Using video to promote your restaurant or café is a brilliant idea. It could be the key ingredient in marketing your venue to the biggest and best audience.

A recent Google report stressed that potential customers like to “know before they go”, meaning they do their research before visiting a restaurant or café to get a visual taster of what’s to come. They don’t want to waste their hard-earned cash or their time.

Video plays a big part in that research. Videos help your current and potential customers to see what’s on offer. Not only that, but video can help the SEO of your website, meaning you could be found even easier than before. Hello, new customers!

So, shouldn’t you be using video to promote your restaurant, café, deli or even your gelato kitchen? Here’s a look at the sort of films that could be produced for your food-based business:

Promo Video

A promotional video of your restaurant or café is an opportunity to make more of an emotional connection with potential customers. A well-made video will not only show the great food you serve but also give an idea of the ambience, as well as highlighting what makes your restaurant or café special. A video will entice people to visit.

Your video should be about the things that set you apart, the things that make your restaurant or café a unique destination. Is it the enormous range of flavours you offer? Do you serve unusual takes on popular dishes? Present the food in a different style? Are the portions enormous? Is there a great view? Is the décor particularly unusual or quirky?

People watching a video of your establishment can quickly tell if it is the sort of venue for a quick bite to eat with a young family, a spot for a romantic dinner, or a high-powered business lunch.

“At Hooray’s we all loved the video produced by Definition media.  The catchy tune and awesome video clips portray a happy place, smiling faces with fun flavours and foods, which is exactly what Hooray’s is all about. Initially launched on Facebook, our video reached over 4.4k with lots of positive comments and a great response from our customers. We have the video on our the home page of our website, giving new web visitors an idea of the Hooray’s experience. We’ve used clips on social media posts, and have looped it at a local business event.  It caught the attention of buyers and provided a wonderful glimpse into the Hooray’s brand, giving prospective clients a true taste of what’s in store.”  Sara Young, Hooray’s. 

Food porn videos

Who remembers – who can forget? – the M&S “not just food” advert in 2005, with Dervla Kirwan’s sultry voice proclaiming, “this is not just a pudding… this is a melt in the middle Belgian chocolate pudding”?

It was the start of “food porn”, spawning thousands of spoof ads. But it worked, supposedly increasing sales of M&S chocolate pudding by 3,500%!

You don’t have to go all M&S! But why not create some short, teaser videos showing dishes from your menu looking absolutely amazing? You could tell a story about each dish… “with a secret recipe handed down from my Italian grandmother…” or “made with the finest strawberries from the local Castle Estate”. Use a voice-over with the footage of the food or have the chef or one of the team describing it.

Nothing sparks the anticipation of a diner more than a tempting, lingering look at that standout dish – a plate of food that simply could not be captured in a single frame. On a video, viewers can almost smell the food. A video can lure a diner through the door when they’re not even stood on the street.

‘Meet the team’ videos

The members of your team are a major connection point with your customers, and they can make a restaurant, bar or café stand out. A series of ‘meet the team’ videos can be effective in presenting the personal side of the business.

The owners and the head chef are key figures of course, but think too about all staff members, the roles they play and anything else that makes them – and your food business – stand out from the crowded marketplace.

Nothing is too wacky when it comes to ‘meet the team’ films: tell the story behind the uniform, use funny outtakes, and let family tales flow – incredible food and drink is only part of what makes your business great.

Culinary tips on video

Why not create a series of short videos with your chefs, demonstrating some quick cooking tips or techniques they have mastered? You could share the recipe for a popular sauce or a vital element to a dish, such as the salad dressing – you don’t need to give away secret recipes!

If you have bar staff, don’t forget them. They could show viewers how to make the perfect mojito or Bloody Mary.

These types of video give viewers a look behind the scenes and show your team’s expertise, as well as their personalities.

Useful Links

You might be able to shoot some of these videos yourself, or we could help you. See our blog post on DIY filming versus using a video production company.

To find out more about how we can help you to create engaging videos to promote your restaurant, café, deli or coffee shop, telephone 01789 416990 or email [email protected].