Restaurant Marketing: 15 Ideas That Cost Little

Visible in the neighborhood

Restaurant marketing begins at your own door. Most guests come from the surrounding area, from offices, hotels or apartments nearby.

• 1. An attractive poster at the entrance with the daily offer and a QR code to the full menu.
• 2. Lunch menu for offices and businesses in the vicinity, personally delivered.
• 3. Cooperation with hotels and guesthouses: menu and recommendation at the reception.
• 4. Participation in festivals, markets or club events in the locality.

Found online

• 5. Fill out the Google Business Profile completely: photos, hours, link to the menu.
• 6. Respond to reviews, be friendly and specific.
• 7. A simple website with a menu as text, so that Google can read the dishes.
• 8. Regular, honest posts on Instagram or Facebook with dishes that actually exist.

Bring guests back for more

Acquiring a new guest is more complex than retaining a satisfied guest. A few ideas:

• 9. A changing weekly or daily offer that can be viewed online.
• 10. A loyalty card or a small thank-you on the tenth visit.
• 11. A QR code on the invoice that leads to the rating page or to the menu for next week.

Actions and occasions

• 12. Seasonal weeks: Asparagus, game, Martinigansl, pumpkin.
• 13. Small events such as wine evenings, quizzes, or live music on quiet weekdays.
• 14. Promote group menus for Christmas parties, birthdays, and club evenings early.

For time-limited offers, Same-QR offers a dedicated template called Action: The offer is displayed prominently at the top, with the terms and conditions below. You can print a QR code for this on table stands and flyers – and switch to the next offer after the promotion.

Measure instead of guess

• 15. Use a separate QR code or link for each measure and check how often it is used.

This shows you whether the flyer is effective in the offices or the notice in the hotel. Same-QR counts the scans per code. It is important to evaluate honestly: a code that is rarely scanned is a hint to allocate funds differently next time.

You don't have to implement all fifteen ideas. Choose two or three that fit your local business and do them well.

A simple marketing plan for the year

Marketing works best when it is planned, rather than spontaneous. A simple annual plan is sufficient:

• January and February: Clean up Google profile, website, and photos.
• Spring: Season start in the beer garden and announce asparagus or wild garlic weeks.
• Summer: beer garden, events and offers for tourists.
• Late summer: Advertise Christmas parties.
• Autumn: wild game, Martinis, and pumpkin.
• December: Communicate holiday menus and company closures.

Enter the appointments into a calendar and plan for each action when the poster, post, and flyer must be ready. This way, marketing will not come to a standstill even during the peak season.

Frequently asked questions