Best Way to Market to Independent Restaurants?

I have a restaurant website building business and I am hoping to get ideas on the best way to market to small restaurants (meaning restaurants not part of large chains) without spamming them.  I understand the hate for spam and time-wasters.  I get way too many junk emails and unsolicited phone calls myself.
 
Is visiting restaurants during down hours a good idea, or is that likely to annoy owners and managers?

Is there a good place to advertise to independent restaurants?   Either in a magazine or online?
 
Where do YOU look when you are thinking about starting or upgrading a website?

well......
just from a point of view from being involved in bars over the years, i would say not on vendor day!..... someone came in early to receive stock, pay for stock, put stock up, rotate stock, make orders for next week, etc... etc.....
that is usually the same time that repairmen are called in for non time sensitive issues with equipment, usually also when larger in house maintenance projects are handled ..... so yea, never on vendors day!!
 
best bet, just go in during regular hours(off peak hours), ask to speak with the owner, also ask what would be a good time to catch him..... but dont let a bartender/cashier/etc... tell you "oohh, mondays they come in early for the vendors" because 9 times out of 10, that wont be the best time for them

Thank you.  I'll definitely steer away from vendors day. 

Bistro Square


I have a restaurant website building business and I am hoping to get ideas on the best way to market to small restaurants (meaning restaurants not part of large chains) without spamming them.  I understand the hate for spam and time-wasters.  I get way too many junk emails and unsolicited phone calls myself.

Is visiting restaurants during down hours a good idea, or is that likely to annoy owners and managers?

Is there a good place to advertise to independent restaurants?   Either in a magazine or online?

Where do YOU look when you are thinking about starting or upgrading a website?

I can't help wondering why this clearly legitimate query was flagged as Spam?

because when he first posted, he posted in several different threads all close to the same thing, and had posted links, he got called on it, and removed the links, and opened up a line of communication with us......