Restaurant Marketing
I’ve built real systems for real businesses — including work connected to James Beard–recognized talent.
The Silent Killer of Restaurants: Losing Loyal Customers One by One.
“Most restaurants aren’t brought down by bad food or service. The real danger is losing loyal customers, one by one.”
“And when a regular leaves, they usually take friends and family with them.”
“If you want to grow, you need to turn first-timers into loyal fans—and keep them coming back.”
You spend a fortune to get new diners in the door.
It costs 5 to 7 times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.
And the truth is, 70% of new guests never come back for a second visit.
The answer isn’t more ads, it’s better customer retention.
Customer Retention
Here’s the ugly truth: most independent restaurants don’t have any type of customer retention plan. You spend time and money getting someone in the door, they enjoy the meal, then you never see them again.
Meanwhile, the chains down the street are running loyalty programs, email offers, and birthday texts — turning one-time diners into regulars who spend thousands over the years.
The reality? It’s only going to get worse. Chains are adapting and implementing AI that knows when your customers are hungry, what they’ll order, and how to pull them back before they ever think of you. Ignore it, and you’re handing them your future regulars on a silver platter.
How Much are Lost Regulars Costing Your Restaurant?
It’s easy to overlook just how important regulars are to your business. But missing even a few can mean losing thousands of dollars each year.
Plug your numbers into this simple tool and see what you might be missing out on—then learn how to bring those happy diners back for good.
The Real Cost of Losing a Regular Customer
Let me give you a quick real-world example. Granted this is on the lower end however it’s the same for ALL restaurants.
I love pizza. My wife and I eat it about once a week, and we rotate between a couple of our favorite independent shops… and Domino’s. Now here’s the surprising part:
Domino’s knows I’m a loyal customer. The independent shops don’t.
Not once has a local shop asked for my email. They have my name. They have my phone number.
But they never follow up. No specials. No reminders. No “Hey Greg, your favorite is on sale tonight.”
Meanwhile, Domino’s emails me every week—and they don’t just send generic deals.
They send a discount for the exact pizza we always order.
That’s not an accident. That’s smart marketing. And that’s why they stay top-of-mind.
Here’s the truth most restaurant owners never think about:
Your regulars WANT to hear from you. They WANT to feel remembered.
And when you send their favorite dish straight to their inbox, they feel special.
Do you think they’d be wowed? Do you think they’d tell their friends?
Hell yes they will!
And that’s how you turn regulars into lifelong customers… instead of losing them to the big chains.
Been There → Done That → Bought the Damn T-Shirt!
I get it. I’ve been in your shoes → Started washing dishes at age 12 → Worked my way up to Chef → Became a restaurant owner → Scrubbed more than my share of toilets → Had lovely conversations with the IRS → Turned into a marketing guy.
Running a restaurant, trying to juggle operations, staff, and customers while marketing takes a back seat. You don’t have time for complicated tech, but you can’t afford to lose guests either.
For two decades, I lived the restaurant life. Long nights, organized chaos, thin margins, and competition that seemed unfair. When I owned my restaurant, I realized something: great food isn’t enough. If you can’t market, you can’t survive.
I was forced to figure out marketing — and it saved my business. Today, I use those same systems along with modern innovations and AI to help independent restaurant owners like you pack your dining room and turn one-time diners into loyal regulars.
That’s why I built a simple system — the same one that saved my own restaurant — to help independents like you fill tables and keep them full.
That’s where plan B marketing comes in
I build AI-powered customer retention systems designed specifically for independent restaurants. Using tools like Klaviyo, smart website design, and Artificial Intelligence, together we will develop:
→ A Strong Foundation to build on
→ Conduct UX Research to determine customer wants & needs
→ Develop your Core Digital Assets
→ Build your Brand from the bottom up
→ Capture every guest who books, orders, or dines in.
→ Use AI to follow up with personalized emails, texts, and ads.
→ Turn one-time visitors into loyal regulars.
→ Cover Advanced Growth and Optimization
My goal isn’t to run your marketing forever.
It’s to build you a plan so solid you don’t need me down the road — just results that keep compounding.
The plan B marketing difference
Attention: This is not for everyone!
If your restaurant is generating over $1 million and you’re ready for a real change, don’t wait—keep reading. This could be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Most marketing agencies and ad reps want you buying ads right out of the gate. That’s their game: sell ads, collect a fee, move on. But ads are just rented attention — and the fastest way to piss money away.
Next there's the SEO gurus and website designers.
They’ll tell you that a fancy ass website and ranking #1 on Google is the holy grail.
But the truth is: those rankings and slick websites don’t pay your bills — loyal, repeat customers do.
SEO isn’t a one-and-done magic trick. It’s a nonstop grind that demands constant tweaks just to keep your head above water in Google’s ever-changing game. What works today, dies tomorrow.
Most businesses get trapped on the SEO hamster wheel — every algorithm update resets the game, rankings drop, and suddenly you’re playing catch-up… again.
Meanwhile, your budget burns chasing “vanity metrics” — impressions, backlinks, keyword counts — all the stuff that looks good on paper but never hits your bank account.
SEO agencies thrive on that confusion. They sell you on numbers that flatter instead of strategies that matter. Because as long as you’re confused, you keep paying.
Do you see what’s really happening here? The SEO crowd and ad reps don’t grow your business — they grow theirs. Because if you ever stop paying them, the whole thing collapses.
Here’s what they don’t get: they’ve never owned a restaurant. They don’t know the sickening feeling of staring at empty tables night after night. They’ve never felt the pressure of bills piling up while customers drift away.
That pain is real — and most ad reps and SEO agencies don’t have a clue.
At Plan B Marketing, we don’t play that game.
Advertising, websites, SEO — they’re all pieces of the puzzle, not the solution.
