Gastronomic marketing, great food, great design, and décor = success. In this post, I want to share one of the latest spots where I’ve had the pleasure of sitting down for a meal—a small but cozy Mexican take-away restaurant that left a lasting impression, not only for its delicious food but also for its graphic design and interior décor. Señor Burrito.
We’re launching a new section! Here, we’ll showcase real-life examples of best practices in restaurant marketing. To keep things engaging, we’ll also talk about the food and atmosphere of the places we visit. Expect a first-hand, fun, and entertaining experience that’s a little different—we’re sure you’ll enjoy it. In each post, we’ll discuss strategies restaurants can use to attract more customers, sharing practical examples that can be applied in the hospitality industry.
Whenever I try a new place, I can’t help but notice whether they’re doing a good job with their restaurant marketing. I pay attention to the menu design, business cards, décor, and of course, the food itself. I can honestly say I was impressed by the food, the graphic design elements, and the charming décor that filled this small space.
Gastronomic marketing, burritos, and great design
Choosing where to eat
Before deciding where to have lunch, we wandered through the narrow streets near Barcelona’s port. Señor Burrito caught our eye. The restaurant features a neon sign with a stylishly designed logo. The décor and color palette inside this little take-away spot completely won us over. First lesson: a good sign is an essential piece of advertising for any restaurant.
The place was small and welcoming, with friendly staff who took great care of us.
Nachos and tacos, please!
To start, we ordered nachos to share, generously topped as you can see in the photo. The guacamole was outstanding—its texture made it clear this was homemade, hand-prepared guacamole. Paired with beans, melted cheese, and spicy jalapeños, the plate was gone in record time. In the kitchen, the best sign of success is when guests clear their plates in just a few minutes. If we translate this to digital marketing, it’s like the time users spend on your website—but in this case, the less time it takes to finish, the better!
For the tacos, we tried one of each meat: chicken, pork, and beef. Each one was delicious—I think I spent more time taking photos than actually eating them. Absolutely delicious.
As you’d expect, here are a couple of photos to whet your appetite.
While enjoying one of my greatest passions—food—my other passion, graphic design, also came into play. I couldn’t help but notice the parchment paper, stamped with their beautiful logo as a repeating motif.
The take-away menu, business card, and décor
I especially liked the menu for its unusually vertical format.
The logo is simply gorgeous. It’s a hand-lettered design inside a circle, reminiscent of a tortilla. While I can’t say for sure that was the intention, it’s very likely.
The business card is eye-catching, featuring the logo and the restaurant’s slogan, “Fresh MEX,” with a well-chosen color scheme. If I could change one thing, it would be to use a heavier cardstock, though that would obviously raise the cost per card.
In the center of the restaurant, there was a painting—a mural with classic Mexican motifs like skulls and vibrant colors. Honestly, it was one of the first things that caught my eye even before stepping inside. Décor and these kinds of details often make all the difference in attracting customers, so it’s important to pay attention to them when crafting effective restaurant marketing.
What strategies could improve the marketing for this take-away restaurant?
Build a website
Their Instagram account is up to date and they’re on Google Maps.
However, having a website is essential, and this is one area that would be well worth improving. A simple one-page website would be more than enough—the investment is minimal and the boost to brand image is significant. It’s a key element in any digital marketing strategy for restaurants.
The website could include a brief description of their offerings, opening hours, the menu, and online ordering through one of the many platforms available today. They could also add a small photo gallery to showcase their food and photos of the venue and lifestyle it represents.
Influencer marketing
Leveraging digital marketing as part of their restaurant marketing strategy could also greatly strengthen the brand. By reaching out to local influencers and inviting them to visit the restaurant, and offering a special promotion in exchange for exposure to their thousands of followers, they could significantly increase their customer base. As we discussed in our post on digital marketing trends for 2018, influencers are one of the most effective advertising channels today, so they should be part of any digital marketing strategy for restaurants. Along these lines, you might also find this post from Gananci useful, where you’ll find the 5 keys to an effective restaurant marketing strategy.
Boost engagement on Instagram: special promotions and contests
Another area to work on is increasing engagement with their social media audience, especially on Instagram. Running special promotions for followers, launching contests, and more. Something as simple as inviting customers to take a photo of the restaurant or their meal and share it on Instagram, with a free meal each month for the contest winner, could generate huge buzz at minimal cost.
We invite you to visit!
After everything we’ve shared, all that’s left is to invite you to visit and try their delicious tacos, burritos, and nachos!
