Restaurant marketing ideas for Australian venues (2026)
Updated 2026-10-27
Most restaurant marketing advice is written for the US. This guide sticks to ideas that work in Australian suburbs and cities, cost little, and can be measured. It's grouped by goal: get found, get chosen, and get people back.
1. Get found: Google comes first
- Complete your Google Business Profile. Add correct hours (including public holidays), your menu, current photos and your own order online link.
- Reply to every review. Keep it short and specific. A calm reply to a bad review is read by every future customer.
- Post updates. Specials, new dishes and events can be posted to your profile and show in search.
- Be consistent everywhere. Your name, address and phone should match on Google, Apple Maps, Facebook and directories.
2. Get chosen: give people a reason
- One hero dish. Be known for something. Put it first on your menu, in your photos and in your bio.
- Real photos. Shoot in daylight near a window. Show portion size and the dish as it actually arrives.
- Clear menu prices. Hidden or out-of-date prices lose orders. See how to price menu items.
- Make ordering easy. A one-tap link for pickup and delivery on Google, Instagram and your website. See online ordering systems.
Social media marketing for restaurants and hospitality
Social media works best for restaurants when it gives people a reason to come in or order this week. Pick one or two channels you can keep up: Instagram for food photos and Reels, and Facebook for local groups and events. Post on a steady schedule, for example specials on Monday and the weekend menu on Thursday. Put your ordering link in the bio, so a post can turn into an order straight away. Measure what matters (orders and bookings), not just likes.
3. Restaurant Instagram ideas that work
- Behind the scenes: prep, deliveries and the team.
- The making of your hero dish in 15 seconds.
- Staff picks and "what we eat after service".
- Supplier stories: the local baker, farmer or roaster.
- Weekly specials posted at the same time each week.
- Reposts of customers' photos (ask first).
Keep your bio short: what you serve, your suburb, hours, and an ordering link.
4. Get people back: retention beats reach
- A simple loyalty program. A stamp card or points on direct orders. See restaurant loyalty programs.
- Collect contacts with consent. Direct ordering gives you names, numbers and emails that delivery apps keep. Under the Spam Act, only message people who opted in.
- A bag insert. Every app order can carry a card with your direct ordering link or QR code.
- Win-back messages. A friendly note to customers you haven't seen in 60 days.
5. Restaurant promotion ideas for quiet nights
- A set menu or a meal deal on your slowest night.
- Kids eat free or a family pack on Sunday.
- Trivia, a guest chef or a tasting night.
- A lunch pre-order deal for nearby offices or tradies.
- A collaboration with a local brewery, winery or bakery.
Avoid deep discounts on delivery apps, where you pay commission on the discounted price and the customer belongs to the app. The sourced rates are in our delivery-app commission report. Try your own numbers in the commission calculator.
6. Local partnerships
Sponsor a junior sports club, cater the school fete, or offer a staff discount to nearby workplaces. Community ties bring loyal regulars in a way that ads rarely do.
A simple 90-day restaurant marketing plan
| Weeks | Focus | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Google profile, photos, direct ordering link | Profile views, calls, website clicks |
| 3–6 | Instagram routine (3 posts a week), bag inserts, review replies | Followers, direct orders |
| 7–10 | Loyalty program, opt-in contact list | Repeat order rate |
| 11–13 | One promotion on your slowest night | Sales vs the same night last month |
Café marketing ideas
For cafés and coffee shops, the morning regular is everything. Offer a coffee loyalty card, pre-order for pickup so commuters skip the queue, and keep your Google hours exact. Many café searches are "open now".
Every idea here works better with somewhere to send people: your own commission-free ordering, QR codes on tables and bags, and a ordering features that collect customer details.
More guides
- GloriaFood migration guide for Australian restaurants (2026–27)
- Menulog has closed: a guide for Australian restaurants a year on
- How to move your regulars off Uber Eats and DoorDash (without losing them)
- Running your own delivery drivers in Australia: a practical guide
- GST and online orders: what Australian takeaways should know
- Public holiday surcharges and online orders in Australia
- Food safety for takeaway and delivery orders in Australia
- Pricing your menu for delivery apps vs your own ordering page
- How to price menu items: food cost percentage formula and examples (AU)
- Menu engineering matrix: stars, plowhorses, puzzles and dogs (with a worked example)
- Restaurant loyalty programs in Australia: types, ideas and examples
- How to start a takeaway business in Australia: a step-by-step checklist
- Restaurant POS systems in Australia: Chefzi POS vs Square, Lightspeed and others
- Cloud kitchens in Australia: how they work, costs and rules
- Restaurant booking systems in Australia: Chefzi reservations vs the alternatives
- Restaurant software in Australia: the tech stack a venue actually needs
- Food supplier ordering systems for Australian restaurants and cafés
- GloriaFood is shutting down: what Australian restaurants need to do
- How to add an order button to your Google Business Profile in Australia
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to market a restaurant?
Fix your free channels first. Get your Google Business Profile complete and current, collect customer contacts with consent, and ask happy customers for reviews. None of these cost money.
How much should a restaurant spend on marketing?
No single figure fits every venue. Set a monthly budget you can sustain, track what each channel brings in (orders, bookings, redemptions), and move money to whatever works.
Do I need a marketing agency?
Not to start. The ideas here can be run by an owner or manager in a few hours a week. An agency makes sense once you know which channels work and want to scale them.
Can I send marketing SMS and emails to customers?
Yes, but Australia's Spam Act 2003 requires consent, clear identification of who you are, and a working unsubscribe. Only message people who opted in.
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