Marketing Your Restaurant: How to Attract More Diners and Keep Them Coming Back 🍽️
The UK restaurant scene is competitive, fast-moving, and constantly evolving — especially with customers becoming more experience-driven, price-conscious, and digitally connected. Whether you’re running a cosy bistro, a modern gastropub, or a casual dining chain, the success of your restaurant depends not only on great food and service but also on smart, consistent marketing.
In this guide, we break down proven restaurant marketing strategies to help you get more bookings, grow your local presence, and build lasting customer loyalty.
🎯 Nail Your Brand Identity
Before you market anything, be clear about what your brand is. Ask yourself:
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What makes your restaurant different?
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What kind of atmosphere do you offer?
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Who is your ideal customer?
Your branding — from your logo and menus to your social tone and décor — should reflect this. A well-defined brand helps you attract the right audience and makes all your marketing more cohesive and effective.
🌍 Optimise Your Google Business Profile
This is critical. When someone searches “restaurant near me,” your Google Business Profile plays a major role in whether they choose you or the place next door.
Make sure yours includes:
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Correct business hours and contact details
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High-quality images of your food, venue, and staff
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Up-to-date menus
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Regular posts (e.g. “Live music every Friday”)
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Responded-to reviews
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews — they boost your local SEO and build trust with new diners.
📱 Be Active (and Strategic) on Social Media
Social media is one of the most powerful free tools for restaurant marketing — but only if used well.
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Instagram is ideal for visually showcasing your dishes, ambience, and behind-the-scenes prep.
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Facebook is great for events, offers, and local visibility.
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TikTok is growing fast for quirky, fun food videos and chef content.
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Stories & Reels are brilliant for quick updates, chef intros, or new dishes.
Tips for success:
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Post consistently (3–5 times per week)
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Engage with comments and followers
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Use hashtags (e.g. #LondonEats, #ManchesterFoodie)
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Showcase people – chefs, servers, regulars
📸 Pro tip: Invest in high-quality food photography. It really does make a difference.
💬 Run Facebook & Instagram Ads
Social media ads are one of the most cost-effective ways to drive local awareness and bookings.
With a modest budget, you can:
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Promote special offers or new menus
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Target specific audiences (e.g. parents, students, professionals within 5 miles)
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Retarget website visitors or social followers
Make sure every ad includes a strong call-to-action — “Book Now,” “View Menu,” or “Reserve Your Table Today.”
💡 Want this done for you? At LeisureBoost, we specialise in Facebook Ads for hospitality businesses. If you’d like expert help to grow your bookings, get in touch!
🎁 Introduce a Loyalty or Referral Programme
Reward regular customers and encourage word-of-mouth referrals:
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Offer a free dessert or drink after 5 visits
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Use a stamp card or digital app (like StampMe or LoyalZoo)
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Give a discount for referring friends or posting a review
These tactics increase repeat visits — and turn your best customers into your best marketers.
🥂 Run Events & Theme Nights
Give people a reason to choose you over a competitor. Events add excitement and generate buzz.
Try ideas like:
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Bottomless brunches 🍳
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Steak & wine nights 🍷
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Live music Saturdays 🎶
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Quiz nights or tasting menus
Promote events on social media, in-store, and through email. Create a Facebook Event and use paid ads to reach your local community.
📧 Use Email Marketing to Stay Top-of-Mind
Build a mailing list using:
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Table cards with QR codes
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Website sign-ups (“Get 10% off your next visit”)
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Online booking form opt-ins
Then send regular emails with:
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New menus or seasonal dishes
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Events and offers
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Staff stories or behind-the-scenes content
Email marketing is perfect for re-engaging customers — and costs next to nothing.
🔎 Make Sure Your Website Works Hard
Your website is your digital front door. Make sure it’s:
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Mobile-friendly
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Quick to load
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Easy to navigate
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Has clear calls to action: “Book Now,” “Order Online,” “See Our Menu”
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SEO-optimised (e.g. using keywords like “best Italian restaurant in Leeds”)
Bonus: Add an online booking system like OpenTable, ResDiary, or TableAgent to make it super easy for customers to book anytime.
🤝 Partner with Local Businesses & Influencers
Create win-win partnerships with:
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Local gyms, cinemas, co-working spaces (offer discounts for their members)
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Food bloggers or local influencers (invite them in exchange for exposure)
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Local events (offer catering, set up a stall, or do a food giveaway)
This builds brand visibility and connects you with a wider audience fast.
📈 Track Your Marketing – and Refine It
Don’t just guess — measure what’s working.
Use tools like:
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Google Analytics (for website traffic and behaviour)
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Meta Business Suite (for Facebook/Instagram performance)
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Booking system reports (to track conversions)
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Discount codes or QR links (to monitor offline campaigns)
The more you understand your customers’ habits, the better you can serve them — and grow.
🍝 Final Thought: Great Food Deserves Great Marketing
Running a restaurant is about passion, creativity, and experience. But to truly grow and thrive in a competitive market, you need marketing that’s just as flavourful as your food.
From targeted social ads and loyalty schemes to partnerships and SEO, there are countless ways to bring more people through your doors. The key is consistency, creativity, and using the tools available to connect with your community.
If you’d like help putting a marketing strategy together — or want someone to manage your ads and growth campaigns — get in touch with LeisureBoost. We’re experts in leisure and hospitality marketing, and we’d love to help your restaurant shine.
