Restaurant Advertising Guide: Drive More Customers to Your Restaurant
Free, actionable strategies to promote your restaurant. Learn proven advertising tactics that work for restaurants of all sizes—from local diners to fine dining establishments.
1. Foundation: Build Your Restaurant's Visual Identity
Before spending on ads, ensure your restaurant looks professional everywhere customers see it.
Why it matters: Great food photos increase orders by 40-60%. Customers eat with their eyes first.
Free Options:
- Use natural lighting near windows (best: 10am-2pm)
- Shoot from above or at 45-degree angle
- Keep backgrounds simple and clean
- Use your smartphone—modern phones take excellent food photos
💡 Tip:
Need professional photos fast? You can hire a local photographer (₹15,000-₹30,000 per shoot) or use Gloo AI Studio to generate multiple format AI food photos instantly—perfect for menus, social media, and delivery apps.
Use the same logo, colors, and style on Google Business Profile, social media, menus, and delivery apps.
- Create a simple brand kit: logo, 2-3 colors, 1-2 fonts
- Apply it consistently everywhere
- Customers recognize your brand faster
2. Local SEO: Get Found on Google Maps & Search
When someone searches "restaurant near me," you want to appear first. This is free and highly effective.
This is the #1 free advertising tool for restaurants. Complete your profile 100%:
- Add high-quality photos (at least 20-30 photos)
- Write a compelling business description with keywords
- Select accurate categories (Restaurant, Indian Restaurant, etc.)
- Add your menu with prices
- Post updates weekly (new dishes, offers, events)
- Respond to every review (positive and negative)
- Enable messaging so customers can text you
💡 Tip:
Managing Google Business Profile can be time-consuming. Gloo Local helps automate posts, review responses, and keeps your profile optimized. For website SEO, check out our Google SEO guide.
Restaurants with 4+ stars get 2x more bookings. Here's how to get reviews:
- Ask satisfied customers directly: "Could you leave us a Google review?"
- Send follow-up SMS/WhatsApp after delivery or dine-in
- Display QR codes on tables linking to your review page
- Respond to every review within 24 hours
- Thank positive reviewers and address negative ones professionally
3. Google Ads: Target Hungry Customers Nearby
Google Ads show your restaurant when people search for food near you. Start with a small budget (₹2,000-₹5,000/month).
Target: People searching "restaurant near me," "best pizza [your area]," "dinner [your area]"
Free Setup Tips:
- Use location targeting: 5-10km radius around your restaurant
- Bid on keywords like "[your cuisine] near me," "[your area] restaurant"
- Include your address and phone number in ads
- Use ad extensions: call button, location, sitelinks
- Set a daily budget you're comfortable with (start small)
Expected cost: ₹50-₹200 per click. Aim for 2-5% conversion rate (clicks to orders).
Show your food photos on websites your customers visit. Great for brand awareness.
- Use high-quality food photos
- Target by interests: "Food & Dining," "Restaurants"
- Target by location: Your city/area
- Lower cost per click than search ads (₹10-₹50)
4. Facebook & Instagram Ads: Reach Local Foodies
Facebook and Instagram ads are visual and perfect for showcasing your food. Start with ₹1,000-₹3,000/month.
Best for: Visual restaurants, cafes, dessert places. Show your best dishes.
Free Tips:
- Use carousel ads: Show 3-5 dishes in one ad
- Add location tags: "Near [your area]"
- Target by age: 25-55 (most restaurant customers)
- Target by interests: "Food & Dining," "Restaurants," "Cooking"
- Use video: Short 15-30 second videos of food preparation
Expected cost: ₹20-₹100 per click. Instagram typically has higher engagement than Facebook.
Target people within 1-5km of your restaurant. Perfect for lunch specials, happy hours, weekend promotions.
- Set radius: 2-5km around your location
- Use clear offer: "20% off lunch," "Free dessert with dinner"
- Include call-to-action: "Order Now," "Call to Book"
- Run during peak hours: 11am-2pm (lunch), 6pm-9pm (dinner)
5. Directory Listings: Zomato, Swiggy & More
Most customers discover restaurants through food delivery apps. Optimize your presence (mostly free).
These platforms drive 40-60% of orders for many restaurants. Optimize your listings:
- Photos: Upload 20+ high-quality food photos (first photo is most important)
- Menu descriptions: Write appealing descriptions with keywords ("spicy," "crispy," "authentic")
- Categories: Tag dishes correctly (Veg, Non-Veg, Spicy, etc.)
- Pricing: Keep prices competitive but profitable
- Response time: Respond to orders quickly (under 2 minutes)
- Ratings: Maintain 4+ stars (respond to reviews)
Free Tip:
Update your menu photos monthly. Fresh photos increase orders. Consider using AI-generated food photos if professional photography is expensive.
- JustDial: Still popular in many Indian cities. Claim and optimize your listing.
- Google Maps: Already covered in Local SEO section, but ensure consistency.
- Facebook Business Page: Free listing with menu, hours, photos. Customers can order directly.
- Industry-specific: If you serve specific cuisines, list on relevant directories.
6. In-Store Advertising: Convert Walk-Ins to Regulars
Don't ignore customers already in your restaurant. In-store advertising has the highest conversion rate.
Restaurants using digital signage see 20-40% increase in average order value.
Free Options:
- Use tablets or TVs you already have
- Display high-quality food photos
- Show daily specials and promotions
- Rotate content every 10-15 seconds
- Include social proof: "Try our bestseller!"
💡 Tip:
If you have an Android TV in your restaurant, you can use GlooTV to showcase your menu, offers, and promotions automatically. It updates in real-time and requires minimal setup.
Simple, effective, and low-cost ways to upsell:
- Promote desserts on table tents
- Highlight combo deals
- Showcase new dishes
- Include QR codes for reviews or social media
- Print costs: ₹500-₹2,000 for 50-100 pieces
7. Track & Optimize: Measure What Works
Don't guess what's working. Track your advertising results and double down on what brings customers.
- Ask customers: "How did you hear about us?" Track responses in a simple spreadsheet.
- Google Analytics: Free tool to see which ads drive website visits.
- Ad platforms: Google Ads and Facebook Ads show clicks, impressions, and costs.
- Phone tracking: Use different phone numbers for different ads to see which generates calls.
- Coupon codes: Use unique codes for each ad campaign (e.g., "GOOGLE20" for Google Ads).
Cost Per Click (CPC)
How much you pay per ad click
Conversion Rate
% of clicks that become orders
Cost Per Order
Total ad cost ÷ orders from ads
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Revenue from ads ÷ ad spend
Goal: Aim for ROAS of 3:1 or higher (₹3 revenue for every ₹1 spent on ads).
Tools to Implement This Guide
View All Tools →Restaurant GBP Profile Enhancement
Use this tool to implement strategies from this guide
Restaurant GBP Keyword Optimization
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Restaurant Review Response Generator
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Instagram Food Post Generator
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Restaurant Menu Generator
Use this tool to implement strategies from this guide
Ready to Grow Your Restaurant?
This guide covered free and paid advertising strategies. Many restaurants start with free methods (Google Business Profile, directory listings) and add paid ads once they see results.
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