How to market a restaurant business?

Website - Google Plus - Youtube Videos - Local SEO - of course you pretty much summed it up. Your competition will be the gauge on how far you need to take it.

A bit off-topic, but here in Pattaya there's something funny I've found because I've never seen it done in my country..
Several restaurants are writting on their ads and even on their front window "The Best Restaurant In Pattaya" like the "Best Indian Restaurant in Pattaya" or "Best Western Food in Pattaya" nobody care really, but it's funny that so many restaurants are the best in pattaya :-)
If you can get away with it, why not, it's probably not a bad thing to have the keyphrases BEST RESTAURANT IN XXX showing your restaurant's site on google :-)

Love your ideas VantagePro! Another point to make is to try one marketing technique - perfect it, get your results and continue. If you spread yourself too thin your results won't be accurate.

Gail

Mobile web solutions seem to sell well in this industry. People don't jump onto the desktop to find a good place to eat these days. Its all about the Smart Phone.

Good food and they will come! Nothing beats word of mouth, a recommendation from a friend is a definite customer.

If the restuarant is a more up-market one that attracts wealthier people,
then direct mail is the way to go.

I've added a pdf link
where on page 9 has a postcard example laid out and who to send it too.

Even if you don't use the restaurant example, even though I wouldn't know
why you wouldn't, there is great lessons on marketing.

Here's the link...http://www.dankennedy.com/images/PDF...rketing_FR.pdf

Best,
Ewen

I made a website for my Brother's cafe, that got a few more people in.

Send an email to local libraries asking the staff to have their lunch there, that got a few more people in too, write it nicely, so it doesn't look like a spam message, just ask them to support the local business.

If you can afford it, have all the meals you make analysed so you have information about fat, calories, sugar, etc, people are really interested in that nowadays, serve the information with the food. It's OK to have some unhealthy options, as people like a treat, but look into ways of making some meals specifically targeted at dieters.

I would build them a sms list of their current customers...offer a free drink in return for their phone number, and as long as they opt-in you can send them special offers via text...

this is especially good during slow periods where there are afew empty tables...just send out a special offer, and make it limited to that particular day...

And possibly incorporate it into a mobile site as most sites are not optimised for smartphones.

Like any business - get the traffic, convert it, build a client database to market to again and again.

How - lots of ways but who is your market?

Like ewenmack pointed out, depends on what type of clientele - an upscale restaurant doesn't market like a pizzeria. Their customers would appreciate a VIP wine club, invites to a scotch-tasting, or SMS offers could go out when the owner has extra perishables on hand. These kinds of clients may be less induced by a coupon and more about exclusivity.

A cafe could use contests, coupons, and yes SMS ..make sense?

Is the restaurant in an area that gets a lot of tourists who would search for a place to eat? Is it new; not well known? QR codes on flyers could point toward a video or discount.

Reputation management & Google+, loyalty programs, contests, etc. There is so much that could work but it should be customized.

Good luck with it: cheers!

Do google Adwords and Yahoo search marketing
Participate in related niche forums
Advertise in local business directory

what else u want???

Give meals away. This works well for new restaurants as well as anniversaries.
Just have someone go flyer drop in the neighborhoods surrounding the restaurant.
Have the flyer say they are giving away a free meal on Thursday and Friday night from 5:00 to 6:30.
Just buy a drink and the meal is one the house. Then once there entice them to join an sms list.

This works if the business is located in a good spot. Everyone will be coming home from work and drive past this busy restaurant. They will take notice. Then they will notice it is busy the next day too.
Bad restaurants aren't busy so this must be a good restaurant. People will come in just to see what all the fuss is about. They will come in after the rush and on the weekend when they have more time.

Plus, now that you gave away one free meal, the person will bring in their spouse and maybe kids. So it can go from a free meal to a BOGO offer, to a 25% off deal.

Posting and making a page in social networking site will definitely help you and avail of their marketing suggestions to get more visits and more customers. Just make sure you are doing it with a very attractive food photography

beside all this you can maybe try to get the restaurant into guide book, on - or offline like lonely plant or qype, if you have good reviews there people will come. I really check first qype before I go to restaurants

Get reviewed favorably in the media.

hire hot waitresses!

Good food
Good attitude
Good plan of attack!

You hit all the nails on the head.
I would add client retention is huge, build that database.
SMS works very very well. We call it the rainy day text message.
Much like a hotel, they want to peak the peaks (weekends)
and fill those mid week lows.

For a restaurant they have slow times as well.
Using SMS allows them to reach out and touch with some specials.

If u spread your business, u need seo on ur site. Posting and making a page in social networking site. Do google Adwords and Yahoo search marketing.

Marketing :- 1) who is your friends target market, who does he want to attract to his restaurant , cheapskates couples who only go out when theres a bogof deal running, or larger groups of people who will have pre dinner drinks, wine, 3 courses, liquers, coffee etc ?

Where do these people currently 'hang out' , where can he (I presuming its a he) engage with them and ensure they see and reaspond to his marketing messages.

I'm reckoning even these basic steps havent been done yet as most restaurants dont know who they want in, anyone will do!!, Do them properly so you're focussing on the right target market and not selling at a loss, then come back to me.

invites bloggers to your restaurant and ask them to give reviews

From what I've seen doing local offline and online marketing, one of the best ways to get customers interested in a restaurant is Facebook. The first and most difficult part is getting people to follow you. Adding a link from your website & posting flyers around the restaurant telling customers where they can find you on FB works well. Once you get people following you though, you need to communicate. One restaurant here in Lubbock does this quite well. The owner posts little tidbits about her staff and even about regular customers who come in. She is also very community oriented which makes people want to see what her restaurant is up to.

The second thing I'd recommend is loyalty marketing. This is the business I'm in and I'm very passionate about it. Like Irish said, SMS is worthless if you don't give customers a reason to join. Our program MobileLoyal.net gives our customers (restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream shoppes) a way to reward customers and get them to join their SMS program.

Whatever marketing you decide to use; great food, being sincere, and actually building a relationship with customers are all key components. Best of luck!

How about this? On reality restaurant makeover shows, they have where they invite locals (through flyers and whatnot) to come in and try out the restaurant at the grand re-opening and I always see a long line. While many of those patrons may be friends and family, I'll bet the very idea that it's going to be on TV is a big draw and why many accept the invitation to the re-opening.

So it seems to me that if you had a couple of camera operators on hand and claimed that this would be filming for a tv commercial or something like that, you might draw a crowd of people who want their 15 minutes of fame.

And of course, with the footage you tape, you could make something out of that to broadcast. (Just make sure you give notice that entering the premises gives the okay to the guests being recorded).

If you go this route, let me know if it works.

for online...I would do video...coupon+type of restaurant+city...make video from pictures and names from the menu...add qr code to the channel picture and to the video.
which takes them to the facebook like page which has coupon for the restaurant

I think mobile marketing is the most effective system.