Your Restaurant's Video Just Went Viral? Here’s What to Do Next!

Congratulations! Having a video about your restaurant go viral is no small feat. It doesn’t happen often, and the next few days will be crucial for both your restaurant and your future customer base.

At MainMenus restaurant marketing agency, we’ve helped create many viral videos for our clients. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen some of them struggle to handle the surge of new customers that follows. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide—to help you navigate this exciting but challenging time.

This sudden surge in attention will bring an influx of new customers who may have never tried your restaurant before. While this is an exciting time, it’s also a critical moment to ensure everything is in place across all channels where your restaurant is found. If you’re not prepared, this viral moment could lead to a flood of negative online reviews, costing you customers in the long run.

To make the most of this opportunity, here are five key actions you need to take immediately:

Staff Up: Ensure you have enough staff, especially in the kitchen and on the floor, to handle the increased volume of customers.
Stock Up: Double-check your inventory, particularly the ingredients for the dish featured in the viral video, to ensure you can meet the demand.
Social Media Check: Update all your social media channels with the latest information and make sure your pages are well-presented and engaging.
Website Readiness: Ensure your website is fully functional, up-to-date, and ready to handle an increase in traffic.
Customer Retention: Train your staff to deliver exceptional service and prepare strategies to encourage these new customers to return.

Now, let’s dive into each point in detail.

1. Make Sure You Have Enough Staff to Deliver Food Quickly and Provide the Best Service Possible

First impressions are everything—not just in relationships, but especially in the restaurant industry. With a viral video driving a surge of new customers to your restaurant, it’s crucial to make the best first impression possible.

The two most important factors will be speed and quality of service.

A line outside your restaurant can actually be a good thing. It creates curiosity and draws in more foot traffic. However, if the line isn’t moving because of slow service, customers will get frustrated and might never come back. Here’s how to ensure that your kitchen and servers are operating at peak efficiency:

Engage with Waiting Customers: Ensure that your servers or hostess communicate with those waiting in line. Provide an estimated wait time and apologize for the delay.
Quickly Seat and Serve: As soon as a table is ready, make sure menus are already on the table and offer drinks immediately. You might even consider offering complimentary quick snacks—remember, these customers have been waiting and are likely hungry. Taking their orders quickly will help set a positive tone.
Promote Specials: When serving drinks, take the opportunity to highlight specials and popular menu items.
Check Back Promptly: Follow up with customers a few minutes after taking their order, and if there’s any delay, let them know the expected wait time.
Serve Fast and Follow Up: Get the food out as quickly as possible, then check in to ensure everything is satisfactory. If any issues arise, handle them smoothly to maintain a positive experience.
Speedy Billing: When customers ask for the bill, don’t make them wait. Process their payment quickly; they’ve already waited long enough and likely want to move on.
Encourage Reviews: While processing the payment, ask how everything was, especially considering the busy environment. If you sense positive feedback, encourage them to leave a review and explain how important it is for the restaurant. Positive online reviews not only help attract more customers but are also crucial for boosting your restaurant’s search engine optimization (SEO), making it easier for others to find you online.
Offer a Return Incentive: Finally, offer a discount coupon or free item for their next visit. This helps convert a one-time visitor into a returning customer. We will talk about these later in detail.

Additional Tips from Experience:

Leverage Technology: Consider using a mobile waitlist app where customers can check their place in line and receive updates via text. This not only keeps them informed but also reduces frustration.
Create a Positive Atmosphere: While customers wait, ensure the ambiance is welcoming. Play pleasant background music, offer comfortable seating if possible, and perhaps provide some entertainment like a live chef’s demo or a sample tasting station.
Capture Customer Data: Use this opportunity to collect customer information (e.g., email addresses) for future email marketing for your restaurant. Offer a small incentive, like a free appetizer on their next visit, in exchange for signing up for your newsletter or loyalty program.
Turn Complaints into Opportunities: If any customer expresses dissatisfaction, use it as an opportunity to impress them with your responsiveness. Offering a free dessert or a discount on their next visit can turn a potentially negative experience into a positive one.
Prepare for Social Media Buzz: With the surge in foot traffic, you’ll likely see increased social media activity. Encourage guests to share their experience online and tag your restaurant. Consider running a quick social media contest—such as offering a free meal to the best photo of the day—to boost engagement and create even more buzz.

By incorporating these strategies, you’ll not only make the most of the viral moment but also set the stage for sustained success in the weeks and months ahead.

