How to make a marketing plan for your restaurant (that actually works)

If you run a restaurant, you’re already a marketer, whether you know it or not. Every time you post a new dish on social, update your website, or send out a newsletter, that is marketing.

The problem is that many restaurants do their marketing on the fly. They react to whats in front of them rather than planning the weeks and months ahead.

They might promote a Valentine's Day deal the week before, or make a post to boost bookings when they're already quiet, or launch a new menu without teasing it first.

A bit of planning changes everything; simple marketing plan helps you lay the groundwork to get more business with less stress.

Proper planning gives you time to build anticipation for your seasonal menus, promote events with enough time to get the numbers you need, and ensure your website and social pages are ready for when people start looking.

The purpose of this post isn't to turn you into a full-time marketer. My goal is to try to help you get one step ahead, so you spend less time scrambling for ideas and more time welcoming paying customers.

Fair warning, this is a lengthy post, so grab a cuppa...

Know your audience

Good marketing starts with understanding who you are talking to. You probably already have a sense of that, but it helps to write it down.

For what it's worth, "everyone" is not an audience. When you try to speak to everyone, you'll end up connecting with no one.

So think about the main types of people who dine at your venue. Who are they? What do they want? When do they visit? What influences their decisions?

For example:

• Local families: Early sittings, easy booking, clear kids' menus, and Sunday roasts.
• Working professionals: Quick, good-value lunches and mobile-friendly menus.
• Date-night diners: Great photos, atmosphere, and special menus or events.

Write a short line for each, for example "Busy parents looking for an easy Friday dinner, quick to book and family-friendly."

Once you know who your diners are, it is easier to plan marketing that'll resonate with them. The same applies to your menus. Treat each new menu, whether it is seasonal or special menu, as a product to promote to the right people at the right time.

Tip: Keep these profiles nearby when planning campaigns. Ask yourself, "Would this appeal to the families or the date-night crowd?" It helps every post and email stay focused on what your diners care about most.

Set clear goals that you can measure.

Before you start planning, you need to decide what you actually want to achieve. It sounds obvious, but many restaurants skip this step.

If you don't have clear goals, it is hard to know what is working. You might post every week, but if it is not bringing in bookings or sales, then you're just keeping busy rather than building the business.

Choose two or three outcomes you can measure.

For example, you might want to:

• Increase online bookings by 20 per cent
• Sell £500 of gift vouchers every month
• Grow your email list to 500 subscribers
• Increase weekday covers by 15 per cent

Set a deadline for each goal. A target with a date gives you something to aim for and makes it easier to see progress.

Tip: Look at your website analytics and booking reports from the last few months to set realistic targets. For example, if you averaged 80 online bookings a week over summer, aim for 90 a week by November.

The goal is to know what success looks like so that every post and promotion has a clear, defined purpose to acheive success.

Map out your year

Once you know your audience and goals, look at the year as a whole. Most restaurants have a rhythm with quiet and busier periods; quieter week days, busier weekends with busier periods around seasonal events.

Mapping out your year helps you plan ahead for the moments that matter and gives you time to build excitement instead of reacting after the fact.

Your year might look something like:

• Winter: New Year's, Valentine's Day
• Spring: Easter, Mother's Day, outdoor dining starts
• Summer: Garden menu, barbecue nights, festivals, school holidays
• Autumn: New menu, comfort dishes, early Halloween bookings
• Christmas: Festive menus, peak voucher sales, larger group bookings

Conversations about going out often start weeks ahead of actually going, so your marketing should too. Talk about Valentine's Day in January, tease your summer menu in May, and mention Christmas parties before Halloween.

If you are planning an autumn menu, start teasing it a few weeks before launch. Tease a new dish and add a "Book now for our new autumn menu" banner. When the new menu goes live, people will already be waiting to try it.

Tip: For each key period, plan one website update, one email, and a few social posts. That is usually enough to stay visible without extra work.

A simple calendar or spreadsheet will help you stay organised and keep your marketing consistent.

Choose your approach wisely

You restaurant does not need to be everywhere. Focus on the channels that actually bring people through the door. Each one has a job to do, and when they work together, marketing becomes much that much more effective.

Your website

This is the centre of everything. It is where people check your menu, book a table, buy vouchers, and find your opening hours. Keep it up to date before you post anywhere else. Make sure your restaurant website has the tools to do the job.

Social media

Social media should have a clear purpose: to guide people to your website with a goal in mind. Each post should give them a next step, such as booking a table, viewing your summer menu, or buying a voucher.

You don't need to post every day or use every platform. For most restaurants, Instagram and Facebook are enough. Share what's new, show your team, and highlight what people can book or buy today.

Google Business Profile

Most diners will check you out on Google first. Keep your photos, opening hours, and menu links up to date. Post updates when you change menus or announce events.

Email marketing

Email is still one of the best ways to stay in touch with regulars. Send short, simple newsletters about new menus, offers, or events. One a month, with extras for seasonal events is usually enough.

Local promotion

Join or host local events, partner with nearby businesses, and share content that ties your restaurant to the community. It builds trust and visibility both online and in person.

