Press releases are one of the most effective ways to spread the news about your restaurant. However, most restaurant owners don't have press release writing skills. Today, we're going to change that.
No matter if you’re a business owner or a PR pro who wants to work in the restaurant industry, you need to know what a restaurant press release is and how to write one.
Looking to create a restaurant press release?
Use Prowly's AI press release generator or templates that you can use for free to easily create your own in a format that journalists expect to receive.
Prowly also lets you find relevant journalists and send out your press release to them directly from the platform.
What is a restaurant press release
A restaurant press release is a document that is sent out to media professionals, detailing something that happened around your restaurant.
Perhaps you opened up a new restaurant, a new branch of a restaurant, or you have an important event coming up - these are just some reasons to create and send out a restaurant press release.
Why write a restaurant press release?
To share important news about your restaurant in front of a larger audience of media professionals. Simply send out a press release to inform journalists about an important change that happened with your restaurant.
This will increase your reputation in the eyes of the public as credible sources will cover a story that revolves around you. Most likely, you'll benefit from new restaurant guests - and build a good reputation with time.
How to write a restaurant press release
A press release is an official statement from the company. There is no ideal restaurant press release format, but the length should be in the range of a hundred words.
👉🏼 Here is how to write one, step by step.
#1 Start with a catchy headline
To encourage journalists to open what you're writing, you'll need an effective press release headline. Think of something original and unique, but at the same time, truthful. For example:
- New fine dining restaurant in Phoenix - deluxe Asian restaurant opens on November 1
- The best lobster in town - now at a new address
- Harry's Crepes branches out and opens a new location in Scottsdale
- Award-winning chef John Doe heads the new Michelin-star restaurant downtown
Pro tip: Try googling the names of great restaurants nearby to get inspiration on the wording and format you can use.
#2 A compelling lead sentence
The lead sentence tells the journalist everything they need to know in just a few short words. Most importantly, you need to cover the "five Ws":
- Who - is opening a restaurant or a branch or promoting a product?
- What - is being opened, promoted, or sold?
- When - is the event happening?
- Where - is the event taking place?
- Why and/or how - is the event going to happen?
In other words, cover all the most important details in a single sentence. For example:
“A new Wendy's opens up November 1st in Scottsdale as a part of the company’s expansion plans.”
This way, you'll grab their attention from the first line and get them to continue reading.
Pro tip: When covering these details, keep the main focus on the thing you're trying to promote.
#3 A dateline
A dateline is a crucial part of every press release. These are a few words that tell the reader when and where the story was written. For your restaurant business, it may look like this:
"Scottsdale, Arizona, September 28: New Wendy's opens up..."
#4 Adding relevant quotes from owners/chefs
In this part of the press release, you might want to add some quotes. With Prowly, you can do that with a single click in the Press Release Creator.
You'll want to include quotes from the owner, manager, chef, someone from your staff, relevant food critics, and in general, anyone whose opinion counts in terms of restaurants.
#5 Adding visuals and assets
If you look at any sample press release, you'll notice they are rich in media. To get your restaurant opening announcement (or some other event) more notice, include some images.
We suggest adding images of your venue, menu, bar list, and similar items. Besides this, you can think about adding a visual hook. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is your restaurant located in an interesting building?
- Does the interior stand out?
It can even be just an eye-catching detail that’s worth featuring in your press release. Studies show that visual communication enhances memory retention, so by adding a specific visual connected to your spot, you help the readers associate it with the restaurant and remember it.
In Prowly you can add visuals and embed posts from social media with just a few clicks, using the right block.
#6 Boilerplate and logo
A boilerplate contains the most basic contact information for your restaurant. Name, location, contact details, and logo. You can add some elements such as your slogan or a quote, but ideally, keep this section short and to the point.
The main reason is this: journalists will use this section to get in touch with you. Here's a great example of how to go beyond the simple "About" section:
Working hours and reservation contact are two elements worth adding to the boilerplate of your press release (especially if you're writing about a grand opening).
For more information on boilerplates (and writing press releases in general), check out this article.
Key things to include in a restaurant press release
When thinking about how to write a press release for a restaurant, one of your first concerns should be what to include - and what to leave out. If you’ve included all of the items listed above, your new restaurant press release is already off to a great start.
Here are some additional items you can include:
- details about your chef 👩🍳 - who they are and what makes them stand out
- details about your menu, including prices 💸
- what the promotion will cover, including the party, the food, the guests, and more
- what are the working hours and capacity of the restaurant
- special promotions, if you have any
These are some excellent starting points!
Already know what to write? You can start crafting your press release right away, or keep reading for more inspiration and examples.
What to include in a restaurant opening press release?
For you, opening a restaurant is a huge deal, but for anyone who can provide media coverage, it's just a piece of news. You want to include the key reasons why someone should care about a new restaurant opening up. These can include:
- a renowned chef heading the restaurant
- your restaurant is the first of its kind in a city or an area
- it’s a new branch of a famous restaurant with amazing reviews from food critics
- a great list of guests will be attending the opening ceremony
In short, cover the reasons why someone should not miss this event in your restaurant grand opening press release.
Questions to consider in a restaurant opening press release
Wondering what to cover in your press release? Here are some questions that will help you shape the content.
- What makes the restaurant stand out against the others in the city or area?
- Is the opening related to a special event?
- Is the restaurant following the latest and greatest trends in the industry?
Think about what would make a journalist stop and read your press release carefully. For example, if you're writing a restaurant anniversary press release, include information about important guests you're inviting.
