How to Invite Influencers to Your Restaurant for More Exposure

Social media has changed the way businesses get noticed. Remember when getting the word out meant spending big bucks on TV ads or online promotions? Now, all it takes is the right person posting about your place, and boom—new customers start walking through the door.

That "right person" today is an influencer. A single post from them can put your restaurant on the map. They snap a photo, share a quick video, and suddenly, everyone wants to try your food.

Getting influencers to visit your restaurant can bring in more customers and boost your online presence. But how exactly do you invite them? In this blog post, we’ll discuss why working with influencers is a smart move, how to find the right ones, and how to invite them the right way.

Finding the Right Influencers for Your Restaurant

Not all influencers will be a good fit for your restaurant. You want to work with those who match your brand, have an engaged audience, and create high-quality content. Finding the right ones takes some research, but it’s worth the effort.

Engagement Rate

A high number of followers doesn’t always mean high engagement. Some influencers have large audiences, but their posts may not get many likes, comments, or shares. Look at how people interact with their content.

Are followers genuinely interested, or do they have a lot of bot-like comments? A strong engagement rate means their audience is actively paying attention to what they post, which makes their recommendations more effective.

Audience Demographics

Make sure their followers match your target audience. If your restaurant mainly serves locals, an influencer with followers from another country won’t be as helpful. Look at their audience’s location, age, and interests. The best influencers for your business will have followers who are likely to visit your restaurant.

Content Quality

Review their past posts to see if they create visually appealing and professional content. High-quality photos and videos make a big difference, especially for food-related content. Check if their style matches your restaurant’s brand. A well-edited video or a beautifully shot photo can make your dishes look even more appetizing.

Past Collaborations

See if they’ve worked with other restaurants before and how those posts performed. Look at the engagement on those collaborations—did people ask about the food, location, or menu? If an influencer has a history of successful partnerships with similar businesses, it’s a good sign that they can bring real value to yours.

Invite Influencers to Your Restaurant The Easy Way With Bulba

Want influencers to visit your restaurant and share their experience? With Bulba, you don’t need a big budget or complicated campaigns. You just offer free meals, and in return, influencers post about your place on social media. No cash involved—just great food and real promotion.

No Paid Ads, No Expensive Fees

With Bulba, you don’t have to spend money on ads or pay influencers directly. Instead, you offer free meals in exchange for social media posts. This means real exposure for your restaurant without extra marketing costs.

You don’t even have to find influencers and reach out to them—they will contact you directly through Bulba.

Simple and Fast Process

No complicated contracts or back-and-forth emails. Influencers request a visit through the Bulba app, you approve or reschedule, and they post about their experience within three weeks. It’s a hassle-free way to promote your restaurant.

Real-Time Data for Better Decisions

Bulba connects to Instagram and TikTok to pull real-time influencer data. You can see follower count, engagement rates, and audience demographics before approving a collaboration. This helps you work with influencers who actually reach your target customers.

Affordable for All Businesses

Bulba is the only platform with a volume-based pricing model, making influencer marketing more affordable than ever. Whether you run a small café or a multi-location restaurant, you can launch influencer campaigns without breaking the bank.

Perfect for All Types of Restaurants

Bulba works for every kind of dining spot—cafés, fine dining, fast-casual, bars, and more. No matter your restaurant type, Bulba helps you bring in new customers, increase foot traffic, and boost online engagement.

Turn free meals into real marketing. Get started with Bulba and let local influencers spread the word about your business!

How to Invite Influencers to Your Restaurant (Or Let Bulba Do It for You)

Working with influencers can help bring more people to your restaurant. But reaching out to them the right way takes time. The good news? You don’t have to do it yourself; skip the hassle and let Bulba handle everything for you.

Getting In Touch

The first step to starting influencer marketing is reaching out to the influencers you want to work with. For you, we introduce two ways:

Usual Way

Many influencers prefer a friendly DM on Instagram or TikTok. If they list an email, send a professional message with details about your restaurant and what you’re offering.

