How to Advertise Your Restaurant Online

Make People Know You Exist, Try You Out, and Keep Coming Back

Opening a restaurant is tough—but the real challenge begins after your doors open. Especially if you’re opening in a competitive food scene like New York City, it’s not enough to have great food. If no one knows you exist, you won’t last long.

Your goal is simple: get people to try your food.
Here’s how to advertise your restaurant in NYC the smart way:

Bring awareness through hyper-localized ads
Encourage Google reviews to boost nearby organic traffic
Partner with food influencers so their dining experience becomes a referral to the right audience

Whether you’re in Midtown, Queens, Brooklyn, or Harlem—this is how to get noticed in NYC’s crowded restaurant landscape.

1. Run Local Ads: Google, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok

In NYC, foot traffic is everywhere—but attention is scarce. You need to show up exactly where people are looking: online and in the neighborhood.

That’s why your first move should be launching highly targeted ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Google Ads help you appear when people search “best lunch near me,” “ramen Midtown,” or “new restaurants Brooklyn.” These searchers are actively ready to eat.
Facebook and Instagram Ads let you visually show off your dishes to people who live or work nearby—your ideal customers.
TikTok Ads are great for reaching foodies, students, and creators who live for discovering NYC’s next trending spot.

Pair your ad with a solid first-time offer:

Free drink or dessert
$10 lunch special
10% off for new visitors

In a city with endless options, a strong offer can stop the scroll and bring someone through your door.

2. Build Your Google Reputation — Reviews Drive Trust

NYC diners are fast, picky, and often go straight to Google Maps to make decisions on the fly. So your Google rating can make or break your restaurant’s chance of being picked.

One pizza place in NYC offers a mini slice of Nutella pizza to anyone who leaves a review. Their food is okay—but their Google rating? A standout 4.9 stars. That number alone makes them pop on search lists and drives tons of organic traffic.

Don’t wait. Start collecting reviews from your very first customer. Offer a small thank-you treat. The payoff is long-lasting visibility.

3. Partner with Food Influencers — Real Buzz, Real Results

Influencer culture is alive and well in New York—and it works. Many micro-influencers focus exclusively on NYC eats. Partnering with the right one could get your restaurant in front of tens or even hundreds of thousands of food lovers in your area.

Some may charge $100 to$ 350 per post, but the return can be huge.

“It was $350, but it was worth every penny. One post got us over 150,000 views.”
— A taco shop owner in Queens

Let influencers experience your food and space authentically. No forced scripts. Just good food, shared with the right audience.

Final Thought: Don’t Save Money on the One Thing That Matters

In NYC, restaurants can spend thousands on design, rent, or permits—but skip the most important part: getting people to try their food.

Letting people try your food isn’t a cost. It’s a growth strategy.

There’s a now-famous sandwich chain that was close to failing—until they started handing out free sandwiches at local events. Hundreds of giveaways turned into thousands of loyal customers. It was the tipping point that saved their business.

So don’t hold back in the beginning. Give people a taste.
Because in New York, first bites are your best ads.

Need Help Advertising Your Restaurant in NYC?

At Webstar NYC, we help restaurant owners like you run smart, effective ad campaigns without the stress. From Google Ads to Instagram Reels, we take care of the setup so you can focus on what matters—your food, your team, and your strategy.

👉 Visit nyc.webstarweb.com to get started today.