A monthly marketing plan for a restaurant or café in Luxembourg

A restaurant or café does not need a big marketing department. It needs a few things done well and repeated every month: a correct Google profile, real photos of real dishes, a steady rhythm on Instagram, an easy way to book, and a simple count of what worked.

This plan fits one month. You can run it yourself, or share the work with a team. Start with the week that is weakest for you.

Start with one goal: more booked tables

Likes do not pay the rent. Pick one goal for the month and write it down, for example “more weekday dinner bookings” or “a fuller terrace on Sunday”. Every task below should help that goal. If a post does not help it, skip the post.

Week 1: Google profile and menu

Most new guests find you on Google first, then look at the menu, then decide. Fix this before anything else.

• Check name, address, phone and category. Choose the most precise category, such as “Italian restaurant” or “Café”.
• Set opening hours for each day, with the kitchen closing time if it differs, and add public holidays. Our Google Business Profile checklist lists them.
• Put the menu on your website as text, not only as a PDF or a photo. Text can be read on a phone, by Google and by screen readers.
• Add your booking link or phone number to the profile and test it.
• Mark which dishes are vegetarian, vegan or contain common allergens. Keep this accurate; ask the kitchen to confirm.
• Check that the lunch and dinner menus show the right prices.

Week 2: photograph the real food and the room

Customers compare your photos with what lands on the table. Use real photos, in good light, of dishes as they are actually served.

• The five dishes people order most, on a clean plate, near a window if you can.
• The room with the tables set, and the terrace if you have one.
• The team at work: the kitchen, the bar, the person who opens the door.
• The exterior and the entrance, so guests recognise the place.
• Short vertical videos: a pour, a pan, a plate arriving.

One planned half day is enough to make a month of material. Choose a quiet slot before service, with the kitchen ready for a few dishes. Our post on the half-day shoot shows how to prepare it, and the content service describes how we run it.

Week 3: an Instagram and reels rhythm you can keep

A rhythm you can keep beats a burst you cannot.

• Posts: two or three a week is enough. Mix dishes, the room and people.
• Stories: the daily special, a table that opens up, a behind-the-scenes clip.
• Reels: one or two a month, from the shoot day. Show one thing clearly: a dish being finished, the first pour, the terrace filling up.
• Captions: short, with the name of the dish, the district and how to book.
• Replies: answer comments and messages the same day if possible.

Do not post a photo of a dish that is no longer on the menu. Guests notice.

Lunch and dinner are two audiences

The people who eat lunch with you are often not the people who come for dinner. Treat them separately.

• Lunch: office workers and people on a short break. They want speed, a clear daily dish, a price and a quick way to book or order. Post the plat du jour in the morning and keep the lunch hours easy to find.
• Dinner: couples, friends and families who plan ahead. They want atmosphere, shared dishes, a table that feels right. Show the room in the evening light and make booking possible online, at any hour.

If you are quiet on one of the two, put the focus there for the month.

Cross-border workers, expats and languages

Luxembourg’s guests speak many languages. Many people work here and live in France, Belgium or Germany. Others have moved here from abroad and are still discovering the city.

• Put the menu in the languages your guests use, usually French and English, and German or Luxembourgish where it fits your place. Name the dishes the way guests say them.
• Keep key information the same in every language: hours, prices, allergens, booking.
• Write the Instagram caption in your main language and add a short line in a second language.
• Reply to comments and reviews in the guest’s language.
• If many guests come after work, say so: “open until 22:00”, “kitchen open late on Fridays”, “easy parking nearby”, only if it is true.

Seasonal moments in Luxembourg

Plan the year ahead, one moment per month. A few public moments that guests already know:

• Terrace season: when the first sunny days arrive, show the terrace with the tables set, and say from which date it is open.
• National Day, 23 June: many people are off work. Say whether you are open and what you serve.
• Schueberfouer: the big fair in Luxembourg City at the end of the summer. A short note about opening hours and how to find you can help guests nearby.
• Christmas markets: in the weeks before Christmas, Luxembourg City and other towns host markets, and groups look for a place to warm up. Offer a table, a seasonal dish or a group menu.
• Year-end and Valentine’s Day: booking-heavy moments. Open reservations early and say clearly what the set menu includes.

Take photos for each moment in advance, so you are not searching for them during the busiest weeks.

Table bookings: remove every step

Every extra step loses a guest.

1. Put a “Book a table” button first on your Instagram profile, your Google profile and your website.
2. Test it on a phone, in each language you offer.
3. Answer booking messages quickly. A guest who waits a day will often book somewhere else.
4. Send a short confirmation, with the address and a hint on parking.
5. After the visit, ask for a Google review in a short message. See our guide on getting Google reviews honestly.

Week 4: count bookings, not likes

At the end of the month, spend thirty minutes on the numbers.

1. How many bookings came in? Compare with the same weeks of the last months.
2. Where did they come from: Google, Instagram, the website, phone, walk-in? Ask guests when they arrive.
3. Which days and which service, lunch or dinner, were fullest or emptiest?
4. Which posts or reels were followed by messages and bookings, not only by likes?
5. What will you repeat next month, and what will you stop?

Write the answers down. A simple table is enough.

One month at a glance

1. Week 1: Google profile, menu, booking link.
2. Week 2: photos and short videos of real dishes, the room and the team.
3. Week 3: Instagram rhythm, reels, replies.
4. Week 4: count bookings, choose the next seasonal moment.

If you would like the shoot, the reels and the monthly plan to be done for you, see marketing for restaurants. Our shoots start from €250 per hour, and the monthly plans from €1,300 excl. VAT; the pricing page shows what is included.