We have been working with a wonderful Italian restaurant in Newport for just over 18 months. Mamma Lina’s is a family owned and managed restaurant in Rogerstone on the outskirts of the city that serves traditional Italian dishes created from recipes used by the family of cousins Massimo and Gianluca that have traveled with them from Italy to South Wales.
A Very Successful Relationship
We enjoy a very successful relationship with the team at Mamma Lina’s and are delighted to report that their business has gone from strength to strength and is now an award winning restaurant that was voted the Best Italian Family Owned Restaurant in Wales in 2018. More information about our work with them can be viewed in this previous case study.
Opening an Italian Restaurant in Cardiff
As a result of their continued success, Massimo and Gianluca made the decision to open a second restaurant. This time, they choose to open one in Cardiff where there is more competition from established Italian restaurants each with their own loyal customers.
Working with Mamma Lina’s we had to establish the most effective means of launching the new restaurant with a relatively small budget. Every penny invested would have to count and generate a return on investment.
Designing the Marketing Materials
We worked with the team on designing and printing all of their marketing materials from the exterior signage of the restaurant, to the menu’s, flyers, advertisements and their website.
We helped them set up their social media accounts and start using them to in the main organically start generating traffic to their website and most importantly engaging with visitors to encourage them to book tales to come and enjoy the ‘Mamma Lina’s Experience’ for themselves.
Getting the Timing Right
It was a carefully timed build up to the opening of the restaurant. We ran online teaser campaigns to start the process, we encouraged their strong customer base in Newport to help out by booking tables or encouraging friends, relatives and colleagues of theirs living or working in Cardiff to do the same. Local companies were contacted and incentives/discounts off their first visits we offered, adverts were designed and booked in influential online and offline publications to continue to spread the message.
These all started to work and when the restaurant opened in June the initial response was pleasing. We maintained the marketing activities we had implemented and then started to use the fantastic reviews was receiving from customers who had visited to encourage others. Momentum was gathering and within a month of opening they had their first fully booked service.
A Strong Start and Very Promising Future
Whilst its still early days for the restaurant, we have started planning the next series of marketing activities to help Mamma Lina’s achieve their goal and become one of the most popular Italian restaurants in the capital enjoying regular repeat visits from existing clients as well as welcoming new customers to enjoy the Mamma Lina’s experience.
If you are involved in the restaurant industry and would like to find out more about what we did and what we can do for you business, please get in touch.
Phone 01633 449885 or email hello@allianceagency.co.uk
