Opening a restaurant is an exhilarating experience, and a challenging one, too. At some point, your momentum toward opening is fueled by pure adrenaline, and it becomes nearly impossible to focus on the details. That’s where PR comes in. Well, that’s when you realize PR should have been there from the beginning! Hiring a PR firm means you have a partner to streamline your brand from the moment you consider opening a restaurant all the way through your journey.
Timing
A restaurant’s story is most interesting and relevant to the media when it’s brand new. In order to leverage and take full advantage of this fact, it is crucial to hire a PR firm with enough time prior to opening to make it worth the overall investment and seize prime media opportunities that exist only in advance of and during a restaurant’s debut. We have found that starting with a PR firm two months before your planned opening is the sweet spot. This timeframe works for most clients from a budget perspective and gives the PR team enough time to control the announcement of the restaurant from inception. 
There are situations where a restaurant might be a huge topic of interest, possibly because it’s part of a bigger development in an anticipated location or because the chef is particularly acclaimed. In these cases, the buzz starts much earlier, pushing the need for a PR partner to the time when you sign the lease or hire the chef, giving you control of the conversation with the media from the start.
The Power of Key Messages
When you control the message about your restaurant from the start – literally before you announce it to anyone – you create your own story. How do you want the media to describe your food? Your wine and cocktail program? Your chef’s experience? The design details of the restaurant? How you differ from your competitors? The answers to these questions are what we call Key Messages. When we sit down with our clients at the beginning of our process, we ask detailed questions that will generate these messages, and ultimately, lead to a formal messaging document that becomes the basis for everything from press releases and website content to pitches for the media.
On the flipside, when you don’t control your message from the start, it allows other people to tell your story for you, leaving you powerless over the process or what is being said about you. By being able to confidently talk about your brand with consistent messaging, you are always in the driver’s seat.
Budgeting for and Researching Restaurant PR
Even restauranteurs who acknowledge the importance of hiring a PR firm don’t always build PR into their budget. The best way to figure out an accurate number for your line-item budget is to put in the research first. Contacting PR firms to explore what they offer, telling them what you need, and asking for a proposal is a free process! By doing your research, asking for referrals, and gathering proposals early on, you can sign a contract with the PR firm that best matches your needs, giving you the confidence of knowing they are there when you need them.
PR is More Than an Expense. It’s an Investment.
PR firms that work with restaurants understand the hospitality business, which means we totally get the time frames, pressures, and finances that go along with it. There is a lot at stake with opening a restaurant, from investor’s money to your reputation. Like any PR firm, we want our clients to succeed in the best way possible, and we know it is imperative to do it right the first time. PR support goes beyond press releases and opening parties (although those are important!). Your PR firm can do things like advise you on a logo, provide and help you work with a vetted website designer, connect you with copywriting experts, match you with a photographer who captures you and your restaurant in a way that expresses your brand perfectly, and so much more.
A good PR firm also knows the incredible power of social media and that consumers are interacting with brands across these platforms daily. A recent Zagat survey showed that 75% of people surveyed said that they went to a restaurant based on something they saw on social media. A good agency will be able to manage consistent brand messaging across social media, influencer relations and PR.
Finding PR After You Open
While there can be such a thing as hiring a PR firm “too late,” that doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions to the rule. Oftentimes, it takes a compelling story or unique situation for a PR company to partner with you after opening. It comes down to the way traditional media works. There is so much competition for the media’s time and attention that the “new” factor is the shiny object. The best thing to do in this situation is to reach out to PR firms to state your case and explore your options.
The Bottom Line
You only get one chance to make a first impression! Restaurant brands don’t just roll themselves out; in this competitive market, the restaurants you hear about are most often the ones that have PR pros working on their behalf. There is PR support for every budget, so don’t waste any time! Get out there and secure your restaurant’s future with an experienced and powerful PR team.
Are you ready to partner with PR pros for your restaurant or business? Contact us today!