When you choose your channels, think about how they link back to your website. Every update should lead customers towards booking, viewing a menu, or buying a voucher.

Tip: Use analytics to see where bookings come from. If most traffic arrives through Facebook or Instagram, focus your energy there instead of spreading yourself too thin.

Create offers and content that convert.

When we talk about converting, we mean marketing that turns interest into action. For a restaurant, a conversion could be:

• A diner booking a table after seeing your post or email
• Someone buying a gift voucher through your website
• A visitor joining your mailing list
• A customer ordering a takeaway or collection online

Once you know your audience and channels, focus on what you are saying. Every piece of marketing should give people a reason to act, whether that means booking a table, buying a voucher, or trying a new dish.

Treat each menu as a product to promote. A new summer or autumn menu is a great excuse to reach out to past guests and give regulars a reason to return. Share a photo of a new dish, talk about what makes it special and remind people to book.

Think about your tone of voice. The way you write should sound like your restaurant feels. If your dining room is relaxed, keep your tone friendly. If you run a fine dining venue, make it elegant and confident. Consistency builds trust because customers recognise your voice.

Avoid posting the same thing too often. Repetition makes people scroll past, and social platforms may show your posts to fewer users. Change the angle instead. Show a behind-the-scenes view, share a guest comment, or highlight a different dish from the same menu. Keep it fresh while staying on message.

Tip: Every post or email should include a clear next step. "Book your table," "Buy a voucher," or "See the full menu." A simple call to action that gets people to your website will turn interest into bookings.

If you are launching a new autumn menu, start with a teaser photo, follow with an email invite, and update your homepage with a booking button. By launch day, diners will already be talking about it.

Set a realistic budget.

Money matters, and for most restaurants, it is the tightest part of the equation. The aim is not to spend heavily but to spend wisely, putting money where it will have the most impact and bring a clear return.

Work out what you can invest each month. A small, steady spend is better than a big outlay you can't repeat. Treat marketing as a regular cost of running your business, just like stock and utilities.

Budgeting for money

Focus your spend on areas that lead directly to bookings or sales.

• Photography and video: Good images are an excellent investment. They make your food look its best and can be used for months across your website and social channels. Your mobile phone is not up to the job, so hire a professional when you can. It will pay for itself many times over.
• Social or search advertising: Small, targeted campaigns around key dates can quickly bring in bookings or voucher sales. Always start with a clear goal before you spend.
• Website: Every campaign should end here, so make sure your site does its job well. Keep it fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to update. We can help. Take a look at our pricing to see how little it can cost to get a restaurant website that works.
• Email tools: A simple email platform is often all you need to stay in touch with guests. Choose one that makes sending updates quick and easy.
• Design and print: Occasionally, you may need new signage, menus, or table cards with QR codes linking to your site.

A useful guide is to invest around 10–15 per cent of the extra revenue you want to generate. If you aim to add £2,000 a month in bookings, a £200–£300 marketing budget is a sensible start.

Budgeting for time

Marketing doesn't need to take over your week.

Protect a couple of hours a week for marketing tasks: plan posts, update your website, check results, and prepare for the next key date.

A small, consistent effort keeps your marketing steady and stops it slipping down the list.

Keep track of what you spend and what results you get.

Over time, you will see what brings the best return and what can be dropped. The goal is to get more from every pound, not to keep spending more of them.

Track and adjust your results.

Once your plan is running, see what is actually working. Tracking doesn't need to be complicated, but it should be consistent. When you know where bookings come from, you can spend more effectively.

What to track:

• Website visits
• Online bookings and voucher sales
• Email sign-ups and open rates
• Stats from from your Google Business Profile
• Social media reach and clicks

Look for patterns rather than minor changes. If bookings rise when you post about a new menu, that tells you something. If posts without a clear call to action do not drive bookings, change your approach.

Check your analytics regularly. If most bookings come from Google or Instagram, that is where your focus should stay.

Tip: Review results monthly and quarterly. Note what worked, what did not, and what you will do next. Over time, this becomes your guide for consistent growth.

Adjusting your plan is not a sign that something failed; it is how you improve. The best marketing plans evolve a little every month, getting sharper as you learn.

Bringing it all together

A good marketing plan is not about doing more work; it is about doing the right work at the right time.

When you know what you are promoting, the audience that you're talking to, and when to reach them, everything becomes easier.

With this approach you can stop rushing to post at the last minute and start building steady interest that turns into bookings.

Keep it simple. Set goals, know your diners, plan your year, choose your channels, and measure what happens. Keep repeating what works and improving what does not. Over time, you will build a rhythm that supports your business all year round.

Remember, your website sits at the centre of it all. It is where every campaign, post, and email leads, and should always have a clear goal on your website.

If you want your marketing to work harder with less effort, Easy Eatery brings your menus, bookings, and vouchers together into an easy-to-use restaurant website with one simple dashboard, helping you turn marketing plans into real results, not extra admin.

Start small, stay consistent, and give your marketing the same care you give your food and service. You will see the difference quickly in fuller tables, better reviews, and a busier calendar.