Local Marketing Beat #31 | What Restaurant Brands Get Wrong About Marketing (and How to Fix It)

In this episode of Local Marketing Beat, host Christian Hustle sits down with restaurant marketing expert and official "Expert Burger Taster", Rev Ciancio, to unpack the biggest mistakes restaurant brands make, and the simple fixes that actually work.

From listings management and consistency to the role of AI in restaurant discovery, Rev shares two decades of real-world experience helping restaurants grow visibility, engagement, and loyalty in a crowded digital landscape.

If you’re in restaurant marketing, this episode is packed with lessons on how to stay discoverable, build trust, and keep your marketing engine running without overcomplicating it.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Why mastering restaurant marketing is an ongoing challenge
How AI is changing restaurant discovery and consumer behavior
Why listings management is the foundation of visibility
The real reason consistency matters more than perfection
How to make reputation and reviews work for you
Simple frameworks for building engagement and trust online
Why social media is retention — not acquisition
How to turn weekly newsletters into powerful marketing assets

⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing
02:51 The Journey of an Expert Burger Taster
05:45 The Evolution of Restaurant Discovery
08:22 Consumer Behavior in Restaurant Selection
11:34 The Importance of Listings Management
14:18 Challenges in Restaurant Marketing
17:10 Strategies for Visibility and Engagement
20:05 Consistency in Marketing Efforts
24:09 Conclusion and Resources