FAQ

Restaurants, hospitality groups, and food brands often come to us with similar questions about how PR works. Below are a few of the topics we’re most often asked about when developing a communications strategy.

  • Restaurant PR introduces a concept to the people who influence where diners go next. Typically, this effort focuses on credible media coverage like news outlets and publications. It all starts with a deep understanding of the story, where we’ll ask essential questions like who’s in the kitchen or who’s the target consumer for this product, and why does it matter right now? From there we develop a strategic plan to introduce that story to the right audiences through targeted media outreach.

    We’re especially proud of the relationships we’ve built over the last 25 years with digital and print food editors, broadcast producers, and influencers who cover restaurants and hospitality. That means we’re uniquely qualified to identify the outlets — from local city publications and national and regional food magazines to broadcast opportunities — and propose coverage to our contacts in a way that aligns with what those outlets actively cover.

    For restaurants preparing to open their doors, hospitality PR agencies also coordinate grand opening publicity, plan preview dinners (“friends and family”), and organize media tastings so journalists can experience the concept in consideration for press coverage. Influencer partnerships and on-site event support are often part of that process as well.

    Our professional support continues well after launch, helping to ensure brands stay relevant and top-of-mind. We assist in promoting seasonal menus, notable chef collaborations, award nominations and wins, brand milestones, and community partnerships that encourage cross-promotion.

    Media relations are often part of a broader strategy that may also include JS2 PR’s hospitality marketing services, such as social media strategy, digital marketing, and brand positioning. These encourage visibility to consumers and sustainable growth for the business.

  • The cost of restaurant PR can vary widely depending on the scope of work. Factors that determine the final cost of each campaign include number of locations, size of market, launch versus ongoing support, and level of media outreach.

    Hospitality brands will typically partner with a restaurant PR agency on a monthly retainer. This approach is advantageous on both ends, enabling the agency to build those essential media relationships over time, maximizing opportunities for coverage. 

    Because every restaurant is unique, JS2 PR’s campaigns are tailored to business goals. We refine custom strategies based on a restaurant’s scale, operating markets, and type of visibility desired.

  • A well-timed pitch may land media coverage in just a few weeks; however, most restaurant PR campaigns build momentum at a slower pace as stories begin circulating among the journalists and producers who cover the hospitality industry. That’s why relationship-building is such an essential part of building a campaign’s foundation. Naturally, this process takes time. 

    Coverage tends to develop over the course of several months, allowing a PR team to reach out to media contacts, arrange previews or tastings, and continue ideating on angles that spotlight the brand in creative, organic ways.

    What does that look like in practice? A grand opening, new chef, or notable menu launch can generate interest from local media and regional or national dining publications. As journalists become familiar with the restaurant, they may start including it in features, stories, and roundups, creating sustained visibility.

  • Absolutely! In many ways, a single location has an even more robust story to tell, like a chef’s personal background, their fresh culinary perspective, or roots in a particular neighborhood.

    Diners who may not otherwise have discovered the restaurant can benefit from this coverage, and a carefully planned restaurant PR strategy delivers the news directly to local food editors and broadcast producers with enormous influence over where people eat. In an ever-crowded restaurant landscape, these kinds of efforts carry enormous weight when it comes to building credibility and recognition.

    Another positive ripple effect: Coverage can effectively strengthen recruitment efforts by attracting professionals who want to work somewhere well-regarded, and encourage pride and retention among existing staff who see their diligence recognized and rewarded.

  • Food and beverage brands are JS2 PR’s core focus and longtime specialty. Our passion for restaurant, hospitality, and consumer food brands enables and empowers our team to turn a compelling concept into media attention that resonates with the right consumers. This means staying on the cutting edge of what editors are covering, how dining trends are evolving, and which outlets have the broadest influence on where and how people eat, drink, and shop. 

    For more than two decades, we’ve proudly partnered with a huge range of restaurants, chefs, restaurant groups, consumer food companies, and hospitality brands, leveraging our long-standing relationships with those who cover restaurants and culinary culture.

    Our portfolio underscores this expertise more each year. JS2 PR has supported restaurant launches like Bacari Silver Lake, which generated more than 45 media placements and helped establish Bacari Silverlake as an LA dining destination. Notable CPG launches, such as the introduction of Finless Foods’ plant-based tuna product, secured features in national digital outlets like Forbes, reaching hundreds of millions of readers. 

    Feel free to read more case studies like these here.

  • Rather than pitching broadly, experienced teams like JS2 PR focus on the journalists and producers most likely to connect with and amplify a restaurant’s story. That targeted approach helps secure coverage in outlets like:

    Outreach includes a strategic mix of print, digital, and broadcast outlets like local dining publications, regional lifestyle magazines, national food and travel media, and industry trade publications and newsletters with high subscriber numbers.

  • Public relations and marketing complement each other while serving different but crucial roles in reputation-building. 

    Marketing typically refers to paid channels — advertising, sponsored social media, email campaigns, and other forms of promotion — where a brand controls the message and placement from within. These tools are most effective for reaching targeted audiences and driving immediate awareness.

    Instead of paid placement, PR’s focus is on earned media, or editorial coverage published or broadcast independently from an unaffiliated third party. When a restaurant is featured in a dining guide, for example, that exposure imparts a higher level of credibility since it’s not directly connected to any kind of advertising. You’d rather get a dining recommendation from a trusted friend than from the restaurant itself, right?   

