How to Attract More Guests to Your Restaurant in 2025

Are you doing all the right things—serving amazing food, delivering top-notch service, crafting perfectly balanced drinks—but the tables still aren’t filling up like they should?

You’re delivering a great dining experience, yet foot traffic remains inconsistent, online engagement is low, and new customers aren’t coming in as often as you’d like.

The problem isn’t your food or service—it’s visibility and customer engagement—and we’re going to help you fix that. 

In this article, you will learn:

• How to improve your restaurant’s visibility so more people discover you
• Engagement strategies that turn first-time visitors into repeat customers
• Practical marketing tactics to fill more tables and increase takeout orders

Here are eight strategies proven to attract more customers to your restaurant.

1. Optimize Your Restaurant’s Online Presence

Your restaurant’s online presence is often the first touch point for potential guests, so make it count. When done correctly, it will instantly hook guests, turning them from curious browsers into paying customers.  

A well-designed website should be mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and contain all the essential information customers need, such as:

• Menu (with prices)
• Hours of operation (including updates for holidays and events)
• Location and contact information
• Online ordering options
• High-quality photos of your food and space

A clunky, outdated, or slow-loading website can frustrate potential customers and drive them away before they even place an order. 

Prioritize a clean design, fast load times, and a seamless mobile experience since most customers will be searching from their phones.

The next step to optimizing your online presence is to take advantage of SEO so more customers find you. 

2. Leverage Local SEO to Get Found

Local SEO (search engine optimization) is how customers in your local area find you online. 

62% of consumers use Google to find restaurants they’d like to dine at—if your business doesn’t appear in their search’s top results, they will most likely go to a different restaurant.

Here are two ways to make a big impact on your local SEO.

Optimize your Google Business Profile.

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is one of the most powerful tools for boosting your local rankings and attracting more guests to your restaurant. 

Most diners don’t search for a restaurant by name—they search using terms like “best burgers near me” or “restaurants open now.” 

If your GBP isn’t optimized you won’t show up when it matters most. 

Here’s how to improve your Google Business Profile to get your restaurant in that top spot:

• Ensure all details are accurate and up-to-date. This includes hours of operation (including holiday updates), your website link, phone number, and menu.
• Upload high-quality photos. Restaurants with great food and atmosphere images get more clicks and visits. Update these regularly to keep your profile fresh.
• Use keywords naturally in your description. Google prioritizes relevant results, so if your restaurant is known for something specific (e.g., “authentic Neapolitan pizza” or “rooftop seafood restaurant”), include those details in your profile

Encourage (and respond to) Google reviews.

Reviews are social currency, and they do more than just build trust with potential customers—they also signal to Google that people are visiting and engaging with your restaurant.

A steady flow of reviews tells Google that your business is active and relevant, which gives your restaurant a healthy boost of visibility in local searches. 

Plus, reviews give curious guests insight into what kind of experience they can expect, influencing their decision to place an order.

The more high-quality reviews you collect, the stronger your restaurant’s reputation becomes, both online and in real life. 

To get started collecting Google reviews, check out our article on How to Get More Google Reviews from Customers.

Complete these two steps, and you’ll see a noticeable difference in the number of guests walking through your restaurant doors. 

3. Build a Rewards Program to Encourage Repeat Visits

Getting first-time guests through the door is the hard part—bringing them back is much easier. 

They’ve tried your food, experienced the vibe, and they know they like it—now, all you need to do is give them a reason to return. A well-designed rewards program does just that, turning one-time customers into loyal regulars. 

Why rewards programs work.

People love perks and are more likely to return when they know they’re working toward a freebie, discount, or exclusive offer. A strong rewards program:

• Increases guest retention: Customers are more likely to return when they feel they’re earning something.
• Boosts order frequency and spending: Guests are likely to order more to reach their next reward faster.
• Creates a sense of exclusivity: Special perks make customers feel like VIPs, strengthening their connection to your brand.

A great loyalty program should be simple, easy to use, and valuable to the customer. Make sign-up easy and promote it everywhere, for example:

• On your website with a clear sign-up link
• At checkout by training staff to mention it
• On social media with promotions and reminders
• Through email to keep members engaged

Let’s dive deeper into how you can use email to keep customers engaged. 

4. Use Automated Email Marketing to Stay Top of Mind

Email marketing might be old, but it works—giving businesses that use it a staggering return on investment (ROI) of $44 for every $1 spent. 

Social media is a lot more exciting, but you have no control over who actually sees your content, and posts can get buried in a crowded feed. 

Email addresses are more valuable because you own the connection to your customers—anything you send goes directly to their inbox, making it much more likely that they’ll see your message.

Keeping your restaurant top of mind comes down to timing and value—giving customers a compelling reason to place an order. 

You can make the entire process super easy by using automated marketing tools to send out valuable emails at appropriate times without having to manually send each message. 

Here are some great types of emails to send:

• Welcome email: When someone joins your rewards program or signs up for your email list, this email confirms their enrollment and helps build customer loyalty.
• Bringback campaigns: These are a friendly reminder to guests who haven’t visited in a while. ChowNow’s Automated Email Marketing sends a bringback email to customers who haven’t placed an order in 21 days.
• Monthly promotions: These emails highlight limited-time offers and exclusive discounts to encourage repeat visits. ChowNow restaurant partners that use this strategy see an average annual increase of $34,000. 

