Restaurant Marketing Plan 2025-2026: Practical Plan, Templates, Budget & KPIs
10 min read
Running a restaurant, café, bar, or pub is busy enough. Between staff schedules, suppliers, and guests with special requests, marketing often gets pushed aside. But without a clear plan, it’s easy to waste money on ads that don’t work, or miss opportunities to build loyalty with the customers you already have.
This guide is designed to help UK hospitality businesses create a marketing plan that works in practice, not just theory. It covers all the key elements, with examples and free templates you can download and adapt to your own venue.
Whether you’re based in central London, a regional city like Manchester or Birmingham, or running a neighbourhood spot in a market town, these steps will help you build structure, set goals, and make sure your marketing spend delivers results.
Kettle on. Let’s get you booked up.
1. Executive Summary (Your One-Page Snapshot)
The executive summary is your top-level overview. Think of this as your specials board: quick to read, easy to understand, and the first thing anyone should see before diving into the full menu of your marketing plan. It needs to keep the whole plan focused and help anyone reading (staff, investors, partners) understand your direction in under 5 minutes.
Include:
12-month objectives: e.g. +20% bookings, +£3 average spend, 600 reviews at 4.5★+.
Ideal customers: commuters, families, event-goers, late-night diners.
Positioning: one sentence to sum up your venue (e.g. “Neighbourhood spot for bold flavours and easy good times — walk-ins welcome.”).
Channel mix: Google listings, social media, email/SMS, partnerships, PR, ads.
Core KPIs: bookings, revenue per cover, new vs returning, review volume, ROAS.
👉 Keep this section short — it’s the snapshot you’ll return to when things get busy.
2. Mission & Vision
Your mission and vision are the recipe cards for your business. The mission is what you’re cooking right now; the vision is the dish you’ll be known for in the future.
A marketing plan isn’t just about numbers; it’s about clarity. Your mission and vision statements are short but powerful tools that guide your team, attract the right customers, and keep your marketing consistent.
Think of them like this:
Mission = Today. What your business does, for whom, and how. Write simple statement of purpose.
Example: “To deliver memorable food and drink experiences that keep guests c oming back.”
Vision = Tomorrow. Where you want to go in the future.
Example: “To be the most-loved local spot in our area.”
This section gives you and your team something to align with beyond the day-to-day.
3. Market Research
Market research is like scouting the competition’s menu before you print yours. You need to know what’s trending, what’s missing locally, and where you can stand out. It tells you where you stand in the wider hospitality landscape and helps you make smarter marketing decisions. Without it, you’re essentially guessing.
This section should cover what’s happening in hospitality across the UK, what’s happening in your area, who else is out there, and how you compare, and your SWOT analysis – your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
Trends: Delivery and takeaway growth, cost-conscious customers, “experience dining” events, discovery via TikTok and Google Maps.
Competitors: Who’s nearby, how they price, what they offer, and where they’re weak.
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths: Menu, location, service style.
Weaknesses: Rising costs, limited seating, reliance on weekends.
Opportunities: Local partnerships, experiential events, SEO.
Threats: Competitors, staffing shortages, economic conditions.
4. Target Audience & Personas
Not every guest orders the same dish, and not every customer responds to the same marketing. Personas help you picture who’s sitting at your tables, what they care about, and how to tempt them back.
One of the biggest mistakes we see in hospitality marketing plans? Targeting everyone. If your marketing speaks to “all people,” it connects with no one. That’s why we recommend creating personas — semi-fictional profiles of your ideal guests based on real data and observations.
What to include in a persona:
Demographics: Age, income, location.
Psychographics: Values, lifestyle, dining motivations.
Pain points: What frustrates them (slow service, no kid options, high prices).
Behaviours: When they dine, how they book, how they discover venues.
Triggers & motivations: What makes them choose one place over another.
Example personas:
The Office Commuter (25–40): Short lunch breaks, values speed and quality. Trigger: Express lunch deal.
The Family Bruncher (30–50): Wants space, good value, kid-friendly menus. Trigger: “Kids eat free” or dog-friendly seating.
The Event-Goer (20–45): Pre-theatre or pre-match diner, limited time. Trigger: Set-price menus.
The Night Owl (18–35): Students/nightlife crowd. Trigger: Late-night happy hour.
👉 Start with 2–3 personas — simple and realistic.
5. Marketing Goals
Goals are your kitchen timers — they keep you on track. Clear goals turn your marketing plan from a wish list into a roadmap. Instead of vaguely hoping for ‘more bookings,’ set clear numbers and deadlines so you know exactly when the dish is done.
Set goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Examples:
Grow weekday covers by 15% in 6 months.
Reach a 4.5★ average rating on 500 Google reviews within 12 months.
Drive £10k in revenue from email/SMS campaigns this year.
Increase delivery orders 25% over 12 months.
6. Budget Allocation
Think of your budget like portion control: without it, you’ll overspend and end up bloated.
Your budget keeps your plan realistic. Lay out exactly how much you’ll spend on different activities and channels so you can avoid overspending and stay focused on priorities. Plan spend carefully: start at 3–5% of revenue.
