Digital Marketing for Restaurants in Australia: How to Fill Tables and Grow Direct Orders (2026)
A restaurant in Australia competes in three places at once: on Google Maps, where people decide where to eat based on photos, reviews and distance; on Instagram and TikTok, where they discover new venues; and on delivery apps, where they compare on price and speed while the platform keeps a commission on every order. Good hospitality marketing works all three with one clear aim: more bookings and direct orders, with less dependence on intermediaries.
This guide explains what works in digital marketing for restaurants, cafés, bars and hospitality groups in Australia: how to optimise Google Business Profile, how to use Instagram and TikTok, when paid advertising pays off, how to grow direct ordering, how to manage reviews, how to handle alcohol advertising rules, how much to invest and what to measure. We write it from Old Fox, a performance marketing agency founded in 2012 and a Google Premier Partner.
In short: for a restaurant in Australia, the three highest-return levers are: (1) a flawless Google Business Profile with current photos, menu, real hours, a booking link and a steady flow of reviews, (2) Instagram and TikTok content that shows the food, the room and the people, supported by local paid ads, and (3) owned booking and ordering channels (website, phone, link in bio) to reduce marketplace commissions. An independent venue can start with AUD 400–1,000 per month in local advertising; a group can invest more depending on the number of venues.
Last updated: November 2026.
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How Diners Choose Where to Eat
The typical diner journey in Australia:
- Searches on Google Maps or Google ("Italian restaurant Fitzroy," "brunch near me," "sushi delivery Newtown," "restaurant for a birthday group").
- Compares rating, number of reviews, photos of dishes and the room, price range, distance and whether it is open.
- Checks Instagram to see dishes, atmosphere and activity.
- Books or orders: through a booking link, by phone, through a delivery app or directly on the website.
If your Google profile has old photos, wrong hours or few recent reviews, you lose the diner at step two, however good your food is.
Google Business Profile: A Restaurant's Most Important Asset
For most restaurants, the Google profile generates more visits than the website and than any ad.
- A precise primary category ("Italian restaurant," "sushi restaurant," "café") and relevant secondary categories.
- Real opening hours, including public holidays, and special hours for dates such as Christmas, New Year or long weekends.
- Current, professional photos of dishes, dining room, courtyard, bar and team, renewed monthly.
- A loaded menu with up-to-date prices or a link to the online menu.
- Booking and ordering links pointing to your own channels.
- Attributes: gluten-free options, vegan options, outdoor seating, dog-friendly, wheelchair accessibility, parking, Wi-Fi.
- Posts with news, special menus and events.
- Questions and answers with the most common doubts.
Reviews: How to Win More and How to Reply
Reviews are the number one deciding factor in hospitality and also weigh in local ranking.
How to get more:
- A QR code on the table or the bill that leads straight to the review page.
- A thank-you message after a booking or order with the link.
- Ask at the moment of highest satisfaction, not while rushing to close the register.
How to reply:
- Thank positive reviewers, mentioning something specific ("Glad you enjoyed the lamb shoulder!").
- Respond to negative reviews calmly, without arguing, acknowledging the problem and offering a fix.
- Reply quickly: a negative review left unanswered for weeks does the most damage.
Never buy reviews or offer discounts in exchange for positive ones: it breaches Google's policies and can result in reviews or the profile being removed.
Instagram and TikTok: Show the Food, the Room and the People
The hospitality content that works best in Australia:
- Short video of dishes being prepared: the grill, the pour, the melted cheese, the latte art.
- Real people: the chef, the waitstaff, the owner telling the story of the venue.
- Behind the scenes: produce arriving, daily prep, the team.
- News and special menus with clear dates and conditions.
- Content from customers and local food creators, reposted with permission.
- Practical information: how to book, opening hours, daily specials.
Local food creators can generate meaningful demand spikes. For it to work: choose creators with an audience in your city, agree what will be shown and measure with a code or a question when people book.
Paid Advertising for Restaurants
Meta Ads (Instagram and Facebook) with radius targeting. Video ads showing dishes and atmosphere aimed at people within a few kilometres, with a call to book or order. Ideal for launches, special menus and quiet trading periods.
Local Google Ads. Search campaigns for terms such as "[cuisine] restaurant [suburb]" or "delivery [food] [area]," and campaigns for store visits. Especially useful in areas with heavy competition or for new venues that do not yet have enough reviews to stand out organically.
TikTok Ads for concepts with a younger audience and highly visual content.
Remarketing to people who visited the website or engaged with the profile, to remind them to book.
Delivery: Marketplaces Versus Your Own Channel
Delivery marketplaces offer visibility and volume but charge significant commissions on each order and keep the customer relationship. A balanced strategy:
| Channel | Advantage | Drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery marketplaces | Visibility, volume, logistics solved | Commission per order, price competition, you do not own the customer data |
| Phone and message orders | No commission, direct relationship, enables repeat orders | Requires staff and either your own or third-party delivery |
| Own online menu and ordering | No commission, customer data, your own promotions | Requires your own traffic |
How to move customers to your own channel without losing sales:
- Use marketplaces as a discovery channel and offer benefits on your own channel (lower price, an exclusive combo, a loyalty programme).
