10 Restaurant Marketing Mistakes That Are Costing You Bookings
Running a restaurant is tough—between juggling suppliers, staff, and customers, marketing often takes a back seat. But if your bookings aren’t where they should be, your marketing could be the culprit. Let’s talk about the top 10 restaurant marketing mistakes that might be hurting your business and how to fix them.
1. Inconsistent Branding
The Mistake: Your branding looks different on Instagram than it does on your website, your brand voice changes depending on who’s posting, and your colour scheme is all over the place. Customers are confused, and confused customers don’t book. Younger audiences, in particular, place a high value on aesthetics, and if your brand lacks a strong, cohesive visual identity, they may overlook your venue entirely.
The Fix: Develop a strong brand identity—logo, colours, fonts, and messaging—and stick to it. Whether someone lands on your Instagram, website, or menu, your brand should be instantly recognisable and consistent.
2. Posting for Posting’s Sake
The Mistake: You’re throwing up content just because you feel like you should, but it’s low effort, uninspired, and your engagement is dropping.
The Fix: Quality over quantity. Have a clear social media strategy that showcases your venue’s unique story. Are you all about theatrical tableside service? Farm-to-table ingredients? A quirky cocktail list? Focus on that and post with purpose.
3. Not Running Meta Ads
The Mistake: You’re relying on organic social media, which only reaches about 3% of your followers. Meanwhile, your competitors are running targeted Meta ads and stealing your potential customers.
The Fix: Meta ads are one of the most effective ways to drive bookings. With conversion tracking, you can measure your ROI down to the dollar. Need help? Book a call with us—our clients see up to 35x ROAS on ad spend.
4. Not Knowing What Truly Sets You Apart
The Mistake: Are people coming to your restaurant for an unforgettable dining experience, or is it simply because you’re in a convenient, high-traffic location? If you don’t know why guests choose your venue, you might be investing in the wrong marketing efforts. For example, spending big on social media ads when your primary audience is walk-in traffic could mean missed opportunities. With so many restaurants to choose from, why should people return to yours? If you don’t have a memorable USP, you’re forgettable.
The Fix: Identify what makes your restaurant special. Is it a signature dish, a unique dining experience, or just sheer convenience? If you’re in a high-tourist area, prioritise street appeal and clear signage. If it’s the experience that sets you apart, lean into storytelling through social media and PR. Align your marketing strategy with what actually drives bookings. Find your ‘moment.’ Whether it’s a signature dish, a limoncello shot with every bill, or dramatic tableside theatrics, create something worth talking about—and talk about it!
5. A Terrible Website
The Mistake: If your website is ugly, slow, or impossible to navigate, people will bounce before they book. First impressions matter, and for many guests, your website is the first impression of your venue.
The Fix: Your website should reflect your venue. If your restaurant is sleek and modern, your website should be too. At minimum, it should:
Display your menu
Make bookings seamless
Capture email sign-ups
Show contact info, socials, and opening hours
Give a sense of what to expect
6. Discounting to Drive Revenue
The Mistake: You’re desperate for bookings, so you slash prices, hoping customers will return at full price later. Spoiler: they won’t. Instead, you’re devaluing your brand and training people to wait for deals.
The Fix: Instead of discounting, focus on brand-led activations that drive traffic and build long-term loyalty. Think exclusive experiences, limited-time dishes, or collabs with local brands.
7. Making It Hard to Book
The Mistake: Requiring a 100% prepayment with no flexibility? No Tuesday night bookings without a $50 deposit? Strict policies might work if you’re at capacity, but if you’re sitting at 20% occupancy, they’re costing you bookings.
The Fix: Have clear booking policies, but be flexible where it makes sense. Instead of charging a cancellation fee, offer a reschedule. The goal? A positive guest experience that encourages future visits, not one that burns bridges.
8. Not Talking About What You Sell
The Mistake: You have an amazing private dining room, but no one knows about it. You launched a bottomless brunch to boost lunchtime traffic, but it’s buried in your socials.
The Fix: Make sure your offerings are visible. Have a dedicated ‘What’s On’ page on your website, post about them regularly, and always have a landing page with all the details.
9. Not Investing in Marketing
The Mistake: You assume ‘if we build it, they will come.’ Meanwhile, your competitors are pouring thousands into marketing and stealing your customers.
The Fix: If you don’t have the budget for an in-house marketer, working with an agency gives you the expertise of a full marketing team—for less than the cost of a single salary. Shoot us an enquiry to see if Darling Crackles is a good fit. At a minimum, commit to a social post every week.
10. Lack of a Clear Target Audience
The Mistake: You’re marketing to ‘everyone,’ which means you’re reaching no one. Without a clear audience, your messaging is vague and ineffective.
The Fix: Identify your target market. Who are they? What do they value? What kind of content resonates with them? Once you define your audience, you can tailor your marketing to actually attract them.
