Trend: Restaurant Marketing is Ramping Up

Here's the trend we're seeing in our clients and in our research - the more time that passes after Covid, the more the restaurant industry seems to be investing in marketing.

Case in point:

During ICR, Red Robin CEO GJ Hart said his company’s updated burger platform has earned a marketing ramp up this year and that will be done through multiple channels, including digital, social and local.

CEO Christine Barone said Dutch Bros is also making more investments in marketing to build brand awareness as the company’s footprint grows.

Much of Potbelly’s traffic gains in recent quarters have been driven by an increase in marketing spend, and CEO Bob Wright said the brand is still underrepresented and it’s “early innings” on this strategy.

Shipley Do-Nuts is experiencing a major growth spurt, with record unit and AUV growth in 2023. CEO Flynn Dekker said that pace is expected to continue, driven in part by increased marketing/brand awareness. “This brand has never had a real marketing engine. It does now,” he said, adding that one of his first moves after he was named CEO in May 2023 was to add a marketing co-op. “Now we can promote things like limited-time offers. We rolled out a loyalty program. We have all these tools in our tool belt that just haven’t between active yet.”

For Chip City, the New York-based cookie company has a full in-house marketing team to ensure the brand connects with customers “even when they’re not in the store,” CEO Peter Phillips said.

Have your marketing investment habits changed since before Covid verses now? Are you seeing greater results in your marketing efforts now? What are you wanting to implement in 2024?

The best way to know your marketing budget and how much you can invest there is to know your numbers. Need to outsource bookkeeping? Get a free estimate here.