Serving Up Results: Paid + Programmatic Ads for Restaurants

We’ve found through testing how programmatic and paid social advertising can be the dynamic duo of digital marketing — especially when it comes to the restaurant and hospitality industries.

Yes, Meta is a great place to build hype and drive reservations for your restaurant. However, a longstanding challenge has been the limited ability to accurately track whether ads are translating into actual visits. Prior to integrating programmatic advertising, we lacked concrete proof that our campaigns were driving foot traffic. While traditional tactics like discount offers and QR codes can help, they often create complexity and added pressure on restaurant staff. Programmatic advertising elevated our tracking capabilities by providing precise, actionable data. And importantly, we were able to maximize efficiency by repurposing our existing video creative across both channels without incurring additional time or production costs.

Here’s Why Two is Better Than One: 

✅ Track Real-World Results: Programmatic ad tech allows us to measure actual foot traffic – not just clicks. Paid social drives awareness, engagement, and actions like orders or reservations. Together, they connect the full journey from scroll to storefront.

🧠 Smarter, Data-Driven Targeting: Our AI tools use pixel tracking and mobile device data to report on in-store visits. We turn this insight into custom audiences, retargeting strategies, and high-converting lookalikes.

📊 Proof Your Marketing Works: Without programmatic data, it’s hard to prove ROI beyond online engagement. Our integrated approach ensures you can see exactly what’s driving visits and revenue.

To put this principle into practice, our client since summer of 2024 recently implemented display and TV ads – in addition to those currently running on social media platforms. Shrimp Basket is a casual family-focused seafood restaurant offering a welcoming atmosphere where guests can experience the essence of the coast while enjoying delicious, high-quality cuisine. Since opening in 1993, the original Gulf Shores seafood restaurant has expanded to 18 total locations all across the Southeast. 

While developing and executing this strategy, we focused on ZIP-code targeted Meta ads to promote takeout, loyalty rewards, and the dine-in experience. Segmented creative was deployed for loyalty promotions, seasonal offers, and new menu rollouts. Based on booking data and order performance, campaigns were optimized on a weekly basis to fine-tune results and drive measurable impact:

🚶‍♂️ 2,600+ (trackable) foot traffic visits tracked in the first month of programmatic ad launch

📈 80% of new rewards program sign-ups driven by Meta ads each month

📸Not to mention, organic social reach has grown by 52% since September 2024! Specifically on the Shrimp Basket Facebook page, content interactions are up 350% and total views increasing by more than 450%. 

The client was so thrilled with the trackable success following our first campaign test, we immediately launched this strategy for the remainder of the summer to support other crucial campaigns they had planned. 

This campaign illustrates the positive impact programmatic and paid social ads can have on your restaurant when paired together. A performance-based strategy leads to scalable results, and loyalty programs and offer-based creatives drive long-term customer growth. Whether you want to fill tables, grow your rewards program, or launch new locations — we’re here to help you make it happen.

📲 Let’s turn clicks into customers and boost foot traffic through your doors. Reach out to Kelsie McDuffie at kelsie@gomcduffie.com to schedule a strategy call and see what’s possible.