Allocate by activity:
SEO & listings: 10%
Social & content: 30%
PR & partnerships: 20%
Email/SMS: 10%
Events/activations: 20%
Miscellaneous: 10%
👉 For a step-by-step breakdown (with a free Excel sheet you can download and use straight away), check out our Marketing Budget Template Guide
7. Marketing Strategies
Strategies are your kitchen recipe. Get them right, and all the ingredients — ads, socials, events, partnerships — work together instead of clashing on the plate. Strategies are your big-picture moves; the guiding principles that connect your goals to the actions you’ll take. They stop you from chasing random trends and keep your marketing consistent.
Your big-picture approaches:
Maximise visibility on Google, Tripadvisor, and maps.
Use reviews + loyalty offers to build repeat business.
Create seasonal content and events for FOMO.
Build partnerships (gyms, theatres, stadiums, schools).
Focus on consistent, repeatable campaigns.
8. Marketing Channels & Tactics
Think of channels and tactics like your service staff: channels bring people through the door, tactics keep them ordering and coming back for more. Here’s where your plan gets practical. Detail the specific platforms you’ll use — from Google to TikTok to email — and the exact tactics you’ll apply on each.
Search & Maps: Optimise your Google Business Profile, reply to reviews, keep listings accurate.
Social Media: Instagram/TikTok reels, staff intros, offer posts.
Email/SMS: Monthly newsletters, birthday SMS, “tables available tonight” texts.
Partnerships: Local offices, gyms, event venues.
PR & Community: Tastings, charity suppers, micro-influencers.
Paid Ads: Use tight targeting; pause anything underperforming.
9. Content Strategy
Your content is the menu you serve online. If it looks bland, no one orders. If it’s tempting, seasonal, and photographed well, people will be queuing before they’ve even tasted it. Content is how your brand shows up online. This section should explain what you’ll create, how often you’ll share it, and how it will connect with your audience.
Highlight 3–5 hero dishes/drinks.
Align content with seasons/events.
Reshare customer photos.
Keep a weekly rhythm: two Reels, one story set, one partner feature.
10. SEO Strategy
SEO is the street sign that points people to your door. If you don’t label your venue properly online, customers will walk straight past to the place that did. Search engines are often the first place customers look for somewhere to eat or drink. This section explains how you’ll make sure your venue appears in those local searches.
Add location keywords to your site (“best brunch near Leeds station”).
Keep Name/Address/Phone consistent everywhere.
Add menu schema for Google.
Post blogs tied to local searches (“top pre-theatre dinners in Birmingham”).
11. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs are the reviews of your marketing plan. They tell you what’s working, what needs seasoning, and what should be sent back to the kitchen. They are the numbers that prove whether your marketing is delivering. Choose a handful of meaningful metrics and track them consistently to measure success.
Track monthly:
Bookings (by source)
Revenue per cover
New vs returning guests
Review volume & rating
ROAS
Email/SMS open, click & redemption rates
12. Timeline & Roadmap
A roadmap is your prep list; it tells you what’s cooking now, what’s on the hob next, and what can wait until later. This section breaks your plan into clear stages so you know when to launch campaigns and how to pace your year.
Months 1–2: Optimise listings, collect reviews, set up email/SMS.
Months 3–4: Launch seasonal campaign, establish content rhythm.
Months 5–6: Run first event/activation, test ads.
Months 7–12: Scale what works, cut what doesn’t.
13. Roles & Responsibilities
Every good kitchen has stations — the same goes for marketing. When everyone knows who’s on grill, who’s on garnish, and who’s running the pass, nothing gets dropped. Marketing works best when everyone knows their role. This section should define who’s responsible for what, so tasks don’t get lost or duplicated.
Clarity keeps plans moving:
Manager: Oversees partnerships & strategy.
Marketing lead/freelancer: Content, ads, reporting.
Front of house: Requests reviews, encourages sign-ups.
Kitchen/bar: Prepares hero dishes for content.
14. Lead Management
Think of leads like walk-ins waiting at the door. Without a system to greet them, seat them, and follow up, they’ll head down the street to your competitor. Collecting details is only the first step. Lead management is about capturing, tracking, and nurturing potential customers until they become loyal regulars.
Capture, nurture, and convert:
Collect details at bookings, receipts, QR menus.
Segment lists (families, commuters, night owls).
Follow up with offers that feel useful.
Pass group bookings/events to the manager quickly.
15. Analytics & Adaptation
Analytics are your taste test. Check the flavour regularly, adjust the seasoning, and don’t be afraid to change the recipe if the dish isn’t landing. Marketing is never “set and forget.” Use this section to explain how you’ll review performance, analyse results, and adapt your plan to keep improving.
Track KPIs monthly.
If ROAS dips: fix offer → creative → audience (in that order).
Adjust quarterly.
Cut what doesn’t work, double down on what does.
👉 Download Free Marketing Plan Template Here
Examples in Practice
Neighbourhood café (Brighton): Added £10 lunch express → weekday covers up 18%.
Cocktail bar (Manchester): Introduced pre/post-theatre menus → late slots filled.
Market pop-up (Edinburgh Fringe): Brewery collab + short menu → 500 attendees + press mention.
Final Word
A marketing plan doesn’t need to be fancy — it just needs to work. The strongest plans are simple, practical, and easy to adjust, with every action linked back to what really matters: full tables and healthy revenue.
Keep your focus on:
Clear, irresistible offers
Strong visuals that make dishes impossible to ignore
Steady flow of reviews that build trust
Consistent follow-ups that turn first-timers into regulars
Do these well, week after week, and your marketing will run smoother than a Saturday night service with the prep done.
One small step each week beats chasing “viral moments.”
