Every restaurant owner, operator, and manager is the epitome of a jack of all trades. You are equal parts manager, culinary connoisseur, business analyst, events host, hospitality maven, logistical mastermind, savvy negotiator, salesperson, marketer, and more. 

In other words, running a successful restaurant is so much more than delivering dazzling dishes and service with a smile. 

Your guests have thousands of restaurant options to choose from approximately 660,000 to be precise – to choose from when deciding what and where they want to eat. You need to find a way to attract new guests and retain existing ones, turning everyone who visits your restaurant into a lifelong fan, friend, and brand advocate. 

And this is increasingly true in 2021 and beyond.

The expectations of your guests have changed. COVID-19 has forced restaurants to quickly pivot into new, convenient dining options. Your restaurant is facing more and more pressure to adapt – and compete against the restaurants that already have. 

Ultimately, what will set you apart is how you market your restaurant, communicate with guests, and provide the best overall dining experience. The good news is that the channels of communication haven’t changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But you do have to tweak your messaging to make sure it’s most relevant to your customer base, even as things change daily. 

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Different marketing channels your restaurant should be exploring
• How to conduct a marketing campaign
• How to test different marketing strategies
• What resources you can use in your planning
• How to forecast your marketing budget

Source: Toast