A simple restaurant marketing strategy
Good restaurant marketing has three jobs: get found by new guests, make ordering or booking easy, and bring people back. Spend in that order. A beautiful ad that sends people to a listing with the wrong hours is wasted money.
| Goal | Channels | Main cost |
|---|---|---|
| Get found | Google Business Profile, local SEO, delivery apps, social media | Time; app commissions |
| Make it easy to order | Your website, online ordering, phone, QR codes | A flat software fee |
| Bring guests back | Email, SMS, loyalty, slow-night specials | Time; consent required |
Local restaurant marketing
- Claim and complete your Google Business Profile, and post your specials there.
- Join your BIA, SDC or chamber of commerce events and listings.
- Cross-promote with neighbouring businesses: a bakery, a brewery, a gym.
- Print your web address and a QR code on bags, receipts and table tents.
Restaurant ads: where a small budget goes furthest
If you buy ads, start with campaigns limited to a few kilometres around the restaurant and to the hours when people decide what to eat. Send the click to a page where they can order or book, not to your home page.
- Google Ads / Maps: people searching for your cuisine nearby. High intent, small radius.
- Meta (Facebook, Instagram): photos of real dishes, a local radius and a clear offer.
- Delivery app promotions: paid placement inside Uber Eats or DoorDash. Count them on top of the commission.
- Track every campaign with its own code or link so you know which one paid back.
Restaurant promotion ideas that protect your margin
- A slow-night special (for example Tuesday) instead of a discount every day.
- A family or group bundle at a fixed price.
- A first order on your own website with a small thank-you.
- A seasonal menu or a weekly dish, announced by email and on Google.
- Gift cards around the holidays.
Restaurant marketing tools worth having
- A website with your menu as text and online ordering (how to create a restaurant website).
- An email or SMS tool with proper opt-in and unsubscribe (email marketing and CASL).
- A scheduling tool for social posts.
- A QR code that opens your menu or ordering page (QR code menus).
Should you hire a restaurant marketing agency?
An agency makes sense once the basics above are done and you want paid ads or content at scale. Ask for references from restaurants in your city, who owns the ad accounts and the website (it should be you), and how results will be reported. Avoid long contracts before a trial period.
Where Chefzi fits
Chefzi is a commission-free online ordering system for Canadian restaurants: your own ordering page in English and French, for a flat $35 a month. Every channel above needs somewhere to send people; your own ordering page is that place, with no commission per order. If that sounds useful, book a 15-minute demo and we will show you your own menu in it. No pressure if you are just researching.
Sources
Google Business Profile, checked 27 October 2026 · CRTC, CASL FAQ and CRTC guidance on implied consent
Frequently asked questions
What is the best marketing for a small restaurant?
The free basics first: a complete Google profile, a fast website with your menu as text, replies to reviews and an email list with opt-in. Then small, local ads.
How much should a restaurant spend on marketing?
There is no single right number. Set a monthly budget you can sustain, test one channel at a time and keep the ones you can trace back to orders.
How do I promote my restaurant on social media?
Post real photos of dishes and people, show specials and events, answer comments, and always link to where people can order or book.
What is local restaurant marketing?
Getting found by people near you: a complete Google listing with an ordering link (Google Help), accurate hours, photos and replies to reviews, plus your social profiles and a QR code in the restaurant. It costs time more than money, which is why it suits small restaurants.