Growing a Fast-Casual Restaurant Through Strategic Marketing

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

A fast-casual restaurant came to me after struggling to find a marketing partner who could capture their brand voice and drive results. Over the next four years, I worked closely with the CEO to create a digital marketing strategy that reflected their personality, strengthened community engagement, and fueled rapid growth. Within two and a half years, the brand scaled to $3 million in annual sales — setting the foundation for expansion into two additional locations.

the challenge

• Previous agencies failed to capture the brand’s authentic voice and personality

• Social media lacked cohesion, consistency, and measurable impact

• Email marketing underperformed, leaving significant revenue potential untapped

• Needed to generate buzz and awareness to support the opening of two new locations

my approach

We built an integrated digital marketing ecosystem rooted in storytelling, strategy, and consistency:

Social Media Strategy:
Created a content plan that highlighted craveable visuals, team culture, and local partnerships — building an engaged community that felt connected to the brand.

Email Marketing:
Developed a rhythm of high-performing campaigns that regularly generated over $30,000 per send, blending brand storytelling with clear promotional strategy.

Photoshoots & Creative Direction:
Planned and executed quarterly shoots to capture fresh imagery aligned with seasonal menus, campaigns, and community events.

Influencer Marketing:
Partnered with local influencers to build buzz for new location launches and drive foot traffic — creating authentic user-generated content that extended reach organically.

the results

• Annual Sales: Scaled to $3M within 2.5 years (before opening the new locations)

• Business Growth: Supported expansion from 1 to 3 locations

• Email Marketing Revenue: Averaged $30,000+ per email

• Instagram Growth: +158% increase in followers

  • Accounts Reached: +356% increase

  • Content Interactions: +105% increase

  • Impressions (Views): +222% increase