People choose where to eat in a couple of minutes, on a phone, usually from Google Maps or Instagram. Restaurant marketing is about winning those two minutes: the right photos, an easy menu, good reviews and one tap to book or order.
Every step is a place you can lose someone to the restaurant next door. Here's what I check at each one.
| Channel | Why it matters for restaurants | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Most "where to eat" decisions start on Maps. Free, and it shows hours, photos, menu and reviews in one place. | First |
| Mobile menu website | Readable menu, booking and ordering links, and a home for your own direct orders. | First |
| Reviews | A steady flow of new reviews keeps your rating fresh and lifts you in local results. | Ongoing |
| Instagram & short video | Food is visual. Short clips of dishes being made or served earn attention without ad spend. | Second |
| Facebook & Instagram ads | Useful for launches, events and quiet weeknights, aimed at people within a few miles. | When the basics work |
| SMS to past guests | Fills slow nights from people who already like you. | Once you have a list |
Ember & Salt is a concept site for a fictional halal grill, built to show the layout I recommend: menu with prices, reservation form, hours and directions all one tap away on a phone.
Great food and long lines, but no menu online. People called just to ask prices.
Avoid offering discounts in exchange for reviews. Google's rules don't allow incentivized reviews.
Yes. Instagram is great for attention, but Google shows your website link on your profile and in search, and people want a readable menu, prices, hours and a way to book or order. A website is also the only place you control completely.
Ideally not. PDF menus are hard to read on phones and slow to load. A text menu on a web page is easier to read, easier to update, and Google can understand it. You can still offer a PDF for printing.
Make it easy and ask at the right moment: a QR code on the bill or table, and a quick ask when a guest compliments the food. Reply to every review. Don't buy reviews or trade discounts for them.
They can be for specific goals: a launch, an event, or filling slow nights, targeted to people close by. They're less useful as a general "awareness" spend without a clear offer.
Yes. I can connect the ordering or reservation system you already use, or link to one you choose, so customers can order or book directly from your site and Google profile.
Get a free preview of your new website first. Then decide.