2. Make Sure You Have Enough Ingredients to Serve All Customers

In our experience, we’ve seen restaurants struggle to meet customer demand simply because they ran out of key ingredients. This can leave many customers disappointed, especially when they’ve come specifically for a dish that was featured in the viral video.

For example, we once created a viral video for a restaurant that serves a unique miso-glazed sablefish. The video drew a huge line of people eager to try this specific menu item. Unfortunately, the restaurant ran out of sablefish quickly, leaving many customers who had waited in line disappointed.

To avoid this scenario, it’s crucial to:

Assess Inventory Immediately: As soon as your video starts gaining traction, check your stock levels, especially for any dishes featured in the video. If necessary, place additional orders with your suppliers immediately.
Coordinate with Suppliers: Communicate with your suppliers about the potential increase in demand and see if they can expedite deliveries or increase their stock for you. Building strong relationships with your suppliers can make a significant difference during high-demand periods.
Diversify Your Supply Chain: If possible, have multiple suppliers for your key ingredients. This way, if one supplier can’t meet your needs, you have backup options to ensure you’re fully stocked.
Prepare Alternative Options: In case you do run out of a particular ingredient, have a backup plan. Prepare an alternative dish that’s similar or equally appealing, and train your staff to promote it as a great substitute. For example, if you run out of sablefish, you could offer a similar fish dish with a different but complementary glaze.
Communicate with Customers: Transparency is key. If certain items are running low, inform customers as early as possible, either while they’re waiting or as they’re seated. You can also update your social media channels to manage expectations before customers arrive. This not only helps to manage their expectations but also builds trust and reduces the potential for negative reviews.
Monitor Demand Patterns: Use data from your POS system to analyze customer orders and identify which items are in the highest demand. This can help you anticipate which ingredients might need to be reordered more frequently and prevent shortages in the future.
Leverage Scarcity Marketing: If you anticipate that certain items may run out, consider leveraging the concept of scarcity to your advantage. Promote the dish as a “limited-time offer” or “while supplies last” to create urgency and encourage quicker decisions from customers. However, be careful not to over-promise—ensure you can deliver on what you advertise.
Enhance the Dining Experience: Even if some customers can’t order the dish they came for, you can still leave them with a positive impression by providing excellent service and memorable alternatives. A well-trained staff that can smoothly navigate these situations will help maintain customer satisfaction.

By taking these proactive steps, you can better manage the surge in demand following a viral video and maintain your restaurant’s reputation. Ensuring you have enough ingredients and a plan for when things run out will not only keep customers happy but also solidify your restaurant’s status as a reliable and high-quality dining destination.

3. Check Your Social Media Pages are Ready to Go

If your video went viral, it most likely happened on Instagram Reels, TikTok, or another popular social media platform. As a result, many potential customers will head straight to your social media pages to make a final decision about whether to visit your restaurant. It’s crucial that your social media presence is polished and ready to impress.

Here’s how to ensure your social media pages are up to date:

List Your Address Clearly: The first thing potential customers will look for is your location. Make sure your address is prominently displayed on your profile so they can easily find you.
Optimize Your Bio: Your restaurant’s bio should clearly convey what your establishment is all about. Include a brief description that highlights your unique selling points, along with your working hours. This information helps set the right expectations and answers common questions upfront.
Link to Your Website: Include a link to your website in your bio, ideally directing visitors to your menu page. Most customers want to check out your offerings before they decide to visit, so make it easy for them to find this information.
Enhance Your Story Highlights: Story highlights are a powerful tool for showcasing what your restaurant has to offer. We recommend placing “Specials” as the first highlight, followed by features like menu items, customer reviews, and behind-the-scenes content. These visuals help potential customers get a better feel for your restaurant and what they can expect.
Curate a Crave-Worthy Feed: Your social media feed should be filled with high-quality photos and videos of your food that make people’s mouths water. Invest in professional photography if possible, or ensure that your content is well-lit, beautifully composed, and appetizing. Remember, people eat with their eyes first—if your food looks irresistible online, they’ll be more likely to visit in person. We provide professional food photo and video services if you need any help with that.

By following these simple steps, you’ll ensure that your viral video translates into even more customers. A well-maintained social media presence can be the deciding factor for someone on the fence about visiting your restaurant. And if you need help, we offer top-notch social media services specifically tailored for restaurants to help you maximize your online impact.

