Choosing the right restaurant marketing agency for your bar or restaurant isn’t just about who has the flashiest presentation or the most sales reps in the field. It’s about who will actually show up when it matters.
At Blue Ridge Creative Marketing, we’ve worked with restaurant owners who’ve been burned by big-name agencies that promised the world, locked them into contracts—and then disappeared.
If you’re considering hiring a marketing partner, here are three red flags to watch for, and how working with a smaller, more dedicated team can make all the difference:
1. They Lock You into a Contract… Then Disappear
Big agencies like SpotHopper are known for aggressive sales tactics. Their reps will wine and dine you (sometimes literally) to get you to sign a long-term contract. But once you’re locked in? The personal attention dries up. Months can go by without a check-in, and getting support feels like pulling teeth.
What We Do Instead:
At Blue Ridge Creative Marketing, we earn your business every month. No lengthy contracts, no disappearing acts. We’re proactive about communication and always just a text, call, or email away. You want weekly check-ins? We’ll make it happen. Prefer once a month? That’s cool too. You get to decide what support looks like.
2. They Don’t Really Get to Know Your Brand
Massive agencies often use templated strategies that don’t reflect your unique vibe, values, or local audience. They might plug your restaurant into their system—but they won’t sit down with your chef, talk to your servers, or taste the food that sets you apart.
What We Do Instead:
We go all in. That means traveling to meet you in person—even if it means a long drive or hopping on a flight. We believe your marketing should reflect you, not a cookie-cutter strategy pulled from a dashboard. When we say we care about your brand, we mean it—and we show it.
3. You’re Just Another Account on a Spreadsheet
With large agencies, you’re likely one of hundreds of clients. If your business isn’t bringing in the biggest dollars, you can quickly get deprioritized. It’s not personal—it’s just volume.
What We Do Instead:
We work with a select number of restaurant partners so we can actually prioritize your business. You’re not a line item—you’re a relationship. And we treat your brand as if it were our own, because we understand how much is riding on getting it right.
