Check, Please! Why A Restaurant Needs PR

The tables are set, the servers are trained, and the food is to die for: but what good is all that, if no one knows about the restaurant? In a competitive landscape like Toronto, where new hotspots seem to pop up each week – there’s one thing that can make the difference between a full house and an empty one. The answer? PR.

Any restaurant professional knows that empty seats are like idle dollars waiting to be made – and it’s important to operate as efficiently as possible. PR can make those empty seats full in a matter of ‘media hits’ by effectively positioning the restaurant into public view.

How, you ask?

There’s several tactics to making sure the restaurant in question gets favourably placed in the media. Any PR pro worth their salt will work with the GM, the executive chef, and perhaps the concierge to ensure they get a full grasp of the restaurant’s offerings.

PR pros have even been known to conduct ‘secret shopper’ visits to see exactly what the ‘secret sauce’ (media angle) of the restaurant really is – and build on it.

From showcasing the establishment’s chef on a popular breakfast show, to facilitating special promotional events, to getting a respected reviewer into your restaurant –  a PR pro’s skills can make the desirable happen!

What else, you ask?

Well, coverage is great – but it’s important to get the right coverage. PR pros can sift through their extensive contact lists and cater pitches to target the right people and the right outlets for your delicious restaurants to start making delicious profits.

That’s not all though, social media should also be high on your PR person’s list as a fantastic way to generate some organic buzz around the restaurant. Skilled pros will have tactics to create content for the standard Twitter & Facebook, along with Instagram, Pinterest, and even Tumblr!

Remember: innovation is of the utmost importance. If you work with an agency that has a focus on doing things ‘differently’ – you’ll most definitely see the results you desire.

We know the restaurant industry is insanely competitive, and guess what? So are we.

•