8 Ways to Boost Your Restaurant Reputation Management

The food and beverage sector can be extremely competitive. One poor review can have a knock-on effect that can see your diner numbers fall. With sales in the F&B sector expected to top $1 trillion for the first time in 2024 and the industry employing more than 15 million people (the second-largest private sector employer), reputation can be everything.

It’s never been easier to review a restaurant. Sadly, that ease has led to many fake reviews, both by restaurants seeking to boost their profile and malicious reviews. How do you handle restaurant reputation management in 2024? What steps can you take to address any criticisms that arise?

What is Restaurant Reputation Management?

Reputation Management, often called Online Reputation Management (ORM), combines strategies to influence the narrative around your business online. ORM can be proactive or reactive, depending on your business's needs and when you begin implementing it.

SEO (search engine optimization) tactics will usually play a significant role in your ORM strategy. SEO will be combined with various marketing tactics to help you achieve—and maintain—a strong and positive online presence. 

Your first aim is to establish a business presence online. Still, you are also seeking a framework that can react to any negativity, be it reviews, news stories, or anything that can adversely affect your business. It should be noted that although you will use SEO, ORM will also target any specific keywords that apply to your business. 

Good restaurant reputation management will include the following:

• Manage any online assets such as a website, profiles on social media platforms, local digital business directories, Google My Business listings, and anywhere else online where your restaurant is listed.

• Responding to any reviews posted, both acknowledging positive reviews and replying to any criticism politely. 

• Dealing with any extraordinary events that may affect your business. 

8 Strategies to Boost Your Restaurant Reputation Management

Consistently provide excellent food and service

Perhaps the most obvious tactic for a restaurant seeking a good reputation is to aim for a high standard and then seek to maintain that standard over time. As the Michelin Star awards demonstrate, a good restaurant reputation is down to teamwork and overall customer satisfaction. 

There is little point in your kitchen delivering excellent food if the service is awful and the ambiance is subpar. The primary benefit of achieving good customer experiences is that those customers will become repeat patrons. The other main benefit is that people who have enjoyed their visit are more likely to recommend you to friends or family and to leave positive reviews. 

This can be essential if you operate your business in multiple locations. Ensuring that the same standards are reached in every location is crucial to success. As the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. 

Maintain an active and engaging social media presence

People want to hear from you regularly. An active social media presence is essential for your business’s reputation. It allows you to share news (such as a new chef starting) or to present special offers. Deals like a set lunch can be a great way of addressing quiet periods. 

You can regularly post relevant and engaging content on your social media accounts. For example, you might do a ‘behind the scenes’ video showing how chaotic and hardworking a busy kitchen can get. It’s also an excellent place to use UGC (user-generated content). This can range from great customer reviews to hashtagged images of a diner’s meal. 

Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews

Customer reviews can be a restaurant's lifeblood. When you consider that 94% of people will avoid a business if they read a negative review, you can see just how important reviews can be.

How do you encourage customers to leave reviews as part of your restaurant reputation management strategy? 

• Ensure the standard of food and service is high so people want to leave a review. Of course, the opposite also holds; if the food or service falls short of expectations, you may see negative reviews. 

• Ask, but ask politely. A simple ‘please take two minutes to review us’ as a customer leaves the restaurant can work wonders. 

• Incentivize. This is something that should be approached carefully and ethically. Avoid giving cash rewards, and be 100% transparent about your incentive policy. 

• Keep it simple. You don’t need War and Peace, but equally, you don’t want only a star rating. You could post examples of previous reviews or even offer a step-by-step guide. 

• Say thanks. Responding to reviews is not just about negative ones. A simple ‘thank you’ or short acknowledgment is polite and may persuade others to leave customer feedback if they see that you value your customers. 

Respond promptly and professionally to negative reviews

Mistakes happen, especially when your restaurant is busy and has multiple covers. While you may encounter the occasional overly harsh review, you should view negative feedback as being (hopefully) constructive criticism. 

When you receive a bad review, start by apologizing. You can then discuss the details of the criticism and explain how you address the issue. People appreciate honesty, being listened to, and knowing that you will take action to rectify the problem.

Actively participate in the local community

You want your restaurant to have a long life. One aspect is being part of your community and being recognized as an active member. Look for local business associations or community groups, join, and actively participate. Participation can be a two-way street; awareness of your brand spreads, and you may see increased custom. 

Offer to host any events for community groups, such as lunch meetings or fundraising events. You could also consider helping with any charities. For example, you could donate food to groups that need it rather than throwing it away. Another thing to consider is what you provide around religious holidays such as Ramadan. Knowing the demographic makeup of your community can help you tailor to their needs. 

Showcase your unique selling points

One thing to consider about your business is what is sales effectiveness and its place in your business model. A big part of that effectiveness will come from your USP (unique selling points). Your USP might be around the cuisine you offer, and it could be the only restaurant serving that cuisine in the area. 

You may have other USPs, such as offering elderly people a significant discount or having a set business lunch menu if you’re in an area with many offices. You do not need to be restricted to one USP; the more, the merrier. Having several USPs can help spread awareness of your restaurant across several demographic segments. 

Implement loyalty programs to reward repeat customers

No matter what type of business you run, a loyalty program can efficiently encourage repeat customers and show that you value those people’s customs. More than 90% of companies have some form of loyalty program, and it also helps engender trust. 

Your loyalty program can offer discounts or access to special events (such as a new tasting menu). You can base the program on visits to your restaurant or net spend earning points. 

Leverage online reputation management tools

Good restaurant reputation management seems like a lot of work, especially when you want to focus on other areas of your business and can’t afford staff to only focus on this area. Just as you see the widespread use of AI in the communication industry, automation can be your best friend here. 

You will likely use technology in your business, with inventory management and POS (point of sale) systems being probable candidates. You can look to automate solutions such as social listening tools that monitor and report any business mentions. 

Conclusion

With the rise in online reviews, how a restaurant is perceived by customers—and potential customers—can be a crucial part of the success (or failure) that a business will experience. Restaurant reputation management can help you identify and highlight positive reviews and address negative reviews and any issues they bring up. 

Great food and great service will always be your primary focus, but if people aren’t talking about your business, how can others hear about it? ORM should be a major tactic in your marketing strategy, especially considering how much UGC you can access.