Questions
Restaurant marketing questions, answered straight.
The questions Denver owners actually search for, plus the ones they ask us on a call. No sales pitch. If you don't see yours, ask us directly.
How much should a restaurant spend on marketing?
Three to six percent of gross revenue for an established restaurant, and 6 to 10 percent in year one or a growth push. The dollar math and the split by channel are in our 2026 restaurant marketing budget guide.
How do I get my restaurant on Google Maps?
Claim or create a Google Business Profile at google.com/business, then verify it. Google decides which verification methods a business is offered, usually some mix of video, phone, email, or a mailed code. Add real hours, a menu link, and photos before you verify, since a thin profile ranks poorly. Once it is verified the profile can appear on Maps, and where it ranks comes down to relevance, distance, and prominence.
Why is my restaurant not showing up on Google Maps?
Four usual causes: the profile is unverified, the category is wrong, your address or hours conflict with what other sites list, or a duplicate listing is splitting your signals. Check for duplicates first. Two listings for one restaurant will keep both of them buried. We fix this.
How do I get more Google reviews for my restaurant?
Ask at the table, then make it one tap. Google gives every profile a short review link you can turn into a QR code for receipts, table tents, and the door. Never offer a discount in exchange for a review. Google removes incentivized reviews and can suspend the profile.
Can I delete a bad Google review?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, which cover spam, off-topic rants, conflicts of interest, and personal attacks. Flag it inside your profile and expect a slow decision. For a genuine complaint, a calm public reply that names the fix does more for the next reader than removal would.
How often should a restaurant post on Instagram?
Three to four feed posts a week, plus stories on the days you are busiest. Consistency matters more than volume. A restaurant that posts three good photos every week for a year builds more reach than one that posts daily for a month and then goes quiet.
Do restaurants still need a website?
Yes, for two reasons. Google reads your website to confirm the details on your Maps listing, and a direct ordering link on your own domain saves the commission that delivery platforms take on every order. Both of those show up in revenue inside a quarter. More here.
What makes a good restaurant website?
Its main content loads fast on a phone. Google's Core Web Vitals put the good mark for Largest Contentful Paint at 2.5 seconds, and that is the bar to aim for. The menu is text rather than a PDF. Address and hours sit above the fold. Ordering or reserving is one tap. Most guests reach your site standing on a sidewalk, deciding where to eat.
How do I promote a new restaurant?
Start ninety days before you open. Claim the Google Business Profile, get the site live with real photos, and build a neighborhood and local press list. Opening week is the most free attention you will ever get, so have the listings, menu, and photos ready to catch it.
How do I write menu descriptions that sell?
Lead with the thing a guest can picture. Name the ingredient or technique that makes the dish yours, keep it under twenty words, and cut any adjective that would sit just as easily on a competitor's menu. Words like fresh and delicious carry no information. We write these.
Is a restaurant marketing agency worth it for one location?
It depends on whether someone will actually do the work every week. One location can absolutely run its own marketing. What owners underestimate is the hours it takes each month, and the stretches where it silently stops during a rush. The honest comparison.
How do restaurants get recommended by ChatGPT?
AI assistants read the same sources local search does: your Google Business Profile, your website, review sites, and local press. Keep hours, menu, and address identical everywhere, and make sure your site says in plain text what you serve and where you are. More on AI search.
What is AEO for restaurants?
AEO is Answer Engine Optimization: the work of getting your restaurant named when a guest asks ChatGPT, Gemini, or Google AI Overviews where to eat. It runs on the same signals as local SEO, a verified listing, a text menu, recent reviews, read by a different system. See restaurant AEO.
Is my restaurant showing up in ChatGPT?
Open ChatGPT and ask what it knows about your restaurant, whether it is good for a birthday dinner, and what is on the menu. If the answers are wrong, thin, or leave you out, that gap is the work. The restaurant AEO page has the full prompt set to run.
Do I need AEO if my local SEO is already good?
If your local SEO is genuinely strong, most of the AEO work is already done. The verified profile, the crawlable menu, and the review flow that rank you also feed the AI answers. AEO adds structured data and third-party consistency on top. More on restaurant AEO.
Working with us
What does Detrás Co. do?
We handle photography, graphic design, local SEO, review management, and guest retention marketing for independent restaurants and bars. Everything runs through one team instead of five separate vendors. See the full breakdown on our services page.
What areas do you serve?
The Denver metro area. That's our full focus right now.
How much does it cost?
It depends on what your restaurant actually needs. We scope pricing after an audit call. There's no generic package price posted here.
Will you work with a struggling restaurant?
No. We only partner with healthy, established concepts that already nail food and service but lack marketing bandwidth. We don't take on sinking ships.
What's the first step?
Book a strategy call. We audit your current photos, listings, and site before we talk, so the conversation covers your actual gaps, not a generic pitch.
Still have a question?
Skip the guessing. Book a strategy call and ask us directly.
Book a Strategy Call