The real win comes from strategy — one that builds customers for life, not just clicks for now or one-time transactions.
That’s the Plan B Difference: a proven system that grows your bottom line by building real relationships — not dependencies.
My goal isn’t to keep you on the hook forever.
It’s to help you take full control of your marketing in a few short months — so you own the strategy, not the other way around.
That’s why I built The Plan B Marketing Plan for Restaurants.
I flip the script.
I start with the foundation — your brand story, your customer experience, your online presence, and a bulletproof follow-up system that turns strangers into regulars.
Only when those pieces are in place do we invest in ads.
That way, every marketing dollar has leverage — and every new customer becomes a repeat customer.
It’s time to stop running in circles.
Step off the hamster wheel.
Start building something that actually lasts.
Let’s build something that grows with you — not something you keep paying for just to keep alive.
That’s the Plan B difference.
Can you feel it?
Don’t Just Take My Word For It
Pick Your Plan B
Plans start at $800 monthly. Custom solutions available. Download the “The Restaurant Owner’s Plan B” free PDF to see what’s possible for your restaurant.
A la carte menu also available.
No generic packages. Every engagement is tailored to your restaurant’s goals, growth stage, unique challenges and type of POS system you have. If we’re a fit, you’ll get a custom plan designed to fill tables, retain regulars, and drive repeat business.
🔒 The Plan B Guarantee
Bottom line: You’re never stuck and you’re never gambling. You either see progress — or I keep working until you do.
✅ 30-Day Fit Guarantee
If after the first 30 days you feel this isn’t the right fit, walk away. No long-term contracts, no hard feelings.
✅ 90-Day Results Guarantee
If you implement what we build together and don’t see measurable improvement in repeat business within 90 days, I’ll work with you at no extra cost until you do.
FAQs
I get these questions all the time from independent restaurant owners. Chances are you’re wondering the same things — so let’s clear the air right here.
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Most restaurant owners think marketing is an expense. It’s not. It’s an investment. On average, just 20 loyal customers are worth $20K+ per year. If your system isn’t built to keep them, you’re leaving money on the table every single day. My packages are designed to pay for themselves many times over.
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Because I’ve actually owned a restaurant. I know what works in the real world and what’s just agency fluff. No vanity reports, no “likes” that don’t fill tables — just proven systems that bring customers back again and again.
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That’s the point. I do the heavy lifting for you. Your job is to run the restaurant. My job is to make sure it’s full. You’ll get clear updates and approvals without having to wear another hat.
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Word of mouth is powerful, but as Bonnie Raitt says “You’ve got to give them something to talk about.” That’s where the WOW Factor, loyalty programs, birthday texts, and retargeting ads that keep your name in front of your customers come in. I help you amplify your word of mouth so you stay top-of-mind and keep regulars coming back.
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That’s exactly why I offer my 90-Day Customers-for-Life Guarantee.
If it’s not a fit after 30 days, you can walk away — no hard feelings.
If you implement what we build and don’t see measurable improvement in repeat business within 90 days, I’ll work with you at no extra cost until you do.
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Nope. I don’t believe in trapping owners into 12-month contracts. We work month-to-month. If it’s working, you’ll want to stay. If it’s not, you can walk away. Simple as that.
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Then the Playbook is your best starting point. My full system is built for established independents who already have traction and want to scale. But the Playbook will give you the roadmap to get there — and once you’re ready, I’ll be here to help you take the next step.
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Because I’m not an agency guy. I started as a dishwasher, became a chef, and owned my own restaurant. I know what it’s like to sweat payroll on Friday. Everything I do comes from the systems I used to save my own restaurant — not theory, not hype.
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Yes — but they’re simple and transparent:
Website hosting (usually $20–$50/month depending on your provider)
Klaviyo subscription for email & SMS (about $60/month)
Advertising budget (when we get to running outside ads, you’ll need to fund the ad spend directly — so every dollar goes toward filling your tables, not my pocket)
That’s it. No hidden fees, no surprise invoices. Just the tools and fuel you’ll need to make the system run.
Every cost is tied directly to growth, not overhead
✅ Still Have Questions?
That’s normal. Every independent restaurant owner I work with has unique challenges — no two restaurants are exactly the same.
The fastest way to get clarity is with my Customers-for-Life Check-Up — but this isn’t something you can just click and book.
Because here’s the truth: This isn’t for everyone. This only works if we both show up. I don’t see myself as a “vendor” or another line item on your expense sheet.
I’m looking to build a partnership where you get the marketing systems, and I get a committed owner who’s willing to put them to work.
🤝 What I’ll Bring
Proven systems to keep your tables full
Hands-on experience from running my own restaurant
Clear communication & simple steps (no fluff, no jargon)
🙋 What You’ll Bring
Honest info about your current marketing & numbers
Willingness to let me implement the plan
Commitment to showing up for your own success
Here’s how it works:
Download & Review “The Restaurant Owners Plan B” free PDF.
Over the next few days I will send you a series of emails diving into more detail.
Send me your info → Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone), website, social media links, and any marketing plan or loyalty programs you’re running.
Get the private booking link → Once I have your info, I’ll send you access to my hidden page where you can reserve one of the 5 monthly spots.
👉 This process keeps it simple, but also ensures I’m only sitting down with owners who are serious about growth.
If that’s you, reply to my email with your info, and we’ll take it from there.
“The Restaurant Owner’s Plan B”
This free PDF breaks down why most restaurant marketing fails and what to do instead if you want repeat customers.
What You’ll Get Inside
Practical restaurant marketing strategies on:
How to stop chasing new customers and start building regulars
Discover where the real profit lives
Why research beats guesswork
The importance of the WOW factor!
Built for independent restaurant owners
And much more…