Customers who sign up for your rewards program are automatically put on your email list but encourage guests to sign up on social media, in person, and on receipts and in-house signage. 

Automated emails are easy, effective, and unobtrusive, allowing you to stay connected with customers without overwhelming their inbox.

5. Create Irresistible Promotions & Limited-Time Offers

Promos and limited-time offers create a sense of urgency that gives guests a reason to visit your restaurant now instead of later. 

Limited-time offers like happy hour, seasonal specials, and holiday-inspired promotions tap into a person’s fear of missing out (FOMO) and encourage immediate action. 

Some effective time-sensitive promotions include:

• Happy Hour Specials: Discounted drinks and appetizers during off-peak hours help boost business when traffic is slow.
• Weekend-Only Deals: Feature a special menu item or exclusive discount available for just a few days.
• Seasonal & Holiday Promotions: Offer themed menu items or discounts around major holidays (Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menus, summer BBQ specials, or Christmas cocktail promotions).
• Flash Deals: Surprise customers with last-minute offers like “Half-price burgers tonight only!” to drive spontaneous visits.

Great deals only work if people know about them—promote your offers through your website, email list, and social media to reach the maximum number of customers.

6. Host Events to Draw in New Customers

A well-planned event can turn a slow night into a full house and introduce your restaurant to new customers who may not have visited otherwise. Events create buzz, excitement, and a reason for people to choose your restaurant over the competition.

The best restaurant events feel natural and attract the type of crowd you want to bring in. Think about your menu, atmosphere, and target audience, then choose events that align with them.

Here are some event ideas that can increase foot traffic and sales:

• Live Music Nights: Feature a local band, acoustic set, or themed music night (jazz, blues, ‘90s throwbacks).
• Trivia or Game Nights: Partner with a trivia host to bring in groups of friends looking for a fun evening.
• Themed Dinners & Tasting Events: Offer a special prix-fixe menu for wine pairings, whiskey tastings, or farm-to-table nights.
• Cooking Classes & Chef’s Table Experiences: Teach guests how to make a signature dish or host an intimate chef’s tasting dinner.
• Seasonal & Holiday Events: Celebrate major holidays with special menus, brunches, or family-friendly events like pumpkin carving or gingerbread house decorating.

A great event won’t drive traffic if no one knows about it. Use every channel possible, like social media, your website, emails, and in-house promotions, to spread the word and create excitement about the upcoming event. 

7. Engage with Customers on Social Media

Social media isn’t just a place to post pictures of your food—it’s a powerful tool to build relationships and drive traffic to your restaurant. 

Avoid doing what’s called a “post and ghost,” where you make a post and then never respond to the comments and buzz it created. 

This is a big missed opportunity to engage with customers and build stronger brand loyalty to create repeat customers.

Here are several ways to engage with customers on social media:

Encourage user-generated content (UGC)

Customers love sharing a dining experience—make it easy and rewarding for them to promote your restaurant.

• Run a social media contest: ”Tag us in a photo of your visit and enter to win a free entree”
• Feature guests who tag you: Repost customer photos and stories to make them feel special. 
• Use branded hashtags: make it easy for people to share their experiences with a unique hashtag.

Engage with your audience in real-time 

Consistent interaction with customers turns your profiles into a community.

• Respond to comments and DMs quickly: A simple “Thank you!” or answering a question can turn online followers into real-world customers.
• Ask questions/encourage interaction: ”What’s your go-to order when you visit us?” or “What new dish would you love to see on the menu?”
• Engage with local influencers and food bloggers: If you’re in a large enough community to have influencers, reach out to them, and you can tap into their food-curious audience. 
• Monitor and respond to online reviews: Thank guests for positive feedback and professionally handle negative reviews. Other customers read these, and how you respond matters to them.

Your social media profiles are more than digital billboards—create an interactive experience for your customers, and you’ll see more online followers placing orders and making visits. 

8. Offer Online Ordering & Delivery Through Your Own Channels

Customer expectations have evolved dramatically since 2020, and convenience is a major factor in where and how people choose to dine. 

Offering a seamless online ordering experience not only meets modern customer expectations but also helps attract more customers to your restaurant.

While third-party delivery apps can expand your reach, they also take a significant cut of your profits and create a barrier between you and your customers.

By offering online ordering directly through your website or branded mobile app, you keep more of the revenue while strengthening customer relationships. More importantly, you maintain full control over the customer experience—something third-party apps don’t allow.

With third-party platforms, you lose access to valuable customer data, limiting your ability to engage with guests after their first order. 

Without direct communication channels like email, push notifications, and rewards programs, you miss out on opportunities to bring customers back for repeat visits.

Offering your own direct online ordering and delivery channels gives customers an easier, more fulfilling experience that meets and exceeds the expectations that have developed over the last several years, helping you to create loyal regulars while keeping your hard-earned profits.

Your Restaurant’s Success Starts with Visibility and Engagement

The goals of these strategies are to do two things:

1. Get your restaurant noticed by potential customers.
2. Keep their attention by consistently engaging with them at different customer touchpoints. 

Keep that in mind when using these tactics, and you’ll attract significantly more customers to your restaurant. 

Get in touch with ChowNow to see how our automated email marketing, rewards program, and direct online ordering can help boost repeat customers and drive more sales.