6 Things You Must Do Before the Grand Opening of Your Restaurant

1. Create Your Restaurant’s Social Media Pages

This is undoubtedly the most important thing to do before your restaurant’s grand opening. Online marketing is 8 times more effective than traditional marketing. To put it in perspective, spending $100 on traditional marketing might bring in 5-10 customers, but with online marketing, you could attract 50-60 customers for the same amount.

A social media presence on platforms like Facebook, Yelp, and Google will provide potential customers with essential information they need before visiting your restaurant.

As with nail salons or beauty industries, reaching customers online is highly effective, especially since your target audience is often on their phones, looking for quality dining options. They don’t just wander into a restaurant by chance—they are careful and will always search online first. Restaurants with great reviews, beautiful photos, and high ratings always get more attention. To tap into this customer base, you must create a Facebook page, as well as profiles on Google and Yelp.

2. Develop Your Social Marketing Strategy

Once your restaurant’s social media pages are set up, you need to make sure your page is attractive and engaging for customers. As mentioned above, customers are easily drawn to restaurants with high ratings, great reviews, and beautiful images. To achieve this, you must:

• Design a unique logo and banner to give your restaurant a professional look.

• Upload essential information such as address, phone number, and price list.

• Post high-quality images of your restaurant’s space, highlighted services, and special offers.

• Encourage customers to leave 5-star reviews after their visits and add positive comments so future customers are motivated to visit.

There are many companies that specialize in social marketing services for restaurants. You can collaborate with them to handle your online marketing, but be sure to choose reputable agencies with good reviews. Don’t go for cheap options that may lead to disappointment.

3. Run Digital Advertising Campaigns

Running digital ads is an essential step for any new restaurant grand opening. It’s one of the easiest ways to attract customers, especially when you're just starting out. However, if this is your first time using Facebook Ads or Google Ads, it’s highly recommended to work with a professional agency.

First-time advertisers often struggle with targeting the right audience, which leads to higher costs and poor results. Professional agencies already have proven templates for the restaurant industry, with optimized content, images, and target audience. They can help you get the most value from your advertising budget. Once you gain more experience, you can handle the advertising yourself.

4. Start Your 3D Design Early

Creating 3D designs early on is not only beneficial for remodeling but also an effective tool for marketing. Most 3D design companies will provide a 3D walkthrough video of your restaurant, which can be used as promotional material. You can share these 3D videos on social media, showcasing the restaurant’s professionalism and modernity, as well as giving potential customers a sneak peek before the grand opening.

5. Prepare Your Design Printer Products

Design Printer (DP) products include items like menus, business cards, gift cards, and vouchers. While these products might seem small in value, they serve as powerful marketing tools that can make your restaurant stand out.

Imagine your customers receiving gift cards or business cards designed specifically for your restaurant, complete with your unique logo and branding—everyone loves receiving well-designed, personalized items. Many design companies offer complete DP packages at affordable prices. Just contact them, share your ideas, and let them handle everything from start to finish.

6. Set Up Your Personal Facebook for Seeding

One of the easiest and most effective ways to interact with customers without spending much time, effort, or money is by creating a personal Facebook account to seed your restaurant. Simply update your profile photo to your restaurant’s logo, and use the cover photo for your restaurant’s banner. Then, add friends who live in your area.

You can easily find potential customers by searching for local restaurants and connecting with those who have interacted with them. This helps build your network and spread the word about your new restaurant.

While some may consider this competitive, it’s a direct and effective approach. In the world of competition, the restaurant that does better deserves to serve more customers, and this is a completely fair practice.

These tips are shared by Dazzle Pixel, a company with extensive experience helping restaurants grow through design, marketing, and business development. We hope these insights can help you prepare for your restaurant grand opening. See you in our next post!

For more information on how Dazzle Pixel can help design your restaurant or assist with marketing, visit Dazzle Pixel’s Services.