The problem? Doing this manually takes time. You have to find the right influencers, check their preferences, send messages, and follow up—all without knowing if they’ll even respond.

Inviting Influencers Through Bulba

With Bulba, you don’t have to do any of this. Influencers come to you instead. Bulba also lets you decide which influencers can send you a request.

In the "Content Requirements" section, you can set eligibility metrics based on the average view count and minimum followers. Since influencers usually don't go alone, you can also set how many people they're allowed to bring with them. You can also set how much content you want and on which social media platforms you want your collaboration to go live.

Bulba also lets you target influencers with a certain niche. For example, since you're planning to invite influencers to your restaurant, you would want an influencer who already produces food-related content because they're likely to have followers who are mainly interested in food.

Simply set "Food & Drink" in the Categories section, and your Campaign will only be visible to food and drink influencers.

Once this is done, you can simply sit and wait for influencers to reach out to you. They send a request for a visit, and you simply approve, reschedule, or decline from your Bulba dashboard. No chasing, no guessing.

Telling Influencers What You Offer

Now, you have to make an offer that makes it worth the influencer's time. Like the previous part, you have two options:

Usual Way

A basic message won’t cut it. Influencers get tons of requests, so yours needs to stand out. Mention their content to show you’ve actually checked it out. Instead of a simple visit, offer something special—like a tasting event, a kitchen tour, or a chat with the chef.

Doing this for every influencer takes time. You’ll need to personalize each message, plan offers, and manage replies. If they don’t answer, should you follow up? If they say no, do you change your offer? It’s a lot to keep track of.

Choosing Clear Collaboration Type on Bulba's Campaign Page

With Bulba, you don’t have to stress over thinking whether an influencer would like your offer.

Influencers on Bulba already know what they're getting the moment they reach out to you. That's because while making a campaign, you have to write what your offer is in detail. We also let you choose between two collaboration types.

• Gifted campaigns: This campaign helps you gain marketing exposure without extra costs. Instead of paying influencers, you offer free meals or experiences for content. This works well during slower periods or with empty seats.
• Paid campaigns: Bulba lets you work with top influencers while controlling costs. You set your budget, and Bulba takes no commission. Paid campaigns also count toward your monthly credits, so there are no extra fees. Many restaurants find this more affordable than traditional methods while still getting great results.

Setting the Time and Date

After an initial agreement to collaborate, the next step is deciding when the collaboration will occur. This can also go both ways.

Usual Way

You have to communicate with the influencer about all the details you need. The time needs to match everyone's schedule, and confirming dates can be an endless back-and-forth.

Setting Availability via Bulba

With Bulba, you can set the dates and times you are available to collaborate. Influencers then see it on your campaign page and if they are okay with it, they send you a request. And that's it.

Our platform provides you with three options for how you want your collaboration to go, such as:

Regular collaboration

This option lets you invite one influencer at a time for different time slots. It’s ideal for steady PR visits where influencers can experience your restaurant in a natural setting. This works well for day-to-day dining experiences or special menu tastings.

One-off event

This option allows you to host multiple influencers at the same time for a special event. It's perfect for grand openings, themed nights, or promotional events where you want more buzz all at once.

Recurring event

This option is similar to a one-off event but happens regularly. For example, you could invite multiple influencers every Monday for a new menu tasting or every Saturday for a themed brunch. It’s a great way to keep your restaurant top of mind with consistent exposure.

Each option can help you attract new customers and build excitement around your restaurant. Bulba makes it easy to manage these collaborations, whether you prefer ongoing visits or larger events.

Encouraging Creative Freedom

Influencers know what works best for their audience, so it's important to let them create content in their own style.

Despite this, it's also important for you to state what you want clearly. Doing this manually can feel awkward, and you don't want to sound demanding.

