5 Steps to Improve the Visibility of Your Restaurant—Today

Sep 17

3 min read

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In the restaurant world, visibility means everything. You might serve excellent food, but if people don’t know you exist—or they don’t remember you—you’re missing out on business every single day. The good news? Visibility isn’t just about spending more on ads. It's about making smarter decisions, starting today.

Here are five clear and effective steps you can take right now to improve your visibility.

Are you reaching all your potential clients? Do they know how good you are?

1. Identify Your Weak Points—and Tackle Them

Before chasing more visibility, take 30 minutes to audit your current situation:

Are you hard to find on Google Maps?
Do your reviews mention slow service or unclear menus?
Is your social media outdated, or off-brand?
Do your photos reflect your real atmosphere and food quality?

You can’t fix what you don’t see. Ask a friend to go through the customer journey: Google your restaurant, check your website, your Instagram, your reviews. Then act on what they find confusing, weak, or invisible.

Why it matters: Strategic visibility starts with clarity. Fixing blind spots is often more effective than chasing trends.

2. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Once you know where you're falling short, start with Google. It’s the first place people look when deciding where to eat.

Add updated, high-quality photos.
Check your opening hours and menu links.
Respond to reviews—especially the most recent ones.
Use the “What’s New” section to share a current offer or event.

Why it matters: A complete and active Google profile improves your local ranking and builds instant trust.

3. Make It Easy to Book a Table

You’d be surprised how many restaurants still make it hard to reserve. A confusing website, broken links, missing phone numbers, or outdated booking widgets can turn a hungry guest into someone else's customer.

Test your booking flow on desktop and mobile.
Add a clear “Reserve Now” button to your homepage and Instagram bio.
Include direct booking links in QR menus, newsletters, or ads.
Make sure your confirmation email or SMS is informative and on-brand.

Why it matters: Visibility means nothing if people can’t act on it. Every extra click = potential lost booking.

4. Build a Local Collaboration—Now

Visibility doesn’t have to come from influencers or paid media. Your neighbours can be your biggest promoters.

Reach out to a nearby wine bar, gallery, hotel, or local guide.
Suggest a co-promotion, tasting event, or menu pairing.
Share each other’s content or mention them in stories.

Why it matters: Shared audiences build trust—and foot traffic—faster than starting from scratch.

5. Update the First Impression People See Online

Your homepage and Instagram grid are today’s equivalent of a front window. What do they say about you?

Visit your website on mobile—does it load fast?
Is the reservation button easy to find?
Archive outdated posts on Instagram and highlight the best content.
Add one new high-quality image that shows your atmosphere, food, or team.

Why it matters: People judge within seconds. Make your digital first impression count.

Improving visibility doesn’t mean reinventing your restaurant. It means improving what already exists—with intention and clarity.

At We Are Food, we help restaurants move from being just good to being visible, consistent, and impossible to ignore. Get in touch with us for a non-binding call on how to improve your visibility and generate revenue!