer partnerships
This involves collaborating with food bloggers or social media creators to review your restaurant. While big-name influencers can be expensive, micro-influencers (typically with 1,000-10,000 followers) often have highly engaged, local audiences and are more affordable. Their endorsement comes across as an authentic recommendation from a trusted source.
- Identify Local Creators: Search Instagram or TikTok for food bloggers in your city.
- Offer a Complimentary Meal: Invite them for a free meal in exchange for an honest review post or story.
- Exclusive Previews: Give them a sneak peek of a new menu before it launches.
Focus your search on influencers whose audience matches your target demographic. Reach out with a personalised message and be clear about the arrangement to ensure a successful and authentic collaboration.
6. Online booking promotions
This marketing tactic uses your reservation system to drive footfall during specific times. By offering a small incentive for booking online during quieter periods, you can smooth out demand, increase revenue during off-peak hours, and ensure your restaurant operates more efficiently. It makes your booking platform an active tool for managing capacity.
- Early-Bird Discount: Offer 20% off the food bill for tables booked between 5:00 and 6:30 pm.
- Off-Peak Offers: Promote a "Two for One" main course deal for Monday and Tuesday evening bookings.
- Platform-Exclusive Deals: Create a special offer, like a free glass of prosecco, available only to diners who book via your TheFork page.
Use your reservation data to identify your slowest service periods. Then, create a compelling, time-sensitive offer and promote it on your website and social media to fill those empty tables.
7. Event marketing and themed nights
Hosting events transforms your restaurant from just a place to eat into a community hub and a destination for entertainment. Themed nights create unique, shareable experiences that generate buzz and attract both new and existing customers. They provide a compelling reason for someone to visit beyond just your standard menu.
- Quiz Night: A weekly quiz is a classic way to draw a crowd on a typically quiet evening.
- Live Music: Host a local acoustic artist or jazz trio on a Friday night.
- Wine Tasting Evening: Partner with a supplier or sommelier for a ticketed educational event.
- Cultural Evenings: A "Tapas & Sangria" night or a Burns Night supper.
Start with one event per month that aligns with your brand. Promote it well in advance through social media and email, and consider making it a ticketed event to secure commitment and manage numbers effectively.
8. Community involvement and charity partnerships
Actively participating in your local community is a powerful way to build goodwill and a positive brand reputation. This strategy shows that your restaurant is invested in the area and cares about more than just profits. It fosters a deep sense of loyalty and makes customers feel good about spending their money with you.
- Sponsor a Local Team: Provide kits for a local youth football club or sports team.
- Host a Fundraiser: Partner with a local charity to host a fundraising dinner, donating a percentage of the night's proceeds.
- Offer a Community Discount: Provide a small discount for employees of local businesses, schools, or hospitals.
Choose a cause or an organisation that genuinely resonates with you and your team. This will make the partnership feel authentic and will motivate everyone involved to make it a success.
9. Email marketing and newsletter campaigns
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to communicate directly with your most loyal customers. A regular newsletter allows you to stay top-of-mind, share news, and drive repeat business by sending targeted offers directly to people who have already shown an interest in your restaurant.
- Monthly Updates: Share news about seasonal menu changes and upcoming events.
- Exclusive Offers: Send a special discount code or early access to tickets just for your subscribers.
- Personalised Messages: Use your booking data to send automated birthday or anniversary vouchers.
Make it easy for customers to subscribe to your newsletter on your website and during the online booking process. Focus on providing real value in every email to keep your audience engaged and prevent them from unsubscribing.
10. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for restaurants
SEO is the practice of optimising your online presence to rank higher on search engines like Google. When a potential customer searches for "best Italian restaurant near me," you want your restaurant to appear at the top of the results. Good SEO makes you visible at the exact moment someone is looking for a place to eat.
- Local Keywords: Ensure your website targets terms like "best Sunday roast in Bristol" or "vegan-friendly restaurant in Soho."
- Google Business Profile: Keep your profile complete and up-to-date with current hours, photos, and a link to your menu.
- Online Reviews: Actively encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google, as this significantly impacts local rankings.
Start by ensuring your restaurant's name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere online. Then, focus on gathering positive Google reviews, as this is a powerful signal to the search engine.
11. Gift cards and experience vouchers
Selling gift cards is a fantastic marketing tool that generates immediate cash flow and introduces your restaurant to new customers. When a regular buys a gift card for a friend, they are personally recommending your business. You can also package unique offerings into experience vouchers, selling a memorable occasion rather than just a meal.
- Monetary Vouchers: Sell digital and physical gift cards for set amounts (£25, £50, £100).
- Experience Packages: Create vouchers for a "Three-Course Dinner for Two with a Bottle of Wine" or an "Afternoon Tea Experience."
- Seasonal Promotions: Market gift cards heavily as the perfect present for Christmas, Mother's Day, or birthdays.
Prominently feature gift cards on your website, social media, and on your menus. Make them easy to purchase online to capture sales 24/7.
Resources for restaurant marketing
Finally, we want to present you with a broad array of useful resources that can become essential for your restaurant marketing plan.
- Consult industry reports, such as those by the National Restaurant Association, which deliver a thorough analysis of market trends and consumer behaviour.
- Make the most out of marketing templates and guides available through specialised platforms, such as HubSpot and TheFork Manager, to streamline your campaign planning and execution.
- Enhance your restaurant awareness online through tools that provide robust social media analytics (e.g. Hootsuite).
Always keep up-to-date with the latest strategies to attract more guests and success stories by following blogs like The Foodhaolic or GourmandGunno.
Empty tables and ever-increasing costs?
