Welcome to the third installment of our series, Bar & Restaurant Management 101, written by Doug Radkey, founder and president of KRG Hospitality Inc. (you may remember Doug from his How to Build a Menu series).
Consider this series your course on the fundamentals of running a bar or restaurant. Over the next few months, expect articles on how to budget, market, retain employees, and more. This month, we cover marketing. Miss a class and need to catch up? Find all installments of the series here!
Let’s be honest: marketing can feel overwhelming, especially when marketing tactics that work seem to change every six months—all while you’re already leading your team and trying to maintain consistency behind the bar or in the kitchen.
But here’s the thing, marketing cannot be an after-thought—and I’m sorry—it goes much deeper than using "social-media." Marketing is not intended to be a one-time traffic boost or a “spray and pray” tactic. Marketing is a foundational component of sustainable growth and that’s where the 30-day marketing plan comes in.
It’s short enough to feel manageable. It’s long enough to be strategic. And when it is built correctly, it can become the micro-level framework that aligns perfectly with your annual marketing playbook and long-term brand strategy.
Let’s walk through how to build a 30-day marketing plan that’s not just full of ideas, but one that’s full of impact.
Start With the Big Picture (Then Zoom In)
Too many operators throw out random social posts of their food or drink, offer a happy hour because another local competitor did something similar, or hire someone to "do the marketing" without ever stopping to ask: What’s the purpose of this "strategy?"
Before you build a 30-day campaign, zoom out and ask:
- What are our goals? Is it revenue, retention, or awareness?
- Who are our ideal guests, and what do they care about?
- What experience or emotion are we selling?
- How does this align with the brand we want to build?
Your 30-day plan should be a tactical extension of your brand’s annual marketing playbook. Think of it as the test kitchen version of your full menu. You're pulling key ingredients, tweaking the flavors, and serving them up in ways that get attention, build trust, and generate a return on investment.
The 4 Core Objectives of Any Marketing Plan
Every campaign, every post, every email should support at least one of these four pillars:
- Awareness: Are we getting in front of our most targeted eyes and ears?
- Guest Database Growth: Are we capturing emails, birthdays, preferences, or loyalty data?
- Guest Retention: Are we giving them a reason to come back – in a trackable way?
- Increased Revenue Per Guest: Are we educating, upselling, or bundling in a way that elevates average ticket size?
If it doesn’t support at least one of these, it’s not marketing. It’s just noise in the marketplace that will not drive the impact you need to be successful.
Map Out Your 30 Days
Now that you know what you’re aiming for, break the month into themes or weeks, for example:
Week 1: Build Awareness
Focus on visibility. Run an ad campaign. Host a community night. Partner with a local influencer. Launch a press release. Think exposure over conversions.
Week 2: Grow Your Database
Offer an incentive for email sign-ups or loyalty program enrollment. Run a giveaway or social media contest. Ask for reviews. This is your list-building phase.
Week 3: Increase Revenue Per Guest
Feature limited-time menu items or LTOs. Promote high-margin pairings. Educate and train your staff on upselling. Introduce bundles, memberships, or online-ordering. Think check-lift.
Week 4: Drive Retention
Send out personalized emails. Launch bounce-back offers. Celebrate repeat guests. Highlight your story and brand values. Make your guests feel like insiders.
The Marketing Equation: Emotion + Execution = Results
It’s no secret—we live in a noisy world. Today's guests are complicated, they’re emotional, and they’re more distracted than ever. Your marketing needs to do more than "sell." It needs to tell a story. It needs to resonate with your target guests. And it needs to be part of your overall eco-system, aligned with your brand, operations, revenue, and profit objectives.
It needs to create emotion while building three foundational pillars: Trust + Credibility + Relationships.
That’s the real purpose of marketing. It’s not just about short-term sales. When executed at a high-level, it’s about building a destination or legacy brand where people are excited to return.
But don’t be afraid to experiment. In today’s marketing, creativity is your differentiator. Try something bold. Add personality. Make it fun. But above all else, make it measurable.
Budget for ROI, Not Just Reach
Your marketing budget should be approximately 4–6% of your monthly revenue. For the average independent venue doing let’s say, $110K per month in revenue, that equates to $4,400–$6,600 per month in marketing and promotion.
Distribute that across your paid ads, content creation, loyalty platforms, Email/SMS tools, community partnerships, and photography/videography editing.
A good return on investment (ROI) should aim for a revenue increase of at least 200% to 500%.
