Great restaurant PR doesn’t start with a press release, it starts with a story. The best campaigns don’t just secure headlines; they shape perception, drive traffic, and build loyal communities around a brand. At Feed Media, we’ve spent years elevating restaurants from local favorites to nationally recognized names by crafting smart narratives and placing them precisely where they’ll have the biggest impact.
Here are three real-world examples of restaurant PR done right, and what made them work.
Punch Bowl Social: From Niche Concept to National Lifestyle Brand
Photo credit: J Dimas / Flickr
When Feed Media began working with Punch Bowl Social, the brand had just three open locations and little name recognition outside its home market. Our mission wasn’t to simply build restaurant awareness; it was to shape Punch Bowl Social into a cultural touchpoint.
Through a multi-layered PR strategy combining executive thought leadership, media relationship building, and high-level storytelling, we helped founder Robert Thompson transcend traditional F&B narratives. Media placements included everything from a 7-minute segment on CBS This Morning to a six-page spread in Inc. Magazine. Punch Bowl Social even landed a spot on Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in the World” list. Twice!
The takeaway? When you position your founder as a visionary and your concept as a cultural force, media follows.
Casa Bonita: The Comeback of Colorado’s Iconic Pink Palace
When the legendary Casa Bonita prepared to reopen under new ownership (yes, those South Park creators), the buzz was palpable, but buzz doesn’t manage itself. Feed Media was brought in to take this cultural moment and turn it into sustained media momentum.
We developed a disciplined PR strategy that struck the right balance between nostalgia and newsworthiness. That meant controlled press previews, careful messaging about renovations, and targeted outreach to national and local media. We secured extensive coverage across TV, digital, and print, from The New York Times to Bon Appétit, all while ensuring the relaunch narrative stayed aligned with the owners’ vision.
The takeaway? Big media moments require even bigger strategy.
Stanley Marketplace: A Collective Worth Talking About
Photo credit: Emma Heirendt / Flickr
Not every restaurant PR win comes from a single brand. At Stanley Marketplace, a community of 50+ independent businesses in Aurora, CO, we helped shine a spotlight on a diverse group of restaurateurs and retailers under one roof.
Facing perception issues and stiff competition, Stanley needed more than a feature story; it needed a repositioning. We developed story angles that focused on collective creativity, pandemic resilience, and hyper-local love. The result? National features and grassroots attention that helped drive traffic and reposition Stanley as a destination in its own right.
The takeaway? Sometimes the best restaurant PR is part of a larger placemaking effort.
What Ties These Together?
Each of these campaigns relied on three Feed Media principles:
- Personalized pitching. We don’t blast emails. We tailor each pitch to the journalist’s beat and interests.
- Proactive storytelling. We don’t wait for news. We create it—through trend tie-ins, human-interest angles, and well-timed media opportunities.
- Long-term vision. Restaurant PR isn’t a one-and-done game. We build visibility that scales with the brand.
Looking for restaurant PR that goes beyond the basic? Let’s talk about how we can turn your story into strategy – and strategy into real results.
