RESTAURANT LAUNCH MARKETING
Opening Day Shouldn’t Be the First Day People Hear About You.
Tell us your opening date. We plan the 90 days before it and the 90 after, so the neighborhood knows you’re coming, the first weeks run smoothly, and people come back.
BEFORE YOU OPEN
Every Owner Asks the Same Four Questions.
You’re hiring, testing the menu and waiting on inspections. Marketing is one more thing. Here’s how we take it off your plate.
01The question
“Will anyone show up?”
Our answerOnly if they hear about you first. We start weeks before the doors open.
02The question
“What if everyone shows up at once?”
Our answerThen the first reviews are about the wait. We soft open first and turn the volume up when the kitchen is ready.
03The question
“Are we spending money we don’t have yet?”
Our answerNot much. Most of the spend lands in the last two weeks and the first month.
04The question
“What happens after the first weekend?”
Our answerWe plan the second visit before the first one happens.
THE LAUNCH TIMELINE
A Grand Opening Is a Date. A Launch Is a Build-Up.
Five stretches, counted back from your opening day.
90 days out
Get found.
People can find you before there’s anything to taste.
PandaPath does this
What we do
- Google profile verified, with your opening date
- Menu, real photos and a simple page
- A waitlist to collect your first guests
30 days out
Get talked about.
The neighborhood starts to hear the name.
What we do
- Behind-the-scenes posts and a countdown
- Local creators invited to a preview night
- Local food writers get the story
Soft opening
Get it right.
Friends, neighbors and invited guests come first.
What we do
- We collect what they say
- You fix what slows service down
- The big push waits until service is steady
Opening week
Get busy.
Now you turn the volume up.
What we do
- Ads for people a few miles away
- Creator posts go live
- Every new review gets a reply within a day
Days 31 to 90
Keep them coming.
Opening buzz fades. Regulars don’t.
What we do
- A reason for a second visit
- Steady search and review replies
- A monthly report on what’s working
Opening in two weeks? Start with the basics and opening week. It still works.
READY BEFORE YOU’RE LOUD
Before We Promote It, Make Sure There’s Something to Find.
Ads and creators send people somewhere. This is the somewhere.
Missing one? That’s where we start.
LOCAL INTRODUCTION
Sometimes a New Restaurant Needs Someone Local to Introduce It.
People try a new place when someone they trust has been. We line up three kinds of someone.
“This new spot just opened on Main St…”Creators
We pick the people your neighbors actually follow, not the biggest accounts.
Influencer & Creator Marketing
Press preview · Thursday, 6 PMLocal press
A preview table for local food writers, and a clear story about why you opened.
PR & Brand Launch
Menus dropped at the shops on your blockNeighbors
The shops on your block, the office upstairs, the school down the road. Menus in hand, not just posts.
Growth Strategy & Campaigns
PACE THE CROWD
A Full Room Is Good. A Kitchen That Keeps Up Is Better.
- 01
Soft open before you go loud.A few quiet nights find the problems a crowd would.
- 02
Switch ads on when service is steady.Not the week the kitchen is still learning the menu.
- 03
Book only what the kitchen can serve.A waitlist beats a 50-minute wait.
- 04
Answer every early review.The first twenty set your rating for months.
AFTER THE OPENING
The First Weekend Is Exciting. Week Four Matters More.
Opening buzz fades. What stays is whether people can still find you, what the first reviews say, and whether anyone comes back.
- Found
Are people still finding you on Google and Maps?
- Trust
What are the first reviews saying, and did we reply?
- Booked
Calls, bookings, orders and direction taps.
- Back again
Second visits, when you can share them.
After 90 days, the launch becomes ongoing local marketing.
Get More Local CustomersHOW WE WORK
One Team. One Calendar. One Report.
You have enough people to call before opening. We’re one of them, not five.
- 1
Growth Assessment
Your date, your concept, what’s already in place.
- 2
A launch plan
Built around your opening date and budget.
- 3
We run it
You approve what goes out under your name.
- 4
One report
Weekly check-ins to opening, then monthly.
Stays yours.
Everything we set up is in your name, from day one.
- Google profile
- Ad accounts
- Social pages
- Photos and video
- Website content
Free Budget Planner
How Much Should You Spend Each Month?
Start from your monthly sales. The planner suggests a monthly budget, splits it into your first three moves and shows what it takes to pay back.
Start with about
$800/monthAbout $27 a day · 2% of sales. A starting point, not a quote.Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser
GOOD TO KNOW
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we start marketing before opening?
About 90 days out is a good start. Google can show your profile as “Opening soon” up to 90 days before the date you set. Bigger openings start earlier.
We open in two weeks. Is it too late?
No. We focus on the basics, opening week and the 90 days after. You’ll miss some build-up, not the launch.
Should we do a soft opening?
Almost always. A few quieter nights let the team fix problems before the first public reviews.
Do we need influencers?
Not always. Local creators help when people nearby follow them and the restaurant is ready for the visit. We choose them for local fit, not follower count.
Should we run ads before opening?
A small, local push in the last week or two can help. Most of the spend works better once you’re open and service is steady.
How much should we budget for a launch?
It depends on your market, your concept and what’s already in place. We suggest a budget after the Growth Assessment, and spend it in stages.
What happens after the grand opening?
The launch turns into ongoing local marketing: search, reviews, content and ads where they pay off. Most of that is what Get More Local Customers covers.
Do you work with groups opening a new location?
Yes. A new location gets the same timeline, plus what the group already knows about its guests. See Multi-Location Growth and Restaurant Groups.
Open With People Already Waiting.
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Free consultation included. No obligation.