4 Local Restaurant Marketing Tactics To Attract Nearby Patrons
Walking more customers through the door is something most restaurant owners struggle with.
You can have the best burger in town, killer cocktails, or a brunch menu that deserves awards. But if folks nearby don’t even know you exist or forget you’re there, it’s tough to keep those tables full.
Good news—you don’t need a flashy PR team to get people talking. You just need to get a little creative and start thinking hyper-local.
Here are a few local restaurant marketing tactics that can help you pull in nearby patrons.
#1 Host Local Nights or Neighborhood Specials
Give your neighbors a reason to show up. Local nights make people feel special. It builds community spirit. It’s one of the most old-school—but effective—tactics.
You don’t need a big event planner. Just pick a night and make it all about the locals. Offer a small discount. Maybe 10% or 15% off for folks who live in a certain zip code or a free appetizer with any entrée if they show proof they live nearby.
You could also theme it up. Taco Tuesdays are classics for a reason. How about a “Local Heroes” night? Honor teachers or firefighters with a special. Partner with a nearby school for a fundraiser night.
Give back a slice of the profits. People love supporting businesses that support the community.
Two Stillwater restaurants in Oklahoma—The Hideaway and Red Rock Restaurant—are examples. Last month, they hosted Lincoln Restaurant Nights to support Lincoln Academy. A portion of all sales was given to the Friends of Lincoln fund to support student field trips and activities.
#2 Be Google-Friendly
When someone nearby is craving tacos, pasta, or sushi, what do they do? They Google it—usually, something like “best pizza near me” or “burgers open now.”
You want to be the place that shows up, don’t you? Make sure your Google Business Profile is on point.
Claim your listing if you haven’t already. Update your hours, especially holidays. Add great photos. Show off your food, your vibe, and your space. Add your menu too.
Over half of Google Business Profile interactions result in website visits. Don’t forget to add your website to the listing.
Don’t have a website yet? Nothing to worry about—create one using an AI website builder. It can whip up a sleek, mobile-friendly site for you in minutes.
Hocoos explains AI website builders as tools powered by artificial intelligence that generate web designs on the parameters you set. So, you’ll just have to answer a few questions, drag and drop your content, and boom! You’ll have a professional-looking website without much of a hassle.
#3 Team Up With Local Influencers
You don’t need to chase down TikTok stars with a million followers. You shouldn’t in fact.
Look for local creators with a loyal, engaged audience. These are the folks who live near your restaurant and have followers who do too.
Invite them in. Give them a comped meal—make it Instagram-worthy, obviously. Let them post a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen, or try the most photogenic thing on the menu. One good post from them can create a mini-rush.
How do you find them? Search location tags, restaurant hashtags in your city, or just the name of your neighborhood. Find people who post about food often.
Choose those with, say, 2,000–20,000 followers. These micro-influencers are usually way more affordable or happy to trade for food, and their word carries serious weight with their followers.
Reach out with a direct message or email. Be clear about what you’re hoping for whether it’s an honest post or story.
#4 Run Geo-Targeted Ads
You don’t need to blow your whole budget on billboard ads or radio spots that reach people 50 miles away.
You can get your restaurant’s name right in front of the people most likely to walk in. How? Through geo-targeted ads.
Burger King is a case in point. It stole customers from McDonald’s using creative geo-targeting.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads let you show ads only to people in a specific area.
Got a lunch special? Target people within a mile or two between 11 am and 1 pm. Advertising happy hour? Hit people’s feeds around 4 pm.
Setting it up is straightforward. Choose your platform—Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads. Define your target zone. Draw a radius around your restaurant, say, 1 to 5 miles. Or target specific zip codes.
Make your ad feel local. Use pictures of your actual place. Mention a local landmark or neighborhood name.
Final Bite
You don’t need a massive budget or some fancy marketing agency to get more people in the door. You just need to focus on what makes your place awesome and make sure the folks who live nearby actually know about it.
Pick strategies that feel right for your restaurant. Give them a shot. Don’t be afraid to tweak things along the way. And you’ll have those tables full in no time.
