Restaurant Marketing Statistics for 2024

Knowing the latest restaurant marketing statistics, including consumer trends and the latest digital innovations, can help you keep up with the ever-changing pace in the industry.

These data provide essential context for what to anticipate and strategize, allowing you to prepare your food establishment for the coming changes.

One can expect to use diverse marketing strategies or restaurant software like a QR code menu to stay on top of competitors while providing five-star food and services to customers.

Check out these stats and learn how you can elevate your strategies to gain more customer engagement and increase revenue. 

Restaurant statistics in marketing

It’s wise for any business owner or marketer to stay updated with recent restaurant industry analytics to know their industry's current trends and strategies.

Take a look at these facts and figures below to help you make informed marketing decisions.

1. Approximately 60% of patrons say they use a restaurant QR code menu or promotional offers. (HT’s 2022 Restaurant Technology Study)
2. 92% of patrons say they trust recommendations from friends, family, and celebrities.
3. About 80% of customers expect restaurant brands to have a social media presence and interact with them. (business2community)
4. About 72% of customers trust an online review as much as they trust a recommendation. (Nielsen Holdings Study)
5. Over 70% of customers say they are more likely to visit a restaurant with personalized promotions. (New Epsilon research)
6. Approximately 80% of consumers say they watch restaurant-related video content.
7. More than 70% of patrons use online ordering methods. (Sevenrooms)
8. Paid marketing, like Facebook Ads, can help attract new clients. (PPC Statistics)
9. Email marketing is a powerful tool for restaurants, with an ROI of 4400%. (99Firms)
10. 94% of consumers read comments online, like on Yelp and TripAdvisor. (GetSauce)

How important is marketing for restaurants?

Marketing allows restaurants to establish a strong presence in the industry and build brand awareness. It also helps them reach more customers and keep their regulars coming for repeat business.

But to create an effective marketing campaign, one must first ask, “Who are the potential markets of a restaurant?

This will guarantee that your promotions will suit your target audience. You can then use different platforms and strategies to strengthen your business-to-customer relationship.

Check out these facts and data to see what works best for you.

Word-of-mouth marketing 

Nothing beats a good old recommendation from someone you know.

Word-of-mouth marketing happens when customers share their positive experiences with friends and family. This strategy may be the oldest one in the book, but it’s still got its flair today.

Take a look at these word-of-mouth marketing statistics for restaurants:

• 88% of patrons say they are likelier to recommend a restaurant they regularly visit.
• 92% of consumers believe suggestions from friends and family more than advertising (Nielsen report)
• 75% of people don't trust ads. (Semrush)
• Nine out of 10 people are likelier to believe and purchase from a business recommended by friends. (Semrush)
• Word-of-mouth generates 13% of all sales and $6 trillion in annual global spending.
• Referral marketing generates five times as many sales as paid advertising. (Semrush)

Recommendations, referrals, and good comments can be a great marketing strategy for your business. From passing one best customer experience to another, your restaurant can soar to higher grounds.

Social Media Marketing

With billions of active daily users, it’s no wonder that social media platforms have now become a marketing ground for businesses.

Apps like Facebook and Instagram help engage many potential customers. They’re also great for reaching more audiences.

Restaurateurs can use these platforms to promote special events, run promo deals, and present best-selling menu items available in their restaurants. 

Still doubting the power of social media? These data may change your mind:

• Social media is the second most trusted source of information for consumers when deciding where to dine. (Clootrack)
• 90% of restaurants, hotels, bars, and others use social media for marketing and promotion. (business2community)
• About 95% of food and beverage businesses use Facebook. (MGH, full-service restaurant marketing agency)
• Approximately 80% of restaurants, hotels, and bars use Instagram to promote their businesses. (MGH, full-service restaurant marketing agency)
• Over 40% of bars, restaurants, and others use Twitter to strengthen their brand. (MGH, full-service restaurant marketing agency)
• Approximately 60% of consumers say they use Instagram to discover new restaurants in the market. (MGH, full-service restaurant marketing agency)
• Over 50% of patrons say they use Facebook to see and look for restaurant events. (MGH, full-service restaurant marketing agency)
• Restaurants that actively respond to customer reviews on social media see a 15% increase in customer satisfaction. (Helpscout)

Many brands use social media to make their brand more relatable and updated. They often ride with trending topics and use pop culture references in their campaigns. Even a funny meme can get you more customers.

Email Marketing

Some would consider email marketing unpopular, but on the contrary, it keeps growing and has helped businesses reach and connect more to their target audience. 

Here is a compilation of remarkable email marketing for restaurant statistics that demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy.

• Email is the key customer acquisition and retention channel for 81% of SMBs. (Emarsys, 2018)
• The average email open rate is 20.81%; personalized subject lines can increase this by up to 50%. (Yes Lifecycle Marketing, 2019)
• Email marketing for e-commerce is one of the best methods for increasing sales; sending three abandoned cart emails generates 29% more orders than just one email. (Omnisend, 2018)
• 49% of customers said they wanted weekly promotional emails from their preferred brands. (Statista, 2017)
• Compared to non-segmented marketing, segmented email campaigns enjoy higher open and click-through rates. (Mailchimp)
• Nearly 60% of customers claim to have registered a restaurant's email list to receive exclusive discounts and deals. (Mailchimp)
• For restaurants, a 20% increase in business can result from positive word of mouth. (Mailchimp)

Email marketing may be an old tactic, but it is your best shot at retargeting customers personally.

Continuously reaching out to customers through emails will aid your restaurant in increasing customer retention. 

Mobile optimization

Offering a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate restaurant website interface and online ordering platform allows you to increase customer engagement.

The statistics show how important mobile optimization is for restaurants.

