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Casual Dining Franchise Marketing Strategies

Enjoy the 
Taste of Success

How to Market Your Casual Dining Restaurant

Turn marketing up a notch—and turn more tables.

Casual dining is a fast-paced, competitive business, and fickle diners make marketing a constant challenge. Fortunately, there are strategies and tactics that work smarter, no harder, to give your business a continuous boost. Let's fire things up!

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Leading casual dining restaurants are embracing the digital marketing landscape.

"We had a 310% over delivery in overall impressions and 216% higher click through rate than Google Analytics benchmarks. Total Facebook reach was over 1.9 million for live video alone."

Hooters

"By using Texas Pete's existing recipe videos to highlight the "Flavor of Football", we were able to create a native content series that resulted in 1.6 million social impressions and over 480,000 Facebook views. These impressions and views generated over 6,500 engagement and post clicks, 870% over the average engagement rate!"

Texas Pete

Marketing Quick Wins for Casual Dining Restaurants

These Tactics Will Have You Hungry for More

Your servers turn tables quickly—if only integrated marketing plans were that easy. Find the low-hanging fruit to get some early traction.

Reward Diner Loyalty

Loyalty programs are a staple at successful casual dining restaurants—and for good reason. With minimal effort, you can create regulars out of new customers and boost business among the regulars! Consider special offers like free appetizers, points systems and more.

Get on the Scene

Whether or not you're new in town, local publications (print and online) are a great way to get some visibility. Pitch yourself to editors and/or purchase listings and ads for greater visibility.

Make Things Special

Advertising new items, seasonal specials and events—even just via outdoor signage at your location—and can boost business quickly. Run ad campaigns to promote them on social, search and other channels for added reach.

Suggested Services

PPC, SEO, Reputation Management, GeoFenced Display, Email, CRO

Primary Key Performance Indicator

Phone Calls, Walk-Ins, Click for Directions

Recommended Time Frame

12 Months

A Step-By-Step Guide to Casual Dining Marketing

Get 'Em In, Get 'Em Out, Bring 'Em Back—With This Plan.

No matter what your market, the casual dining segment is a competitive one. Only the strongest—and most marketing savvy—will survive. Use this proven plan to stay on top.

Work on Your Web Presence

These days, it's not just about your website. In fact, most customers will find what they need (hours of operation, menus, reviews, etc.) to make their decision without ever visiting it. See what happens when people Google your name—are your hours, menus and photos up to date? How are your reviews? If things need work and you're not sure where to start, work with an expert partner who can help.

Deliver on Delivery

Since 2020, home food delivery and takeout is the new norm—even for restaurants that were traditionally dine-in. Make sure you have good, easy-to-find-and-use options for takeout and/or delivery. If you go with delivery apps, explore paid options to boost your presence and offer deals to tip the scales in your favor.

Own Your Category

Some casual dining categories—like pizza and burgers, for example—are more competitive than others. But regardless of your food genre, you'll want to do what you can to own the space in your market—or at least in your neighborhood. This involves a strategic mix of SEO and search marketing (paid search) to ensure you turn up at the top when people search for your kind of place. Work with a knowledgeable partner to ensure maximum ROI.

Bring in New Diners

Word of mouth and drive-by-traffic will only get you so far. You'll need to find targets in your specific demographic beyond your immediate neighborhood, and today's digital advertising channels are just the solution. Connected TV, display and social advertising offer the amazing ability to reach the people that are most likely to become your customers—at the right place and time.

Keep Your Name Golden

Local casual dining establishments can earn a name in their community quickly—for better or worse. Have a plan in place to monitor and respond to reviews, and keep a finger on the pulse of feedback. Also be sure to solicit reviews from customers to keep your restaurant well-reviewed. If your current reputation could use some work, partner with an expert agency that can provide solutions.

Casual Dining Marketing Trends

See what the pros are serving up.

Casual dining restaurants are primed to take advantage of an evolving landscape—with new technologies and smart digital tactics.

50% of diners say loyalty rewards would make them choose one restaurant over another

63% of Millennials and Gen Z use delivery apps

pizzas on a table

In just 3 months, a BBQ restaurant was able to gain 570 new customers in their loyalty program across 2 locations as a result of CMG's multi-channel strategy.

570 New Customers

Get FREE Custom Insights

We have inside information on the audience and market trends affecting your casual dining restaurant.

From information about the size and makeup of your local or national market to insights on your competitors and their marketing activities, we'll provide you with in-depth, free reports to help guide your casual dining marketing strategy in the right direction. Fill out the form to get started.

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Our Partners and Publishers

When it comes to your digital marketing, we only partner with the top leaders in the industry to help get you the best results possible. Because we're a part of CMG, digital advertising with us is credible, accessible, data-driven and transparent.