Hospitality PR
Are you opening a new restaurant or wine bar?
If you’ve poured your heart and soul into your venue, you deserve to be full from Day 1.
A professional website and social media will help - but these marketing tools don’t have the same reach or impact as mainstream media coverage.
If you want to open up with maximum impact, you need Strategic PR.
Strategic PR will skyrocket public awareness of your venue and fill your tables.
Strategic PR gets you editorial media coverage across newspapers, magazines, digital media, TV, radio and podcasts.
Imagine seeing your venue in major national food publications like Broadsheet, Good Food, TimeOut and Gourmet Traveller, and in major state publications like the Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph.
These media outlets reach thousands of potential customers - customers that are actively looking for new places to dine!
Editorial media coverage - whether it’s a review, a news story about your opening, or a feature article about your chef - will generate buzz and give you a huge spike in bookings and inquiries.
It will also increase customer loyalty and boost your average spend-per-head.
And when you get multiple articles across multiple outlets, the effect is exponential – lifting your chances of being visited and reviewed by food critics and bloggers, and being included in media “best of” lists.
All of this PR can yield thousands of dollars in additional revenue for your business.
Strategic PR will also -
Boost your SEO
Give you content to share with your mailing list and social media followers
Raise your public profile
Get you recognised as a leader in the hospitality industry.
And unlike advertising, you don’t need to pay the media to feature you in editorial articles.
Ready to get the public recognition you deserve?
I’m a former restaurant owner who’s been through the blood, sweat and tears of opening a new venue.
I know how frustrating it can feel when other venues seem to get all the media attention – even though yours is just as good.
I have the right media contacts to get your venue seen.
And I’ve handled PR campaigns for my own venue as well as other venues, so I know what works and what doesn’t.
Reach out to find out how I can help your venue open with impact.
Meet Julia Hume
Before becoming a PR Professional, I was the sole owner of Pentolina, an Italian restaurant in the Melbourne CBD, for five years. Before that I was a senior adviser to the Victorian Government on business regulation, and before that I was a civil litigation lawyer.
I have exceptional skills in deep-dive analysis, research, data analysis, creative writing and relationship building – as well as resilience and dogged determination. I believe in quality not quantity, and I tailor each PR pitch to the media target.
I have insider knowledge of the hospitality industry and I understand how venues are portrayed in the media. So I’ll find the rights words and messaging to make your venue stand out.
I also have the contacts and relationships to get the story in front of the right media outlets and journalists - the ones that can make a real difference to your venue.
Plus, I’m experienced at organising events in restaurants, and I know what goes on behind the pass to make it all come together. So I can help you to plan an attention-grabbing launch event.
I’m a sole operator, so you get my full personal attention when you hire Beyond & Above PR.
You can take a step back, relax and focus on what you do best, i.e. running your business – while I focus on what I do best, i.e. getting your business noticed by the media.
I’ll go beyond the ordinary to make your venue rise above the crowd.
How do I work?
I work on a monthly retainer for a minimum period of 3 months, with the option to pause the PR campaign if your venue opening is delayed for reasons outside your control.
Working on a monthly retainer means that I can offer you personalised service and tailored PR activities to suit the goals of your PR campaign.
It lets me focus on securing you high-quality media coverage which is current and relevant, and respond proactively to media opportunities that arise.
I recommend a minimum of 3 months because PR takes time to build momentum and gain traction. Even if you get a great “win” early on, it’s important to continue to the end of the 3 month period to ensure you consolidate the early win and achieve the full value of your PR campaign.
What’s included in the monthly retainer?
The monthly retainer will be tailored to the goals of your PR campaign. For a new venue, the monthly retainer may include:
Developing your brand story and key messaging
Preparing media releases and a media kit, and pitching them to the media
Promoting your launch event
Seeking media interviews/appearances for the owners and key staff
I recommend commencing the retainer at least 3 months before your opening date.
What’s the cost?
The cost of a monthly retainer for a new venue is $3,000 plus GST per month, for a minimum of 3 months.
My fees include:
Detailed monthly report on PR activities and outcomes, including an analysis of what’s worked and what hasn’t, and a recommended strategy for the next month.
Monthly PR strategy meetings.
Regular communication with you about PR activities and outcomes.
Additional information and copywriting requested by journalists.
Fees are payable monthly in advance.
What types of hospitality businesses do I work with?
I work with high-quality restaurants, wine bars and chefs that are driven by a passion for exceptional food, wine and hospitality.
As the former owner of Pentolina, a 50-seater Italian restaurant in the Melbourne CBD from from 2018 to 2022, I know how tough it is to survive and thrive in the hospitality industry - and that no matter how fantastic your venue is, people won’t know you’re there unless you get featured in the media.
If you’re a passionate and skilled hospitality professional with a unique offering, you deserve to be recognised for your hard work and creativity.
Get in touch and let’s talk about how I can help your venue stand out in a crowded market and open up with maximum impact!