• 89% of individuals use their phones to research before going to a restaurant. (Restaurant Study, 2019)
• About 45% of diners prefer using an optimized QR code menu to order and pay at restaurants. (Tripleseat)
• Eight out of 10 patrons say they are more likely to open a restaurant’s website again if it is user-friendly. (RetailDive)
• Mobile optimization can decrease up to 20% of bounce rates. (RetailDive)
• Restaurants with mobile-friendly websites are twice as likely to see sales increase compared to those without one.  (Helpscout)
• When dining out at restaurants, nearly 66% of customers use their smartphones to read reviews and look for deals. (RetailMeNot)

Using digital restaurant tools can make it easier for you to cater to customers. Optimizing your landing pages to allow customers to visit your online sites seamlessly is also wise. 

Online reviews and reputation management

Responding to customer reviews on platforms such as Yelp, Google My Business, G2, Glassdoor, OpenTable, and others helps boost customer loyalty. It can also increase your chances of establishing good branding and image for your business.

These statistics show why reputation management is essential in your restaurant.

• 85% of patrons trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. (Online Reputation Management Statistics)
• 74% of customers trust a local business more if they have positive online reviews. (BrightLocal)
• Six out of 10 patrons say that negative reviews made them avoid or not want to revisit an establishment. (BrightLocal)
• Patrons read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business. (XReputation)
• Restaurants with a 4-star rating on popular review sites can expect a 10-15% increase in business. (XReputation)

Tainting your restaurant with poor ratings and negative comments will do no good for you.  It is best to uphold quality services to keep positive feedback from patrons and entice others to dine in at your place.

Loyalty programs

Aside from reaching out to new customers in your restaurant, you can also maintain regular patrons. This increases your chances of building lasting relationships with your patrons and boosting customer loyalty. 

These statistics will show you how important marketing for restaurants and boosting customer loyalty is.

• Almost half of American patrons will join a loyalty program of a brand they purchase from frequently. (Yotpo)
• Seven out of 10 patrons say loyalty programs are a meaningful part of their brand relationships. (Forbes)
• 57% of restaurants offer rewards and loyalty programs (Patronix and PYMNTS’ 2022 Restaurant Friction Index)
• Four out of 10 patrons say loyalty programs encourage them to buy from restaurants (Patronix and PYMNTS’ 2022 Restaurant Friction Index)

With loyalty programs, you can look for ways to know and give better opportunities to your customers. This will make them feel appreciated and valued in your restaurant. 

How to use MENU TIGER for your restaurant marketing ideas

Setting up a restaurant is not an easy task. Merely creating a menu that shows your offerings, establishing a social media account without engaging, and setting up a customer survey form without action won’t do justice to your business.

MENU TIGER—a digital service provider with the best features at the most affordable price—can help you run efficient and effective services with increased marketing strategies.

Retarget customers through email marketing

One of the earliest and most powerful marketing techniques for your business is email marketing. 

In fact, 49% of customers preferred receiving weekly promotional emails from their favorite businesses. 

Hence, customer profiling and feedback analytics allow you to retarget customers via automated email using MENU TIGER. 

This enables you to send the latest updates, new menu offerings, promo deals, and others to your target customers, increasing patrons' engagement and retention data.

Elevate customer services using the restaurant service feedback form

The ideal survey length is as brief as possible. According to SurveyMonkey, once a respondent starts filling out a survey, the drop-off rate rises sharply with each new question up to 15. 

Additionally, 81% of companies surpass their rivals in providing a superior customer experience (Pepper’s & Rogers Group, Customer Experience Maturity Monitor).

You can use MENU TIGER to send out feedback forms to customers while they dine in at your restaurant. Let your patrons share their insights, queries, feedback, and recommendations to improve your services. 

Increase your chances of satisfying patron preferences by responding to their comments. This will allow you to establish a strong and lasting relationship with customers. 

Promo deals to increase customer loyalty

One aspect of the market in which your restaurant succeeds is the tendency of customers to stick to routines and form habits.

54% of guests frequently go to the same restaurant over time. 20% of these customers change restaurants because of special offers or coupons, while 12% do so to choose the restaurant with the most affordable menu items (BusinessWire).

With MENU TIGER, you can create promo deals that fit well to your customers' preferences, allowing you to increase customer engagement and loyalty in your restaurant—a win-win situation for you both.

Feature best-selling and chef’s choice dishes

Featuring the best-selling and chef’s choice dishes in your restaurant allows you to balance your menu – aside from its marketing importance. 

Highlighting your specials will help you understand and calculate your menu offerings' return on investment (ROI), allowing you to strategize a plan to develop more profitable items. 

Aside from increasing your ROI, you can also keep a pulse on the competition, track your expenses and pricing, and recognize the latest customer trends in the market. 

Offer convenient dining services using QR code menu

One main marketing goal is to achieve customer experience excellence in your restaurant. The best way to cross this off the checklist is to provide contactless and cashless services in your establishment.

Madmobile estimates that 64% of customers prefer to place their orders digitally at a fast-service restaurant (QSR). Additionally, it anticipates that online meal ordering revenues will increase to $220 billion by 2023. That’s equal to 40% of restaurant sales.

Using MENU TIGER, you can deliver QR codes and online ordering services for seamless and convenient customer transactions. This will help you increase your ROI, allowing your employees to maximize their productivity without burnout. 

Scale up your business with these restaurant marketing statistics

Change is the only constant in this world, especially in business. If you fail to adapt to market trends and advancements, you’ll lag far behind your competitors.

Keeping up with the restaurant marketing statistics allows you to identify the things you need to stop doing and the practices you should incorporate to thrive in the market.

Satisfy your customers' changing preferences. Start using a digital QR code menu in your restaurant to increase satisfaction.