Tips for the restaurant opening press releases
1️⃣ First off, pay attention to your title and the lead sentence.
Do not forget the name of the restaurant, when you're opening, the type of restaurant, and other crucial details.
2️⃣ Second, always add a quote.
This can be anything from who is leading the location, to what the theme is or what makes your chef notable. You can also cover the details of the event - who is going to do what at the venue.
Knowing all this, you can start crafting your press release using Prowly's new "Draft with AI" feature. Just enter basic details (e.g., based on the tips in this article), answer a few in-depth questions, and you'll receive a comprehensive draft for your press release.
We prepared two guides to walk you through using the AI Press Release Generator for the best results, as well as for writing and pitching press releases with AI.
Create a restaurant press release with AI
AI-powered tools for PR can help you create high-quality press release drafts, provide advanced editing suggestions, and even recommend who to send your press release to.
While it's worth knowing how to create an effective press release from scratch, using tools can help speed up the process and ensure you've ticked all the boxes regarding the format and content that journalists expect to receive.
Read more: Mastering AI Press Releases: Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Sending + Practical Examples
Here’s how to create (and send) a new restaurant press release using a tool like Prowly’s AI-powered Press Release Generator.
Step 1: Enter basic details about your press release
- Start the process by entering the type of your press release.
- Once you select the type, Prowly's AI will ask you to pick your target audience. There are predefined options, such as industry players, customers, or local communities, but you can also add your own.
- Choose the language of your press release draft.
Step 2: Enter key messages of your restaurant press release
Here, you'll want to be as specific as possible and ensure that whatever you choose is the most relevant information about your restaurant announcement.
You can use the list of questions provided in the "How to write" section of this guide to help you get started.
Here are three examples of key messages that you can provide for your restaurant press release:
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Clearly articulate what sets your restaurant apart from others in the area. This could be a unique cuisine, a special atmosphere, or a particular focus (e.g., farm-to-table, sustainable ingredients).
- New Offerings or Events: Highlight any new menu items, special events, or promotions that you are launching. This will generate excitement and attract customers.
- Customer Experience and Atmosphere: Emphasize the dining experience you offer, including the ambiance, service, and overall atmosphere. This will help potential customers visualize themselves enjoying a meal at your restaurant.
Step 3: Answer the follow-up questions
Once you’ve entered the basic information about your restaurant press release, Prowly’s AI will ask you more in-depth questions designed to mirror a natural conversation with the journalists you’re targeting.
You’ll receive ten questions tailored specifically to the content you shared earlier. This will complete your press release draft and reduce the need to answer many follow-up questions from the person you're pitching to.
Step 4: Customize and edit the press release draft
Whether you've generated a press release draft or written it yourself, you can adjust header font styles, fine-tune the content just like you would in a regular text editor, adjust your press release length, and cater it into a format you're happy with.
An AI Assistant trained in PR writing best practices reviews the draft and suggests improvements based on 11 key criteria, indicating exactly where to edit.
Step 5: Get contact recommendations for your press release
Prowly’s AI will start suggesting journalists you can pitch to based on the keywords found in your press release.
As long as you have contact information for the people you want to pitch to, you can always do deeper work and find out about what kind of restaurants they've covered before, or what they're writing about at the moment.
Restaurant press release example
Here is an amazing sample restaurant press release that you can learn from.
What we love about this press release
Aleksandra Kubicka, Prowly’s PR Evangelist, explains what's so amazing about this press release for a new restaurant opening:
- the style: the language is descriptive and it engages all senses; the authors choose their words carefully and describe the dishes in great detail, depicting the atmosphere perfectly
- the story: besides the restaurant, the press release talks about the chef and where he came from - his achievements and vision for the future
- the inclusion of the local community: the press release mentions how the restaurant contributes to the local scene
Restaurant press release template
The best and fastest way to write a restaurant press release is to use a template. And luckily, we have one you can grab and use immediately.
Simply sign up for Prowly, head to our Press Release Creator and find our restaurant opening press release example and template. Click on it, fill out the blanks with your information and within minutes, you're good to go!
Sign up for Prowly for free today and browse our templates!
Distribute your restaurant press release
Now that your press release is done, you're probably wondering how to best promote it. Well, no worries, as we have your back. Simply head to Prowly, and choose journalists that cover the food industry, as well as news and media outlets likely to be interested in this type of content.
Just use the readily available filters to find the most relevant person to pitch.
Use a good quality media database
Finding the right journalists is not a matter of pure luck. Pick a media database with a rich contact list, so you have all your bases covered.
With Prowly, you can choose from over one million contacts, including 19,000 journalists and 11,500 media outlets. That's a lot to filter through, so simply look for journalists that have covered similar topics before.
Plus - from now on, you also get smart AI suggestions based on your press release analysis. Prowly's AI identifies the ideal media contacts for your topic, providing you with tailored recommendations for pitching your story.
Ready to give it a go? Sign up for Prowly for free today!
How to get covered in the local press
For a new restaurant, getting featured in local media is crucial. Once you've created your new restaurant opening press release, simply head to Prowly and our Media Database.
Once there, filter contacts based on their country and location. Then, look for journalists who cover specific states and cities.
PS. Learn how to pitch journalists through email in this article.
Conclusions
Public relations for restaurants is not that complex and with the right tool, you can create a restaurant press release quickly and easily.
If you're not sure how to get started - try Prowly. With our new AI features, your press releases will be done in minutes, rather than hours.
