Restaurant PR Glossary
The complete A-Z reference for restaurant PR and marketing terminology.
A
B
B-Roll
Supplementary video footage of a restaurant — kitchen action, plating close-ups, dining room ambiance, bartender craftin...
Boilerplate
The standard 'about' paragraph that appears at the end of every press release. It's a concise summary of the restaurant ...
Brand Awareness
The degree to which potential diners recognize and recall a restaurant brand. Brand awareness ranges from aided awarenes...
Brand Identity
The visual and verbal elements that define how a restaurant presents itself — logo, color palette, typography, photograp...
Brand Messaging
The core narrative and key messages that define how a restaurant communicates its identity to the public. Brand messagin...
Brand Positioning
The strategic process of defining how a restaurant is perceived relative to competitors. Positioning answers: What categ...
C
Community Relations
Building and maintaining positive relationships between a restaurant and its local community through charitable involvem...
Comp Dining (Complimentary Dining)
Providing free meals to media, influencers, or VIPs as part of a PR strategy. Comp dining is standard practice in restau...
Competitive Analysis
Systematic evaluation of competing restaurants' PR presence, media coverage, social media performance, online reputation...
Content Creator
An individual who produces original content — photos, videos, written posts, or audio — for social media platforms. In r...
Content Marketing
Creating and distributing valuable, relevant content — blog posts, recipes, behind-the-scenes videos, chef interviews — ...
Crisis Communication
The specialized discipline of communicating with media, customers, and the public during a restaurant crisis — food safe...
Crisis Management
The strategic communication response to negative events affecting a restaurant — food safety incidents, negative reviews...
E
Earned Media
Media coverage that a restaurant receives organically through PR efforts, rather than through paid advertising. This inc...
Editorial Calendar
A publication's schedule of planned content themes, special issues, and editorial focus areas throughout the year. Knowi...
Email Marketing
Using email communications — newsletters, promotions, event invitations, and automated sequences — to maintain relations...
Embargo
An agreement with journalists that they can receive information in advance but cannot publish it until a specific date a...
Event Marketing
Using events — wine dinners, chef collaborations, cooking classes, holiday celebrations, and themed nights — as marketin...
Exclusive
An arrangement where one specific media outlet is given a story before anyone else, in exchange for guaranteed coverage....
F
Fact Sheet
A one-page document with essential restaurant information: concept, chef, cuisine type, hours, capacity, address, price ...
Food Critic
A professional journalist whose primary responsibility is reviewing restaurants for a media outlet. Food critics traditi...
Food Photography
Professional photography of restaurant dishes, drinks, interiors, and team specifically produced for media use, social m...
Food Styling
The art of preparing and presenting food specifically for photography or video. Food styling goes beyond kitchen plating...
Food Tourism (Culinary Tourism)
Travel motivated primarily by food experiences — visiting restaurants, food markets, cooking classes, food festivals, an...
G
H
L
M
Media Advisory
A brief notification sent to media outlets about an upcoming event, typically structured as who, what, when, where, and ...
Media Dinner
An invitation-only dining event specifically designed for journalists, food critics, bloggers, and influencers. Media di...
Media Event
Any event organized specifically to generate media coverage — press conferences, media tastings, chef demonstrations, se...
Media Impressions
The total potential audience reached by media coverage. If a restaurant is featured in a newspaper with 500,000 readers,...
Media List
A curated database of journalists, editors, bloggers, and influencers relevant to a restaurant's PR goals. A media list ...
Media Monitoring
The systematic tracking of media coverage across print, digital, broadcast, and social channels. Media monitoring captur...
Media Placement
The strategic positioning of a restaurant's story, news, or content in specific media outlets. A media placement can be ...
Media Training
Coaching that prepares restaurant owners, chefs, and spokespersons for interviews with journalists, TV appearances, and ...
Menu Launch
The strategic release of a new or updated menu, typically tied to seasonal changes or a significant culinary direction s...
Michelin Guide & Stars
The Michelin Guide is the world's most influential restaurant rating system. Restaurants can receive one star (high qual...
N
O
P
Paid Media
Any media exposure that is purchased — advertising, sponsored content, boosted social posts, Google Ads, and paid influe...
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
Online advertising where the restaurant pays each time someone clicks on their ad. PPC for restaurants typically include...
Pitch
A personalized email or message sent to a specific journalist or editor proposing a story idea about a restaurant. Unlik...
Press Clipping
A copy or record of a specific media mention or article about a restaurant. Press clippings are compiled into reports th...
Press Hit
A single instance of media coverage about a restaurant — an article, TV segment, radio mention, podcast feature, or soci...
Press Kit (Media Kit)
A curated collection of materials that provides journalists with everything they need to write about a restaurant. A com...
Press Preview
An exclusive pre-opening event where select media, critics, and influencers experience the restaurant before it opens to...
Press Release
A formal written announcement distributed to media outlets about newsworthy restaurant events — openings, chef hires, me...
Press Trip
An organized visit where journalists travel to experience a restaurant, food destination, or culinary event. The hosting...
R
Reputation Management
The ongoing process of monitoring, influencing, and maintaining a restaurant's public perception across all channels — o...
Restaurant SEO
Search engine optimization specifically tailored for restaurants, focusing on local search visibility, Google Business P...
Restaurant Week
A promotional period (usually 1-2 weeks) where participating restaurants offer special fixed-price menus at reduced pric...
Return on Investment (ROI)
A measure of the financial return generated by PR investment. In restaurant PR, ROI is calculated by correlating media c...
S
Seasonal PR
PR strategies and campaigns tied to seasons, holidays, and cultural moments throughout the year. Seasonal PR creates rec...
Share of Voice (SOV)
The proportion of media coverage and online conversation a restaurant captures compared to its competitors in the same m...
Social Listening
Monitoring social media platforms for mentions of a restaurant, its competitors, relevant food trends, and industry conv...
Social Media Marketing
Using social media platforms — primarily Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and increasingly Threads — to build brand awarenes...
Social Proof
Evidence that other people have chosen and enjoyed a restaurant — reviews, testimonials, social media posts, celebrity v...
Soft Opening
A limited, often invitation-only opening period before a restaurant's official public launch. Soft openings allow the ki...
Sponsored Post
A social media post or blog article created by an influencer or publication in exchange for payment or complimentary din...