This means for every dollar spent on marketing, your restaurant should generate between $2 and $5 in revenue. An ROI of 5:1 (500%) is considered a successful benchmark, and anything over that is considered exceptional. If it doesn't hit at least 200% - then adjust. But remember, you can’t optimize what you’re not measuring.
Sample 30-Day Marketing Plan
Let’s use a Taco & Tequila Bar as an example, with a revenue benchmark of $110,000 per month and with a monthly marketing budget of approximately $5,500 (5%).
Objective: To drive consistent traffic, increase average check size, grow the guest database, and retain more first-time visitors. All strategies tie into the four core pillars: Awareness, Guest Database, Increased Revenue per Guest, and Guest Retention.
WEEK 1: AWARENESS
Theme: “Taco & Tequila Vibes All Summer Long” with a budget allocation of $2,000.
- Launch a local social media ad campaign (target radius: 5 - 10 miles; audience: 24–45 y/o with income levels between $25,000 – $50,000)
- Partner with a local micro-influencer to visit and post a reel featuring the top three tacos and a signature margarita and do a “social collaboration”
- Update Google Business Profile with seasonal photography and weekly specials
- Pitch a press release to local community event listings and other local businesses that target similar socio-graphics about the new summer menu and tequila tasting nights
- Add eye-catching window signage + sidewalk chalkboard campaign to highlight theme
WEEK 2: GUEST DATABASE GROWTH
Theme: “Tequila Passport” Program Launch with a budget allocation of $800.
- Launch the Tequila Passport loyalty program: guests receive stamps for each new tequila brand they tried, with rewards at certain milestones
- Promote sign-ups through social media, in-store table tents, and server prompts
- Run a giveaway: guests who sign up this week are entered to win a private tequila tasting dinner for four with the chef and a tequila-focused mixologist.
- Use QR codes for fast email capture connected to your CRM/email tool
- Collect birthday data and favorite flavors for future personalization
WEEK 3: INCREASED REVENUE PER GUEST
Theme: “Premium Pairings & Add-Ons” with a budget allocation of $1,200.
- Train front-of-house team to recommend premium tequila pairings with taco flights and upsell top-shelf margaritas
- Launch a limited-time shareable menu item to lift average spend
- Feature a "Taco & Tequila Combo" menu at a bundled value that increases check size
- Add pairing suggestions to printed and digital menus
- Promote the above with short-form video on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, for example, but think beyond just static photos and videos of the dishes or drinks. Get your team involved and reinvest $250 in promo boosts.
WEEK 4: GUEST RETENTION
Theme: “Come Back for More” with a budget allocation of $1,500.
- Launch a bounce-back offer: guests who visit this week get a digital $10 off card for their next visit within 14 days
- Send personalized email follow-ups to Tequila Passport members with milestone progress and rewards
- Spotlight loyal guests on IG stories (with permission) and offer surprise bar credit
- Host a members-only event (the first drink is on us) with early access to next months Limited Time Offer menu item
- Use review prompts via email or platforms such as Ovation to drive more 5-star reviews
Bonus Layer:
- Margarita Monday: 2-for-1 house margaritas (upsell to premium)
- Taco Tuesday: Limited-time taco drop, new every week
- Wanderlust Wednesday: Feature tequila from different regions
- Throwback Thursday: Retro playlist + menu item revival
- Fiesta Friday: Live DJ or Latin band + drink specials
- Satur-yay Brunch: Early afternoon brunch tacos + mimosa towers
- Sunday Funday: All-day happy hour menu
Measurement & KPIs:
- Social ad reach: 20,000+ locally
- Email signups: 400+ (net new)
- Revenue per guest: Increase by $3–5 avg. ticket
- Return guests within 30 days: 20–25% increase
- Social followers: +10% growth
- ROI target: Minimum 5x ($27,500+ in revenue influenced)
Now It’s Your Turn
Your 30-day plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It needs to be intentional. By aligning your marketing efforts to your brand personality, guest journey map, operational strengths, and overall guest behavior, you can drive predictable results. With a 30-day strategy like this, you’re spending smarter. That’s the power of a well-executed 30-day plan.
You don’t necessarily need a marketing agency. You don’t necessarily need a full-time CMO (but maybe a content curator on your team wouldn’t help). What you do need is clarity and commitment plus a calendar and a phone.
Start with one month. Build the structure. Track the numbers. Refine as you go.
And remember: Marketing isn’t an expense. It’s how you earn the right to be remembered.
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