You Got Press Once. Here's How to Get It Again.
Photo Credit: Angelina Hong
Every restaurant remembers its opening coverage: the initial write-ups, the roundups and seeing your name in a headline. Then the news cycle turns, and the outlets that covered you start writing about the next big opening.
The good news is that those same outlets are always looking for their next story, and with the right approach, it can still be yours.
Find A New Angle
Your opening was news… because it was new. That story has been told, so the next round of coverage will depend on what you've added, changed or built since then.
A new menu format, a shift in concept, a chef’s promotion, a renovation or an anniversary can all become the hook for a fresh story. Build your messaging around what’s new and what makes you stand out.
Lead With the Food
The strongest pitches give writers concrete details they can picture. For one restaurant, it was the Calrose rice the chef’s father farmed, served in a warm arroz con leche. For another restaurant, it was a house-made sesame bun stacked with fried halloumi and seasonal jam.
Both of these pitches got a reply because they gave the journalist something specific worth writing about.
Update Your Media List
Since your opening, the writers who covered you may have changed outlets, switched beats or left the industry altogether.
Before you send anything, research who covers the angle you’re trying to tell, today. Don't forget to add freelance writers, local newsletters and content creators who can reach audiences that traditional outlets don't.
Tie Your Pitch to the Calendar
Once you have a story to tell, the right timing will help it land. Look into industry happenings that might be relevant to an item you have on your menu, like Tomato Month, Oyster Week or Negroni Week. Tying in your pitch to a time-sensitive offering gives a reporter a reason to write about you now.
Invite Media In
An email pitch with only information about what is new can start the conversation, but most journalists want to come in to have the experience themselves.
Hosting a media event gives writers and creators a firsthand reason to cover you, and that experience is often what turns a quick mention into a full feature. It's also a chance to build relationships you can come back to with future story ideas. For one client's five-year anniversary, we invited a small group of journalists to enjoy a completely reimagined tasting menu before it launched to the public.
Stay in Touch
One round of outreach won't keep you in the news. The restaurants that stay visible have a steady rhythm of checking in with press between pitches and sharing updates as they happen.
That rhythm is what we do every day at M. Janning Communications. We keep in regular contact with the writers, editors and content creators who cover food and drink so we know what they're working on and when your news is a fit. That way, when you have something new to share, the right people are already expecting to hear from us.