- Include a card with a QR code to your own ordering page in each marketplace order, respecting each platform's terms.
- Build a customer list (with consent) for repeat-order offers.
- Run local advertising that points to your own channel, not to the marketplace.
Direct Bookings: Fewer Commissions, More Control
The same applies to bookings: booking platforms bring visibility, but direct bookings through your site, Google or phone avoid commissions and let you know the customer.
- Your own booking link in Google Business Profile, Instagram and the website.
- Automatic confirmations and reminders to reduce no-shows.
- Customer data (birthdays, preferences) for later communication, with consent.
What Is Specific About Hospitality in Australia
Alcohol advertising rules. Advertising alcohol is subject to codes and licensing rules: ads must not target minors, must not link drinking to success or unsafe behaviour and must comply with state-based licensing requirements and platform policies. Venues that serve alcohol should check the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code and their state regulator before running promotions.
Public holidays and trading hours. Hours vary around holidays, and public holiday surcharges are a common point of confusion. Update your profile and menu in advance, and state surcharges clearly to avoid negative reviews.
Payment methods and cost transparency. Card surcharges, group booking deposits and cancellation policies should be explained clearly at the time of booking.
Seasonality and key dates. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day in May, Father's Day in September, Melbourne Cup week, Christmas and end-of-year work parties, New Year's Eve, school holidays and, in some cities, major events such as Vivid in Sydney or the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Weather and daylight. Outdoor dining, gardens and rooftops respond to weather forecasts; promoting the venue's strengths on good-weather days and alternatives on rainy days can fill tables.
Tourism. In tourist areas, part of the demand comes from visitors who search Google Maps on arrival; the profile and reviews, including in other languages, weigh even more.
Dietary needs. Australian diners are used to specific dietary information: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, halal and allergy information are decisive details and should appear on the menu and website.
How Much to Invest in Digital Marketing for a Restaurant
| Type of business | Reference advertising investment | Reference management fee |
|---|---|---|
| Independent restaurant or café | AUD 400–1,000 | AUD 400–900 |
| Restaurant with its own delivery | AUD 800–2,000 | AUD 700–1,500 |
| Group of 3–10 venues | AUD 2,000–6,000 | AUD 1,200–3,000 |
| Large group or franchise | AUD 6,000+ | AUD 3,000+ |
Photo and video production is usually a separate and very worthwhile investment: dish photos are the first thing customers look at. Quotes may exclude GST.
Winning Group Bookings, Functions and Christmas Parties
Group bookings and functions are among the most profitable parts of hospitality and need their own marketing approach, especially in the run-up to the end-of-year party season:
- Dedicated function pages with capacity, sample menus, beverage packages, minimum spend, photos of the spaces and a simple enquiry form.
- Search campaigns for terms like "Christmas party venue [city]," "function room [suburb]" and "birthday dinner for 20," starting well before the peak (many companies book for December in September and October).
- Corporate outreach to local offices, event planners and associations, with a one-page offer and a named contact.
- Fast response: a function enquiry answered within hours has a much better chance than one answered the next week.
- Clear policies on deposits, cancellations, dietary requirements and surcharges to avoid disputes.
- A follow-up sequence for enquiries that did not book immediately, offering alternative dates or menus.
Track function enquiries separately from regular bookings, so you can see their real cost per booking and average value.
An Illustrative Monthly Budget for a Single Venue
This is an illustrative example (not a real client) of how an independent restaurant in a metro suburb might split a AUD 1,500 monthly advertising budget:
| Destination | Monthly amount | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ads, local radius, short video of dishes and the room | AUD 600 | Awareness and bookings from nearby diners |
| Google Ads, search for cuisine plus suburb and "near me" | AUD 500 | Capture people actively looking to book or order |
| Remarketing for website and profile visitors | AUD 150 | Recover people who looked at the menu but did not book |
| Quiet-night promotions and event pushes | AUD 250 | Fill specific slots and promote special menus |
Each month, compare bookings and direct orders with spend, check the "how did you hear about us?" answers and move money toward what fills tables at the lowest cost. In peak seasons such as the Christmas party period, shift more budget toward function enquiries and book-ahead searches.
Your Menu and Website as Marketing Assets
Many diners decide from the menu before anything else, so treat it as a marketing asset:
- Publish the menu as text on your website, not only as a PDF or image, so search engines and AI assistants can read it and so it is easy to use on a phone.
- Include prices, dietary tags and allergen information.
- Use dish descriptions that mention ingredients, provenance and style, which helps people searching for specific dishes.
- Keep the menu consistent across Google, your website, delivery apps and social profiles. Differences create complaints and negative reviews.
- Add a clear booking button at the top of every page, and a phone number that works with a tap on mobile.
- Show the room: photos of seating areas, private dining and outdoor spaces help diners picture the occasion.
- Answer common questions on the site: parking, accessibility, group sizes, children, pets, corkage and deposit policies.
A simple, fast website with these elements often outperforms a beautiful one that hides the menu or loads slowly.
