Let me make it perfectly clear from to beginning of this post: if your restaurant uses OpenTable, you need to read this post. A great deal has been written lately about the cost of OpenTable to restaurants. Many restaurant owners have decided that the cost per reservation does not justify using the system. I would […]
Welcome to Restaurant Marketing Plan
Restaurant Marketing Plan provides restaurant owners and managers with up to date, reliable, and actionable tips to help reach potential guests online. For owners and managers who want to take a “hands on” approach towards marketing their restaurant, this site provides insights to help them achieve the best results for the time they invest. You will find best practices for marketing your restaurant on Google, Facebook, and YouTube as well as restaurant specific sites like OpenTable and Yelp! There are also posts that provide tips on “four wall” marketing inside of your restaurant. All aspects of a restaurant marketing plan are included to help take your sales to the next level.
What makes Restaurant Marketing Plan different from other sites is that it is written from the point of view of a restaurant industry professional. Restaurants are not like other businesses. They have unique online challenges and opportunities. Restaurants also face unprecedented competition and corporate chains with massive marketing budgets. This site shows independent restaurant owners how to surpass those corporations for a fraction of the cost using the superior methods. Search engines and social media are truly the great equalizer for independent restaurants that know how to properly utilize them. This is where you can find that knowledge.
Restaurant Marketing Plan is just one part of a larger network of restaurant industry blogs know as The Hospitality Formula Network. This network also includes The Manager’s Office, Tips Squared, and Foodie Knowledge. All of the sites on the network, including Restaurant Marketing Plan, are written by David Hayden. Mr. Hayden is a restaurant industry consultant, blogger, and the author of Tips2: Tips For Improving Your Tips. In marketing his restaurant server training manual and numerous blogs, he became fascinated with search engine optimization, functional website design, and best practices for social networks. Dozens of businesses can attest to the benefits of his services and the value he provides. Now he is making this knowledge available to restaurant owners and managers trying to find ways to improve their restaurant marketing plans.
Most Recent Posts From Restaurant Marketing Plan

Timeline Features For Facebook Restaurant Marketing
On March 31st, many restaurant owners and managers were surprised to see their restaurant’s Facebook fan page had changed. Several of the features that previously existed to engage their fans had simply disappeared overnight. Facebook had announced this change over a month in advance, but the news failed to reach most owners in time. As […]

Why Google Places is the Great Restaurant Marketing Equalizer
The goal of your restaurant marketing plan should be to reach your potential guests where they go to make their restaurant decisions. Companies like Groupon, OpenTable, and others market themselves as the place where you can reach your guests at this critical decision point. While these sites have their place, no site can compare to […]
- Why Google Places is the Great Restaurant Marketing Equalizer April 8, 2012
- Timeline Features For Facebook Restaurant Marketing April 9, 2012
- How Restaurants Can Save Money On OpenTable April 9, 2012
- Using QR Codes for Restaurant Marketing April 9, 2012
- Four Questions To Ask About Your Restaurant Website Design April 19, 2012
- Why Restaurant Reputation Management Should Be Part Of Your Marketing Plan February 11, 2013
- Why Your Facebook Fans Do Not See Your Updates November 8, 2012
- Your Restaurant Facebook Account Is In Jeopardy August 8, 2012
- Google+ Local For Restaurants: Free Report of the Month July 12, 2012
- How To Rank First In Google + Local For Restaurants June 22, 2012
- Google For Restaurants: An Introduction | Restaurant Marketing Plan: [...] 2) Google Places [...]...
- Four Questions To Ask About Your Restaurant Website Design | Restaurant Marketing Plan: [...] any kind of publicity, this should be added ...
- Using QR Codes to Promote Your Restaurant | Restaurant Marketing Plan: [...] you of the expense of the technology they us...
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About The Author
David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He took his first serving job in 1996. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper. Through his many blogs and his book Tips²: Tips For Improving Your Tips, David has become an expert at online marketing for the restaurant industry. He has a passion for helping independent restaurants succeed through online marketing.