A restaurant public relations plan brings new people in to dine. Hospitality public relations and food PR tips include the grand opening and ongoing public relations.
A restaurant public relations plan includes food PR for the grand opening, ongoing hospitality public relations and restaurant email marketing.
Grand Opening Restaurant Public Relations Plan
- Send out press releases and media alerts two weeks before a restaurant’s grand opening to get coverage in local event calendars and include location, hours and opening details.
- Make sure that the food PR person is at the grand opening to provide a media kit, including a restaurant fact sheet, key employee/owner biographies, menu, promotional items and press releases.
- Have a photographer on hand at a restaurant grand opening for photo opportunities.
- Team with a non-profit for additional food public relations. Nonprofits will quite often share email marketing lists with restaurants who want to sponsor a benefit.
- Team with the local chamber association or other local organization for additional hospitality public relations and food PR.
- Partner with another local event for the grand opening for more restaurant public relations.
Ongoing Public Relations
Once a restaurant opens for business, it's time to talk about ongoing PR for the restaurant. The ongoing public relations plan is a tasty way to increase a restaurant's business!
- Create a restaurant PR plan calendar of upcoming events and determine how to capitalize on them. Examples of hospitality public relations opportunities might include a national wine month or other food-related “holiday.”
- Team up with a local art show or other local event for more food public relations.
- Partner with local organizations like the chamber of commerce to boost an ongoing public relations plan.
- Start an annual / semi-annual event- a national wine week or Chardonnay Festival offers excellent restaurant PR.
- Become a news source to capitalize on the restaurant PR plan. Invite food editors to the restaurant; offer ideas for their columns. Let local radio and TV stations and trade associations know the chef or owner is the go-to PR person for stories on food pairings and party preparation.
- Work with other business owners to combine resources for an ongoing public relations plan (the restaurant hangs a gallery's art; the gallery has restaurant menus available.).
- Establish a loyalty program as part of the food public relations plan. Start by collecting customer e-mail addresses and permissions for long-term restaurant email marketing plans.
Restaurant Email Marketing and Website Plans
Use online press releases, a website, blogging, social networks and email for restaurant marketing. Ideas for the food PR plan include:
- Best wine pairings for dinner.
- Best recipes for holiday parties.
- Best recipes for working families.
- Informally partnering with the National Wine Month group to provide accompanying recipe ideas.
More Restaurant PR Opportunities
Piggyback with available PR opportunities in the community to increase the public’s "appetite" for the restaurant:
- Sponsor a run; work with local running organizations or retail outfits in the area on a marathon public relations plan.
- Host a singles night; partner with a local organization and drive hungry singletons to the restaurant.
- Offer a wine tasting event to drive locals into the door and then dazzle them with the menu!
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The copyright of the article Restaurant Public Relations Plan in Marketing/PR is owned by Lisa Nichols . Permission to republish Restaurant Public Relations Plan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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