What to Measure
- Direct bookings by channel (Google, Instagram, website, phone).
- Own orders versus marketplace orders, and commissions saved.
- Google Business Profile actions: calls, direction requests, website and booking clicks.
- New reviews per month and average rating.
- Average spend per cover and repeat visit rate of owned customers.
- Performance by day and time, especially in quiet periods.
Loyalty: Making Customers Come Back
In hospitality, repeat visit frequency often moves the numbers more than winning new customers. Simple tools that work:
- A consented SMS or email list for special menus, events and quiet-day offers. Few messages, relevant ones, always with an opt-out.
- A simple loyalty programme: a free coffee after ten, a dessert on a birthday, a discount on direct orders.
- Communication around key dates: Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, the venue's anniversary.
- Remarketing on Meta to people who engaged with the profile or visited the site in recent months.
- Short post-visit surveys to catch problems before they become negative reviews.
Marketing for Multi-Venue Groups
When there are several venues, specific challenges appear:
One Google profile per venue, with its own photos, hours and reviews. Reviews do not transfer between locations, and each venue competes in its own area.
Brand consistency with local flexibility. Tone and visual identity should be the same, but promotions and content can adapt to each area (offices in the CBD, families in residential suburbs, visitors in tourist precincts).
Budget by venue according to potential. Not every venue needs the same investment: allocate more advertising to those with spare capacity or heavy competition, and less to those already full.
Measurement by venue. Bookings, orders and Google actions by site, to see which venue needs attention.
Centralised review management with a common response protocol and alerts for negative reviews.
A 90-Day Plan for a Restaurant
Month 1: Google first. Complete Google Business Profile, new professional photos, updated menu, your own booking and ordering links, review-request system running.
Month 2: content and local advertising. Instagram and TikTok content calendar with short video, first radius-targeted Meta Ads campaigns for bookings or direct orders, ad scheduling around peak times.
Month 3: own channel and loyalty. Customer list, benefits for direct orders, analysis of results by channel and day-part, and budget adjusted toward whatever generates the most bookings and direct orders.
Common Restaurant Marketing Mistakes
1. Old or poor-quality photos. They are the first thing compared.
2. Out-of-date hours. Few things generate worse reviews than arriving to find the doors closed.
3. Not replying to reviews. Especially the negative ones.
4. Depending entirely on delivery marketplaces. Commissions erode margin and the customer is not yours.
5. Posting without a strategy. Content with no consistency or focus on what makes the venue different.
6. Advertising without geographic targeting. Showing ads to people who will never visit wastes budget.
7. Ignoring dietary information. Missing allergens and dietary options costs bookings and creates risk.
How Old Fox Works With Hospitality
Old Fox is a performance marketing agency founded in 2012 and a Google Premier Partner, with 130+ active accounts. With restaurants and hospitality groups we work on the channels that fill tables: Google Business Profile and reviews, content and local advertising on Instagram, TikTok and Google, and strategies to move customers toward owned booking and ordering. We measure bookings, orders and commissions saved, not only followers. We support Australian venues remotely and agree meeting times that suit your hours.
Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurant Marketing in Australia
What is the most important digital marketing action for a restaurant? Having a complete and up-to-date Google Business Profile, with recent photos, menu, real hours, a booking link and a steady flow of answered reviews. It is where most diners decide.
How much should a restaurant invest in digital advertising? An independent restaurant can start with AUD 400–1,000 per month in local radius-targeted advertising; with its own delivery, AUD 800–2,000; and groups according to the number of venues.
Should I be on delivery marketplaces? Yes, as a channel for visibility and volume, but build your own ordering channel in parallel with benefits for customers, to reduce commissions and keep the relationship.
How do I get more Google reviews? With a QR code on the table or bill that goes directly to the review, a thank-you message with the link after bookings or orders and asking at moments of high satisfaction. Never offer incentives for positive reviews.
Instagram or TikTok for a restaurant? Instagram remains central for showing dishes, atmosphere and news and for taking bookings. TikTok works very well for concepts with a young audience and highly visual content. Many venues use the same short video on both.
Do Google Ads work for restaurants? They help most in areas with heavy competition, for new venues and for delivery, with campaigns by cuisine and area. For many restaurants, the Google profile and reviews should be worked on first.
Is it worth working with food influencers? It can create significant demand spikes if the creator has a real audience in your city. Agree deliverables in writing and measure with a code or a question at booking.
How do I fill the restaurant at quiet times? With promotions specific to those times, advertised locally during those periods, lunch menus for nearby offices and benefits for repeat customers by SMS or email.
Can I advertise alcohol on social media? Yes within rules: platform policies, the industry advertising code and your state licensing requirements all apply, including age-restricted targeting and content limits. Check them before running promotions.
Fill Tables With Channels You Own
The hospitality businesses that grow most combine an impeccable Google profile, content that makes people hungry, well-targeted local advertising and their own booking and ordering channels. If you want to know how much you are losing in commissions and what to improve first, request a free diagnosis.
Keep reading: digital marketing for small business in Australia and social media agencies in Australia.