With Bulba, letting influencers know what you want is easy. All you have to do is write what you need under the "Additional notes" tab. Influencers will quickly see this when they see your campaign on our system, and you have the assurance that anyone who reaches out to you via our platform is totally on board with what you have in mind.

Why Restaurants Work With Influencers

Running a restaurant isn’t just about great food—it’s also about getting people through the door. These days, more and more restaurants are teaming up with influencers to help make that happen.

But what makes this strategy so popular? Let’s break down the biggest reasons why restaurants are jumping on board.

Reach More People

An influencer’s post can introduce your restaurant to thousands—or even millions—of potential customers. Instead of waiting for people to find you, influencer marketing puts your restaurant right in front of an engaged audience.

Here's a simple example. A single TikTok video from a popular food creator can get millions of views. If they highlight your signature dish, people in your area may visit just to try it.

Build Trust

People trust the influencers they follow. When an influencer shares a positive review, their followers feel like they’re getting a personal recommendation. This trust is hard to build through traditional advertising.

But here’s the thing—you’ve got to work with influencers who actually like your food. If it feels fake, people will notice, and it can hurt your reputation instead of helping it.

Increase Engagement

A review, Instagram post, or TikTok video can lead to more comments, shares, and interactions on your restaurant’s page. The more people engage with your restaurant online, the more visible you become.

Influencers can increase engagement in several ways. They can post Instagram stories with polls or Q&As about your restaurant to spark interaction.

Filming TikTok videos that showcase the best menu items helps attract potential customers. Hosting giveaways where followers can win a free meal encourages participation and boosts visibility.

Boost Reservations and Sales

When the right influencer talks about your restaurant, you’ll likely see more customers right away. Some will visit the same day, while others will save it for later.

Influencer posts don’t just bring in foot traffic—they also boost reservations. People might book a table for a date night, family dinner, or special occasion, especially if there’s a limited-time offer or seasonal menu.

The impact goes beyond one post. Followers share their own experiences, tag friends, and keep the buzz going. Some first-time visitors may even turn into regulars, all because they saw a trusted recommendation.

Get Great Content

Influencers create high-quality food photos and videos, which restaurants can reuse on their own social media. This is especially helpful for small restaurants that may not have a professional photographer or marketing team.

Here are some engaging content ideas for restaurant social media. Showcase your dishes with stunning photos by sharing beautiful food photography on Instagram.

Capture the moment with short clips featuring dishes being served. Highlight the dining experience by creating Reels and TikToks that showcase the restaurant’s atmosphere.

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FAQs About How to Invite Influencers to Your Restaurant

How do I ask an influencer to promote my restaurant?

Keep it short and friendly. Tell them you love their content and offer a free meal in exchange for a post. Be clear but casual—no need for a formal pitch.

With Bulba, you don’t have to invite influencers. They come to you! Influencers request a visit through the app, and you approve or decline. It’s the easiest way to attract influencers and boost your social media presence.

How to write an influencer invite?

Start with a friendly message. You can mention why you like their content and invite them for a free meal. Keep it natural and make it clear there’s no pressure.

Bulba makes restaurant influencer marketing effortless. Instead of chasing influencers, they find you. No need to send invites—Bulba connects you with food bloggers and influencers already interested in restaurant reviews.

How do you invite someone to your restaurant?

Keep it simple. Let them know why you’re inviting them, what to expect, and if it’s an influencer event. If they’re a good fit, offer a free meal and let them know how to book.

With Bulba, this happens automatically. Influencers apply, and you approve. No outreach, no hassle—just easy influencer collaboration that fits your influencer marketing strategy.

Do restaurants pay influencers?

Some restaurant owners offer complimentary meals, while others pay for a social media post or a full influencer marketing campaign. Micro-influencers and local influencers often accept free meals, while bigger names in the restaurant industry may require payment.

The best influencer marketing for restaurants balances free experiences with paid collaborations to increase brand awareness and find restaurant influencers who fit the marketing strategy.