4. Make Sure Your Website is Fast, Functional, and Mobile-Friendly

After your video goes viral, you can expect a significant increase in traffic to your website. Having a well-designed, high-performing restaurant website is crucial, and it’s essential that your site meets the following criteria:

Ensure Fast Loading Speeds: Website loading speed is one of the most critical factors in user experience. Studies show that users tend to abandon a site if it doesn’t load within three seconds. With a surge in traffic, slow loading times can become an issue. At MainMenus, we’ve been optimizing restaurant websites for over 12 years, ensuring they load quickly even under heavy traffic. If you need assistance in optimizing your website, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Keep Information Up to Date: Accurate, up-to-date information is crucial. If your website displays old pricing, customers may legally demand the prices listed. Regularly review and update your menu, hours of operation, and any other critical information to avoid potential issues and keep your customers informed.
Optimize for Mobile: In today’s digital age, mobile optimization is non-negotiable. Considering that your video likely went viral on social media platforms that are primarily accessed via mobile devices, about 90% of your site’s visits will come from mobile users. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you risk losing potential customers due to poor user experience. Ensure that your site is responsive, easy to navigate on smaller screens, and that all features work seamlessly on mobile devices. Particularly, make sure menu page is optimized.
Test for High Traffic: It’s a good idea to stress-test your website to ensure it can handle a sudden influx of visitors without crashing or slowing down. This can involve working with your web hosting provider to ensure you have the necessary bandwidth and infrastructure in place.
Focus on User Experience (UX): Beyond just speed and mobile optimization, make sure your website offers a seamless and pleasant user experience. This includes intuitive navigation, clear calls to action, and easily accessible contact information. A well-designed UX can significantly increase the chances of turning website visitors into actual customers.
Highlight Key Information: Make sure the most important information—like your location, hours, and menu—is easy to find. Many visitors will be looking for these details specifically, so ensure they’re prominent on your homepage or within one or two clicks.
Secure Your Site: With increased traffic comes increased visibility, which can sometimes attract unwanted attention. Make sure your website is secure (using HTTPS), and consider adding extra security measures like a firewall or DDoS protection to keep your site safe from attacks.

If your website doesn’t meet these standards, you may miss out on converting the influx of visitors into customers. At MainMenus, we specialize in elite web design services for restaurants. If you feel your website needs an upgrade, contact us for a free quote and ensure your site is fully optimized to handle the surge in traffic.

5. Train Your Staff to Encourage New Customers to Return

Attracting new customers through a viral video is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in turning these first-time visitors into loyal, returning customers. Here’s how you can train your staff to maximize customer retention:

Provide Excellent Service: Exceptional service is the cornerstone of customer retention. Ensure that your staff is well-trained, attentive, and responsive to customer needs. From the moment customers walk in, they should feel welcomed and valued. Friendly interactions, prompt service, and a willingness to go the extra mile will leave a lasting impression.
Offer a Return Incentive: Encourage customers to return by offering them a coupon or discount for their next visit. This could be a percentage off their meal, a free appetizer, or a complimentary dessert. Make sure your staff highlights this offer when presenting the bill or during their farewell, reinforcing the idea of a return visit.
Promote Your Email Newsletter: Ask customers to subscribe to your email newsletter in exchange for a free treat or a small discount. This not only provides them with immediate value but also allows you to stay in touch with them through regular updates. Use your email list to share specials, upcoming events, or exclusive offers, keeping your restaurant top of mind.
Loyalty Programs: Consider implementing a loyalty program where customers earn points for each visit or dollar spent, which they can redeem for rewards. This creates an incentive for customers to choose your restaurant over others. Make sure your staff is trained to explain and promote the program to every customer.
Collect Feedback: Train your staff to ask for feedback during or after the meal. This shows that you value the customer’s opinion and are committed to improving their experience. You can use this feedback to make necessary adjustments and also to identify particularly satisfied customers who might be willing to leave a positive review.
Encourage Social Media Interaction: Ask your staff to subtly encourage customers to share their dining experience on social media. This could be as simple as suggesting they take a picture of their meal or offering a small incentive, like a free drink, for tagging your restaurant in a post. User-generated content can further promote your restaurant and attract more customers.

By incorporating these strategies, you can turn the momentum from a viral video into sustained success. Customer retention is about more than just a single visit—it’s about creating an experience that keeps customers coming back. Train your staff to focus on building relationships with customers, and you’ll see long-term benefits for your restaurant.

Conclusion

Going viral can bring a wave of new customers to your restaurant, but the key to long-term success lies in how well you handle this surge. By ensuring your staff is prepared, your inventory is stocked, your online presence is polished, and your customer retention strategies are in place, you can turn a fleeting moment of internet fame into sustained growth for your business. At MainMenus, we’re here to support you every step of the way with expert marketing and operational strategies tailored to your restaurant’s needs.