Restaurant opening marketing checklist: 90 days to opening night

A restaurant gets one opening. The places that start full usually started marketing months before the doors opened. Here is a simple timeline to follow.

90 days out: foundations

• Finalise the name, logo and visual identity.
• Secure social handles and the domain.
• Create your Google Business Profile early, as verification can take time.
• Plan the photography: food, interiors and people.
• Brief the website: menu, gallery, location and reservations.

60 days out: build curiosity

• Start teaser content: the space taking shape, the team, the first dishes.
• Open a waitlist or “first to know” sign-up.
• Prepare a press kit and a list of food writers and local creators.
• Design and print menus, cards and signage.

30 days out: get ready to be found

• Shoot the final menu and interiors.
• Take the website live with online reservations.
• Complete your Google profile and dining app listings: hours, menu, photos.
• Send soft-launch invites to neighbours, friends and a few local creators.
• Brief your team on the brand voice and how to ask for reviews.

Your first 50 reviews shape the next 5,000 guests.

Opening week

• Run a soft launch before the official opening to fix the rough edges.
• Ask happy guests for Google reviews, and reply to every review within a day.
• Post daily: dishes, people, the room at night.
• Track where reservations come from: website, Google, social or walk-ins.

The first 90 days after opening

Keep a steady content rhythm, plan small events that give people a reason to come back, and start collecting guest details for a simple loyalty or CRM programme. New places get a burst of attention in the first month; a clear brand keeps it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Launching social media without real photography.
• A website without a menu or a working booking link.
• Ignoring early reviews, good or bad.

Opening a restaurant, bar or hotel? See our hospitality marketing service and the Forest Table case study.