.png)
Pop-up restaurant marketing shares many traits with other forms of content marketing, email marketing, and branding and marketing in general. It is, however, quite different from marketing for the hotel industry, country clubs, and other types of restaurant and bar business setups.
In this BinWise blog post, we’re going to dive into 15 facets of pop-up restaurant marketing. You might think, “Woah, 15 sure is a big number for marketing tips!” Have no fear, we’ve broken them down into categories. Marketing is a large field of work for every business. When you break it down in steps, however, it becomes much more manageable.
Read on to master marketing for your pop-up restaurant. If you’re aiming to be one of the best pop-up restaurants, with great pop-up restaurant ideas, you’re in the right place. Read on!
Pop-Up Restaurant Marketing Checklist
This pop-up restaurant marketing checklist is a mix of your different marketing targets. From the importance of branding to restaurant marketing ideas, this list covers it all. Your marketing checklist for pop-up restaurants includes menu marketing, location marketing, and branding needs.
Marketing for Menus
Marketing for your menu types is a subset of your overall business marketing for your services. As a restaurant, your menu represents a great deal of what makes your restaurant a place people want to visit. Marketing for your menu is crucial.
5. Featured Dishes
Focusing some marketing on featured dishes that represent your restaurant will draw in customers. It’s a way to interest people in your food before they even taste it.
4. Ingredient Deep-Dives
If your menu has items with unique ingredients, marketing efforts about those ingredients will draw interest. This is particularly applicable for menus with items that are environmentally friendly or difficult to get.
3. Plated Food Content
If you’re looking for something quick to share in your social media marketing, plated food content is the way to go. Take photos of your best dishes and share them to entice new customers.
2. Drink Specials
Your restaurant isn’t just about the food you make. It’s important to give attention to your drinks menu as well. Create content with artfully crafted cocktails and other drinks to showcase the full extent of your menu.
1. Themed Menus
Themed menus are great for any restaurant, at any time. As a pop-up restaurant, one of the best ways to choose a theme is to match it to your current location.
Marketing for Locations
One of the trickier parts of the business of pop-up restaurant marketing is the lack of a consistent location. You can’t tie your marketing to one place. You do, however, need to always relate your marketing to location so that people know how to find you. These tips will help with that goal.
5. Evergreen Content
Since you can’t tie your marketing to one constant location, one of the best things you can focus on is evergreen content. Focus on parts of your business that will remain no matter your location.
4. Location Tags In Social Media
When it comes to social media marketing for your pop-up locations, make use of location tags on posts, reels, and stories. That will help optimize your social content to let people know when you’ll be in their area.
3. Neighborhood Inspiration
One of the benefits of being a pop-up restaurant is you can market your business with spins from each location you’re at. Draw inspiration from the areas you’re in to mix up your marketing.
2. Clear Address Information
Of all the information you should prioritize in your marketing, the address you’ll be at is the most important. Make it clear, with a limited amount of other information around it, to make it easy to remember.
1. Prepared Marketing Timelines
Your marketing needs will be a little more chaotic than a standard restaurant. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to set up your marketing timelines. Get set with scheduled posting and future plans as far in advance as possible.
Marketing for Brand
Marketing for your brand is part of small business marketing no matter the industry. For pop-up restaurant marketing, the focus you put on your brand will help customers recognize your restaurant, even in different locations.
5. Strong Brand Identity
Having a strong brand identity is a foundational part of your marketing strategy. You need customers to recognize your brand, no matter where you’re located.
4. Consistent Color Schemes
Using consistent color schemes will feed into creating a strong brand identity. Pick your restaurant brand colors and stick with them, working with complimentary colors to build out your content.
3. Identifiable Merchandise
If you’re going to have merchandise available–be it hats, cups, or shirts–make it a bold brand statement. Your merchandise can work for your brand and marketing if you create the right look.
2. Regular Posting on Social Media
The most important part of social media marketing is consistent posting. For your brand, set up a schedule that works for you, and stick with it to grow your business on social media.
1. Focus on Community Interactions
The community you build for your business will be a huge driver of new customers and returning customers. In everything you do for your brand marketing, focus on building your community. That includes diving into customer experience and customer satisfaction. You can work with customer data, and talk with your customers to learn what they love about your restaurant.
"Key Takeaway: For pop-up restaurant marketing, the focus you put on your brand will help customers recognize your restaurant, even in different locations."
Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing for Pop-Up Restaurants
Our answers to these frequently asked questions about pop-up restaurant marketing will give you even more insight. Marketing for a pop-up restaurant comes with pressure, but with these tips and tricks, you’ll find success for your pop-up restaurant.
How Do I Promote My Pop-Up Business?
You should promote your pop-up restaurant business by keeping up with social media marketing and showcasing what makes your restaurant special. The 15 tips and tricks in this blog post will help you along the way.
How Do Pop-Up Restaurants Increase Sales?
Pop-up restaurants often use discounts and promotions to increase sales. That may seem counterintuitive, but a promotion gets more people coming to your restaurant. It also gives you a higher rate of return for customers.
What are the Disadvantages of Pop-Up Restaurants?
The disadvantages of pop-up restaurants are the struggles you’ll face in marketing your business without one constant location. With the right marketing practices and great skills in the kitchen, however, this disadvantage can easily be overcome.
Are Pop-Up Restaurants Experiential Marketing?
Yes, pop-up restaurants are a form of experiential marketing, where the experience of the restaurant is the main value proposition for restaurant guests. Of course, the food and drinks you serve up are equally important. The experience of a pop-up restaurant scene, however, is going to be one of your main marketing strengths.
Marketing for Pop-Up Restaurants: Make Your Marketing Pop
These tips for pop-up restaurant marketing will help you get your pop-up restaurant running smoothly and bringing in customers. When you’re ready to open for business, reach out to BinWise and BlueCart. The BinWise Pro inventory program will ease the process while you take inventory. BlueCart’s order management software simplifies your order management system.