7 Restaurant Marketing Strategies: How to Market a Restaurant and Increase Sales in 2026

Most restaurants fail not because of bad food, but because no one knows they exist.

If you’re not marketing your restaurant the right way, people nearby may never find you. Your tables stay empty while your competitors remain booked.

Don’t worry at all. We are here to help, assist, and guide you. Yes, we will share some of the top yet secret restaurant marketing strategies to break the chain and grow your restaurant faster.

These simple marketing ideas surely bring customers. Just follow these steps, and you’ll see more orders, more reservations, and more repeat guests.

Let’s make your restaurant the one everyone talks about.

Why do you need a marketing strategy for a restaurant?

You need a marketing strategy so people can find your restaurant, choose you over competitors, and come back again.

Good food isn’t enough; your customers must see you online, remember you, and feel a reason to visit. A clear plan helps you get steady traffic, more orders, and long-term growth.

Apart from that, there are a lot more reasons, such as:

• It helps to reach the right audience
• You can stand out from the competition
• Clearly defines your brand identity
• Drives revenue and growth
• Creates customer loyalty
• Supports business goals

7 Restaurant marketing strategies to follow in 2026

Who doesn’t want to grow their restaurant sales, right? Here are some different approaches that you can use to grow your restaurant business.

1. Prioritize branding

The first thing that you need to do is grow your online visibility and identity. For instance, you can start with the three golden initial steps: set goals, choose your channels, and track what works.

To get started, you first need to set clear goals and a budget. For instance, you need to do these things:

• Decide what you want in the next 3 months.
• Do you want more dine-in customers, more online orders, or better lunch sales?
• Pick 3 core channels for this time frame

Don’t try to do everything at once. Choose three channels that fit your audience and budget. For example:

• Organize and set up your Google Business Profile for local SEO and discovery
• Plan for Email or SMS to offer loyalty programs
• Follow the restaurant technology trends so you can stay ahead of your competitors

To grow restaurant revenue, you must measure what matters.

• From Google: track calls, directions, and website clicks
• From social media: check engagement or booking clicks
• Also, you can do a restaurant survey with questions so that you can refine your next 90-day plan.

When you see what brings real customers, double down on those channels. Small, consistent tracking turns marketing ideas into real business growth, and that’s how you increase restaurant sales steadily every month.

2. Focus on your online presence

Most customers check a restaurant online before they ever walk in. They look at photos, reviews, menus, and opening hours. If they can’t find you, or what they see looks outdated, they move on to another place within seconds.

A strong online presence makes your restaurant easier to choose. When your Google Business Profile is updated, your website loads fast, and your social media shows real food and real moments, people trust you more. They feel confident about what they’ll get before they arrive.

3. Never neglect Local SEO

Most restaurant searches start with a simple line: “food near me.” If your restaurant doesn’t show up in those local results, you lose customers to places that do; no matter how good your food is.

Remember, the term “Near me” is highly transactional, and the intent refers to users who are ready to purchase. So if you are not ranking in this, you will never be able to catch the customer.

And the Local SEO helps you appear when people in your area are ready to eat. When your Google Business Profile is complete, your menu is visible online, and your name, address, and phone number match across the internet, search engines trust your business more.

That trust pushes you higher in local results.

4. Highlight online ordering & delivery optimization

More people now prefer ordering food online instead of calling or visiting. If your restaurant doesn’t offer a smooth online ordering system, you miss out on customers who expect fast, simple, and reliable digital service.

A clear online menu, easy checkout, and quick delivery or pickup options can instantly boost your sales. Small things, like showing add-ons, offering combos, and keeping the ordering flow short, make customers more likely to complete their order.

5. Run high-ROI Ad campaigns

As a part of the restaurant marketing strategy, you can not ignore paid Ads. Be strict. If you want fast results, ads are one of the quickest ways to bring new customers into your restaurant.

But the goal isn’t to spend more; it’s to spend & plan smart. High-ROI ad campaigns target people who are already nearby, already hungry, and already searching for a place to eat.

For instance, you can use your Google Search Console data to grab those transactional keywords. And then you can show your best dishes, promote lunch deals, or highlight weekend specials only to people within a few kilometers of your restaurant.

This keeps your cost low and your conversions high.

• “Order now” ads during lunch hours
• “I want to buy a donut near me“
• “Reserve a table” ads on weekends
• “New menu” ads targeted to your neighbourhood
• Retargeting ads for people who visited your website

When you run focused, time-based, location-based ads, you pay less and get more: more orders, more reservations, and more repeat customers. High-ROI ads with a proper restaurant SEO strategy turn small budgets into real results without the assumption.

6. Seasonal & event-based promotions

People love trying new things during holidays, celebrations, and local events. When you create special menus or limited-time offers for these moments, your restaurant becomes the first place they think of.

Seasonal promotions work because they feel fresh and exclusive. A Holiday set menu, Ramadan iftar boxes, winter specials, weekend brunches, or World Cup match-day deals all give customers a reason to visit right now, not “someday.”

These small, timely ideas create excitement, increase website traffic, and boost sales during both busy and slow seasons.

