Blog
July 28, 2025

Restaurant Marketing Strategies in the GCC

Top 10 Restaurant Marketing Strategies in the GCC

To stand out today, your restaurant needs to lead the digital dining space! 

The GCC’s culinary scene is evolving, with its diverse population, booming tourism, and an increasingly digital-first consumer base; competition in the food industry is tougher than ever. Whether you own a restaurant in Oman, a trendy eatery in Dubai Marina, or a café in Sharjah, mastering restaurant marketing tools is now essential, not optional.

If you’re aiming to boost restaurant sales and cut through the noise, this guide is for you.

1. Understand Your Market: Start With Culture and Data

In the UAE, everyone’s got a different craving; locals, expats, tourists, you name it. It’s not just about serving great food; it’s about making it personal. Restaurants need to go beyond menus and start tailoring experiences to current trends, behaviors, and cultures, such as offering plant-based meals, promoting clean eating, and utilizing eco-friendly packaging.

Cultural customization is a winning move. For example, offering Emirati Iftar boxes during Ramadan or celebrating Diwali with a limited-edition thali can help localize your brand. Aligning with the cultural pulse builds brand image, increases customer loyalty, and enhances brands’ digital visibility in communities.

2. Optimize Your Menu With Sales Psychology

Menu engineering remains one of the most underrated restaurant marketing tools. Here’s what works:

  • Use high-resolution menu photoshoots, not stock images.
  • Design with eye tracking in mind, place profitable dishes where eyes land first.
  • Use QR menus that allow users to scan them easily and also upsell through digital prompts.

Pro Tip: Feature local flavors with a modern twist to appeal to both tourists and GCC nationals.

3. Maximize Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Want to show up when someone types “best mandi near me”? Local SEO is non-negotiable.

  • Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
  • Use low competition keywords in content like “digital marketing for restaurants” or “restaurant marketing budget”, etc. 
  • Collect and respond to reviews regularly
  • Add structured data markup to your website for better local visibility
  • Restaurants that invest in geo-targeted SEO see up to 60% higher click-through rates from local searches.

4. Go All-In On Instagram and TikTok

In the GCC region, social media is food media. If your dish doesn’t look good online, it might as well not exist.

  • Invest in a menu photoshoot every quarter.
  • Share high-resolution and engaging reels on TikTok and Instagram that feature BTS, food preparations, customer reactions, and ambiance.
  • Add subtitles and Arabic translations to widen reach
  • Hop on trends, Dubai’s foodies love viral challenges

CÉ LA VI & Bait Al Luban are prime examples of brands that scaled via content-first, visual marketing.

5. Launch Targeted Paid Campaigns

Good restaurant ads on Instagram and Google are getting smarter in 2025. AI tools now allow hyper-personalized ads based on past user behavior, location, time of day, and even cuisine preferences.

Use ads to promote:

  • New menu items
  • Limited-time offers
  • Cultural events (e.g., Diwali dinners, Ramadan Iftars)
  • Location-based deals

Boost your restaurant marketing budget ROI by A/B testing creatives and retargeting warm leads.

6. Set Up Your Online Ordering for Speed and Simplicity

As of 2025, 70% of GCC region consumers prefer ordering food online at least twice a week. Don’t miss out:

  • Partner with Talabat, Deliveroo, etc.
  • Make sure delivery is fast and consistent
  • Use pop-ups on your website to collect emails for retargeting

Bonus Tip: Offer bundle deals exclusively through your direct channels to reduce third-party fees and boost restaurant sales.

7. Build a Loyalty Program That Feels Premium

Points are great, but experiences are better. In the current situation, the top loyalty programs offer:

  • Birthday exclusives
  • VIP tasting invites
  • First access to new menu launches
  • Redeemable points tied to user preferences

Tools like Yollty and Loyalzoo make it easy to launch digital loyalty platforms that sync with POS systems and mobile apps.

8. Tap Into the Power of Micro-Influencers

The UAE’s influencer space is mature, and while mega-influencers are expensive, micro-influencers (5K–50K followers) drive better engagement at lower costs.

Pro tips:

  • Focus on foodies, family bloggers, and expat community voices
  • Offer exclusive tasting invites or limited-edition dishes
  • Use influencer content as ad creatives for better reach

Done right, influencer partnerships can become one of your most powerful digital marketing for restaurant strategies.

9. Budget Smart, Scale Fast

Most restaurant owners ask: “How much should I spend?”

The rule of thumb for restaurant marketing budget in the UAE is:

  • 3–5% of monthly revenue for established restaurants
  • Up to 10% if you’re launching or rebranding
  • 40% of the budget should go to digital (ads, SEO, content)
  • 30% to in-house activations (events, loyalty)
  • 30% to collaborations and influencers

Pro Tip: Track ROI monthly to see what channels are delivering.

10. Host Experiences, Not Just Dinners

Events remain one of the best ways to turn one-time visitors into fans. Here’s what’s trending in the UAE this year:

  • Monthly cultural nights (think Bollywood Dhamaka, Emirati Heritage Evenings)
  • Collaborations with local artists and musicians
  • Chef’s Table dinners with ticketed entry
  • Cooking masterclasses hosted by your head chef

These experiences increase foot traffic, press interest, and user-generated content, everything you need to boost restaurant sales organically.

Takeaways

The GCC region’s restaurant industry is thriving, but with that comes fierce competition. The only way to truly stand out is by being intentional with your marketing. From a strategic menu photoshoot to mastering digital marketing for restaurant visibility, each effort you make should tie back to customer experience and profitability.

Ready to Scale Your Restaurant with Squarepeg?

At The SquarePeg, we help restaurants across the GCC to build data-driven marketing strategies that work. From SEO to content creation, influencer campaigns to good restaurant ads, our team is here to help you rise above the noise.

Let’s craft a marketing plan that not only fills your restaurant tables but also boosts revenues with loyal customers. 

Rabab Toor

A freelance writer, foodie, and a green thumb gardener with funny bones! With a keen interest in technology, medical sciences, nutrition, plants, horticulture, current trends, and crypto, Rabab also loves to scribe her knowledge at Medium.

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