In short: Choosing a restaurant marketing agency is a lot like hiring a head chef: in the interview everyone can do everything, and the difference shows in month three. Six questions before you sign: whether they work only with hospitality, what you will see each month (people who came and cost per diner, not impressions), whether ad spend is included, how many clients they have, whether you can start with a single service, and how long you are tied in. We work only with restaurants, restaurant groups and food brands; the report is monthly and jargon-free; ad spend is separate; we keep few clients at a time; you can start with Google Ads, local SEO or photography from €295 + VAT a month, and the contract is six months with an exit at month three. Signs to run a mile: guaranteed first place on Google, reports about impressions, a year’s commitment with no exit, and nobody asking which days you want to fill.
Hiring a restaurant marketing agency is a lot like hiring a head chef: at the interview everyone can do everything, and they're passionate about it too. The difference shows in month three. Since we're one of those agencies, this doesn't pretend to be neutral: it's the list of questions we'd like to be asked, along with our answers.
Six questions before you sign
1. Do you work with restaurants, or with everyone?
An agency that handles a dental clinic, an estate agent and your restaurant doesn't know what a double sitting is or why a rainy Tuesday is a tragedy. We work only with hospitality: restaurants, restaurant groups and food and drink brands.
2. What will I see every month?
If the answer is ‘impressions’ and ‘followers’, start reaching for your coat. What a report has to tell you is how many people came and how much it cost to bring each one in. Ours is monthly, jargon-free, and says what each diner who walked through the door cost.
3. Is the ad spend included?
Ask, because it halves or doubles the price and otherwise the nasty surprises come later. In our case it's separate: our management is one thing and what gets paid to Google or Meta is another, and we set that with you depending on the restaurant and the goal.
4. How many clients do you handle?
There's no right number, but there is a consequence: with lots of clients, your restaurant gets looked at once a month, in a hurry. We take on few at a time so we can follow each restaurant's service calendar and fix whatever isn't working that same week.
5. Can I start with just one thing?
You should be able to. With us you can start with a single service, such as Google ads or photography, and add the rest once you see it working. Nobody gets married on the first date.
6. How long am I tied in, and how do I get out?
The hardest question to ask and the one that matters most. It has its own section, just below.
| Question | The answer you want | What we answer at BL Gastro |
|---|---|---|
| Do you work with restaurants or with everyone? | Hospitality only | Only restaurants, restaurant groups and food brands |
| What will I see each month? | People who came and cost per diner | A monthly, jargon-free report with the cost of each diner who walked in |
| Is ad spend included? | A clear answer | It’s separate; we set it with you based on the restaurant and the goal |
| How many clients do you have? | Few, so yours gets looked at every week | Few at a time; we correct things the same week |
| Can I start with just one thing? | Yes | Google Ads, local SEO or photography, from €295 + VAT a month |
| How long am I tied in and how do I leave? | A reasonable term with an exit | Six months, with an exit at month three if it isn’t working |
Why we work on six-month contracts
A restaurant's communication gets corrected week by week; it isn't wrapped up in a single campaign. A month isn't enough to know anything: the first weeks are for gathering data, and between February and May who comes, at what time and for what all change. That's why the contract is for six months, with an exit at month three if it isn't working. Six so there's time for it to work; the exit so you're not trapped if it doesn't.
Month by month: the first is for setting up and measuring (the service calendar, the Google Business Profile, the campaigns and a way of knowing what comes in through each channel), and it isn't judged. From the second to the third we adjust every week based on what the numbers say, and that's usually when the first results appear. At month three everything is reviewed with you: if it isn't working, you leave; if it is, the remaining three are for consolidating it and no longer depending on the weekend.
What an agency should be able to show you
A case with figures, even if they can't tell you the name. This is one of ours, a neighbourhood restaurant whose ads and social media we handle: over six months, between €0.50 and €1.75 per diner through the door, with no spikes and no dips. Deadly boring, which is exactly how it should be. If, before talking to any agency, you want to know which channels exist and which one goes first, we cover it in our guide to restaurant marketing.
Signs to run a mile
- They guarantee you first place on Google. Nobody can guarantee that.
- The report talks about impressions and not about tables.
- A twelve-month tie-in with no way out.
- Nobody asks you which days you want to fill.
How much a marketing agency costs for a restaurant
In our case, from €295 + VAT a month, for Google Ads or local SEO. From there, there are more services, combined according to what each restaurant needs, and the exact quote is settled on the first call, with no obligation. The ad spend, as we said, is separate.
Frequently asked questions
Before signing with an agency
What is the minimum contract length?
Six months, with a possible exit at month three if it isn't working.
Do you work with single restaurants or only with groups?
Both: single-site restaurants that want to start with one service, and restaurant groups and food and drink brands that combine several.
Do you take the photos and videos yourselves?
Yes. We do them ourselves, at the restaurant and during real service.
Do you work outside Barcelona?
Yes. We work in Barcelona and Catalonia, and also in Madrid, Valencia, Málaga and the rest of Spain.