7. Showcase genuine customer reviews and reputation

People trust the words of other customers more than any advertisement. When you highlight genuine reviews, photos, and feedback, you build instant trust, and trust is what makes someone pick your restaurant over another.

Want proof? Here is the case study that you can read and learn how brands grew their 17% increase in sales, higher customer satisfaction scores, and more repeat customers

More reviews = more visibility = more customers.

Replying to reviews (good or bad) shows that you care about service and improvement, which many customers notice.

Bonus: Partner with local businesses and communities

Working with nearby businesses and community groups can bring you new customers without spending on ads. Local partnerships help people discover your restaurant through places they already trust.

You can team up with:

• Gyms and fitness studios
• Offices and co-working spaces
• Bookstores, florists, or clothing shops
• Schools, clubs, or community groups

These partners can promote your special meals, lunch packs, or event menus to their customers. In return, you can highlight them in your restaurant or offer small perks. This creates a win-win: you get steady local visibility, and your restaurant becomes a familiar name in the neighborhood.

Over time, these relationships bring repeat customers, more group orders, and stronger brand trust in your area.

How community partnerships boost restaurant visibility

A restaurant community guide from Licera explains that partnering with local charities, community groups, and neighborhood programs can help restaurants grow faster. These collaborations bring in new customers, improve trust, and make your restaurant more visible to people living and working nearby.

According to the guide, restaurants that take part in local community events often see:
• More walk-ins and foot traffic
• Higher local brand awareness
• New customer segments
• Strong, long-term community support

Read Full Guide →

How does WPCafe help to enhance your restaurant marketing strategies? (6 use cases)

WPCafe is more than just a food ordering or reservation plugin; it gives you tools to attract more customers, improve their experience, and keep them coming back.

Here’s how:

• Food menu layouts that attract more customers

Beautiful menus increase browsing time and push customers to explore more items. Use grid, tab, or slider menus to highlight best sellers and seasonal dishes for higher order conversions.

• Location‑based menus and schedules

Personalized offers convert better than generic menus. Run separate promotions for each branch and show location‑specific deals based on customer selection.

• Discount and timed product rules

Smart deals bring in repeat orders and boost sales on slow days. Create lunch‑only discounts, weekend specials, or happy hour promotions to increase order volume.

• Live order management with instant engagement

Faster service improves ratings and keeps customers coming back. Get live order notifications and fulfill orders quickly to reduce delays and increase positive reviews.

• QR code ordering for dine‑in growth

Modern ordering boosts table turnover and encourages impulse purchases. Place QR codes on tables that link to your menu, making it easy to promote add‑ons and upsells.

• Automated emails for follow‑ups and loyalty

Consistent communication drives customer retention. Send reservation reminders, order confirmations, and follow‑up offers like “10 percent off on your next visit.”

WPCafe isn’t just a plugin; it’s your all-in-one restaurant growth tool. From better design to smart marketing automation, it’s built to help you get more orders, more bookings, and more loyal customers.

See it in action; watch the WPCafe 3.0 video now!

Never make these mistakes while you are doing restaurant business

Minor errors can slow down your growth, reduce customer trust, and hurt sales. Avoid these common mistakes so your restaurant stays competitive and easy to choose by your preferred customers:

• Ignoring online reviews or leaving negative reviews unanswered.
• Keeping an outdated menu with missing prices or unclear items.
• Not offering easy online ordering or quick table reservations.
• Using poor-quality food photos on your website and social media.
• Skipping basic marketing like Google updates or weekly posts.
• Failing to train staff on service, upselling, or customer handling.
• Not tracking your sales, foot traffic, or online performance.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the best marketing strategy for a restaurant?

   The best strategy is to be easy to find on Google, stay active on social media, and follow up with customers through email or SMS. This mix brings new guests in and keeps regulars coming back.

2. What is the 30/30/30/10 rule for restaurants?

   It’s a simple budget rule many restaurants use:
   30% for food cost
   30% for labor
   30% for overhead (rent, utilities, supplies)
   10% profit
   
   This helps keep expenses balanced so the business stays stable.

3. What are the 7Ps of marketing for a restaurant?

   The 7Ps are the key areas to focus on:
   Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical Evidence.
   
   This helps you create a strong menu, fair pricing, smooth service, and a great dining experience.

4. How do I make my restaurant stand out from competitors?

   Use clear food photos, updated Google listings, strong reviews, and a simple online ordering system. Consistent quality and fast service also help you stand out.

5. How can I increase foot traffic to my restaurant?

   Update your Google Business Profile, post weekly on social media, run seasonal specials, and encourage customers to leave reviews. Small steps like these bring more walk-ins without heavy ad spending.

Summary

Growing a restaurant today is not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things consistently. When you focus on your online presence, local SEO, reviews, ordering flow, and customer relationships, you set your restaurant up for steady growth, not short-term spikes.

Start small. Improve one area each week. Track your results for 90 days. You’ll begin to see more walk-ins, more online orders, and more returning guests.

Ready to upgrade your restaurant website?

If you want a smoother way to manage your menu, reservations, and online ordering on WordPress, you can upgrade your setup with WPCafe and give your customers a better experience.

Upgrade with WPCafe →