https://86emptyseats.com/blog/ Tactics and answers on restaurant SEO, local search, web design, social, email, and branding from 86 Empty Seats. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-gift-cards/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-gift-cards/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant gift cards look like free money until they get redeemed. Here's how to sell more of them, what to charge, and what they really cost you. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-review-management/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-review-management/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review management doesn't need to eat your week. Here's what to monitor, which reviews to answer, and what your bad ones are really telling you. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/google-business-profile-for-restaurants/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/google-business-profile-for-restaurants/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Your Google Business Profile for restaurants is what puts you on the map for nearby diners. Optimize every part, from menu and photos to reviews. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-ask-customers-for-reviews/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-ask-customers-for-reviews/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to ask customers for reviews without feeling pushy: when to ask, who should ask, and five word-for-word scripts your servers can steal for tonight's shift. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-start-a-restaurant-loyalty-program/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-start-a-restaurant-loyalty-program/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT You don't need pricey software to reward regulars. Start a restaurant loyalty program with a punch card, a free email tool, and perks that fit your spot. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-color-schemes/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-color-schemes/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant color schemes do more than look pretty: how to pick a palette by your crowd and cuisine, and why your fonts, room, menu, and staff must all match it. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-influencer-marketing/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-influencer-marketing/ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Does restaurant influencer marketing actually fill tables? A chef-turned-marketer's honest take on when food influencers work and when to skip them. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-branding-ideas/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-branding-ideas/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant branding ideas that go beyond the logo: build a brand from your crowd, cuisine, colors, and fonts so guests never forget your restaurant. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-facebook-ads/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-facebook-ads/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Are restaurant Facebook ads worth it? A former NYC chef breaks down what they really cost, when paid ads fill tables, and how to run them without wasting money. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-super-bowl-specials/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-super-bowl-specials/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant Super Bowl specials that pack the house: game-day offers, packages, and promotion ideas that fill seats and lift checks, from a former NYC chef. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/can-you-remove-google-reviews/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/can-you-remove-google-reviews/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Can you remove Google reviews? Honest answer for restaurants: real negative reviews can’t be deleted, but policy-violating ones can be flagged. Free checklist. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/food-photography-tips/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/food-photography-tips/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pro food photography tips for restaurant owners: lighting, angles, props, styling, and phone-camera tricks to make your dishes look as good as they taste. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-attract-more-customers-to-your-restaurant/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-attract-more-customers-to-your-restaurant/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to attract more customers to your restaurant: 12 practical ways to get new diners through the door, from a former NYC chef who has worked the floor. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-get-more-google-reviews/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-get-more-google-reviews/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to get more Google reviews for your restaurant the honest way: simple ask scripts, a one-tap review link, QR codes, and a free toolkit. No gating or buying. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-increase-restaurant-sales/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-increase-restaurant-sales/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to increase restaurant sales without more foot traffic: raise check averages, bring regulars back, and fill slow nights, from a former NYC chef. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-make-a-restaurant-website/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-make-a-restaurant-website/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to make a restaurant website without the headache: the four jobs your site must do, the DIY-vs-hire decision, and a step-by-step launch checklist. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-market-a-restaurant/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-market-a-restaurant/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to market a restaurant: a plain-English guide to every channel that actually works, local SEO, social, email, your website, from a former chef. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-price-a-menu/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-price-a-menu/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to price a menu so you actually make money: a former chef's plain-English method for food cost, margins, and pricing dishes without scaring diners off. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-google-reviews/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-google-reviews/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to respond to Google reviews for your restaurant, the calm and human way, with example replies to 5-, 3-, and 1-star reviews and free response templates. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-take-food-photos/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/how-to-take-food-photos/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to take food photos like a pro using just your phone: a beginner's step-by-step guide to shooting crave-worthy plates that win clicks and fill tables. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/menu-design-ideas/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/menu-design-ideas/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Menu design ideas that make diners order more: layout, descriptions, and pricing tricks a former chef uses to turn your menu into your best salesperson. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/qr-code-menu-for-restaurants/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/qr-code-menu-for-restaurants/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A QR code menu for restaurants done right: when it helps, when it hurts diners, and how to build one that’s fast, easy, and not a clunky PDF download. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-customer-retention/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-customer-retention/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant customer retention that works: how to turn first-time diners into regulars with experience, contact capture, email, and loyalty done right. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-email-marketing-ideas/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-email-marketing-ideas/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT 15 restaurant email marketing ideas worth sending: welcome emails, win-backs, birthday offers, slow-night promos, and more, with subject-line examples. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-email-marketing/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-email-marketing/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant email marketing made simple: how to build a list, the campaigns that bring diners back on slow nights, and how to start, from a former NYC chef. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-instagram-marketing/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-instagram-marketing/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant Instagram marketing for beginners: a no-fluff guide to setting up your profile, posting the right things, and turning followers into filled tables. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-logo-ideas/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-logo-ideas/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant logo ideas that look professional, not cheap: the logo styles that work, what makes one look amateur, and how to get a good one on any budget. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-marketing-plan/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-marketing-plan/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A restaurant marketing plan you can build in an afternoon: a simple one-page framework to find your diners, pick your channels, and fill more seats. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-name-ideas/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-name-ideas/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant name ideas and how to pick the right one for your concept: naming approaches, real examples, and the gut-checks to run before you commit. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-self-ordering-kiosk/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-self-ordering-kiosk/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Is a restaurant self ordering kiosk worth it? An honest look at check sizes, labor, throughput, and which concepts they fit, from a former NYC chef. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-seo/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-seo/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant SEO made simple: how to get your restaurant found on Google with local search, your Business Profile, and reviews. Free checklist, no email needed. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-social-media-post-ideas/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-social-media-post-ideas/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant social media post ideas that fill tables: 20+ ready-to-steal posts, content themes, and real examples to turn followers into regular guests. https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-website-examples/ https://86emptyseats.com/blog/restaurant-website-examples/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant website examples broken down by type: what the best ones get right, the elements they share, and how to apply it to your own site. No fluff.