    At JS2 PR, media outreach is coordinated alongside digital marketing and social media strategy. That way, attention from press coverage works hand-in-hand with other channels. In short, PR and marketing blend together, creating a complete path to visibility; however the credibility and authority earned through media coverage is both essential and difficult to replicate.

  • Most definitely! Restaurant openings are some of the most exciting campaigns we work on. Why? Launching a new concept is a rare moment to capture curiosity at its highest, and that curiosity fuels our passion for this exact work. 

    Diners always want to know what’s coming to their neighborhood and editors are always looking for the next story. A tailored, timely PR strategy makes the most of that brief but crucial window.

    When it comes to new restaurants, the team at JS2 PR begins working months before opening day, refining the restaurant’s story, introducing key players to media contacts, and planning preview opportunities so reporters and influencers can immerse themselves in the experience ahead of time. 

    That foundation expands into launch events designed to generate early coverage, and outreach continues with new story angles to keep the restaurant in conversations long after the doors open. New menu item that reinvents the season’s hottest produce? Community partnership that helps rehome surplus food? We help those moments shine.

  • As a secondary benefit of “the media effect,” a restaurant earning coverage from media outlets can raise awareness in a way that feels organic rather than promotional. That kind of visibility tends to carry more weight when it comes to increasing table turnover. For many hospitality brands, that often leads to a stronger demand for reservations, and a reputation that extends well beyond the immediate neighborhood — ultimately leading to a boost in revenue. 

    At JS2 PR, our campaigns are designed to develop and expand those moments of discovery, keeping restaurants in the conversations diners are already having about where to eat next.

  • We do! We’ve had countless hospitality groups reach out as they prepare to bring an established concept to a new locale, and we’re always happy to help. 

    Opening a second or third location comes with a different set of challenges. While the brand may already have developed its reputation, diners, media, and hospitality professionals in the new market still need to be introduced. That’s where our tailored media strategy comes into play.

    JS2 PR coordinates outreach to local editors and broadcast producers while ensuring brand consistency across all platforms with the goal of generating early awareness. They’ll introduce the restaurant to the right audiences in a way that makes sense for their specific community, and position it as a noteworthy addition to the local dining scene. This involves aligning a targeted local strategy with the stories and voice that led the initial location to succeed in its market.

  • PR’s value comes from a restaurant appearing in media, as well as how its story is positioned and whether any given coverage effectively reaches its intended audiences.

    Strong media placement can influence how a restaurant is perceived long before someone’s party is seated. In fact, a single feature can often carry more weight than a handful of brief mentions (think national digital food publication versus regional morning show or local blog). 

    Success can also be measured by how consistently the restaurant appears in editorial roundups and trend stories: an indicator of whether journalists are reaching out for commentary or perspectives to keep up the momentum.

    At JS2 PR, we evaluate media coverage alongside the client’s broader goals, for example: building recognition, supporting expansion, attracting a more robust talent pool, or helping to establish a chef as a voice of leadership and innovation.

  • Yes, and when it comes to restaurant and hospitality influencer partnerships, we’ve found that working alongside the right influencers outweighs focusing on the biggest ones. After all, a credible recommendation from a creator whose audience genuinely cares about local dining can drive some of the most meaningful interest.

    Let’s step back for a moment: In general terms, influencers are creators with established audiences on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube who share recommendations with their followers. Within that group are “micro-influencers” who tend to have smaller but more highly engaged audiences. They have anywhere from 5,000 up to 50,000 followers who trust their opinions about where to eat, drink, and socialize.

    At JS2 PR, we approach influencers with the same care as we would traditional editors and producers — vetting for audience alignment, content quality, and potential conflicts before inviting them to tastings, openings, or culinary experiences.

  • JS2 PR was established in 2001 and over the years has developed and honed its reputation in the food, beverage, and hospitality worlds. Since its founding, the agency has focused almost entirely on helping restaurants, chefs, restaurant groups, and consumer food brands earn meaningful media attention and build lasting reputations. Our team members come to JS2 PR because they’re passionate about the industry, and stay for years because we intentionally cultivate a respectful working environment where everyone’s contributions are visible and highly valued. 

    Our industry specialization shapes how our team works. We don’t handle media outreach through broad, generic pitching hoping something sticks. Our longtime relationships with food editors, dining writers, producers, and hospitality industry journalists have been cultivated over many years, which enables us to approach stories with a clear sense of what will resonate, where it belongs, and when to activate. 

    Another difference is the level of strategic involvement clients receive. JS2 PR’s campaigns are guided by experienced leadership, and every program is tailored to the brand’s goals, from restaurant openings and chef-driven concepts to consumer food products and multi-location hospitality groups.

    Our client roster reflects that range, with brand partners like:

    More than anything, however, JS2 PR’s approach is rooted in partnership. Our longtime guiding light — “whatever it takes” — is about showing up every day for clients, analyzing operational snags for creative problem-solving opportunities, and executing every task with careful attention to detail so we can transform compelling food and hospitality concepts into the stories the media wants to tell.

  • Most of our engagements are structured as monthly retainers, which allows the work to unfold strategically over time. One of the most important lessons we’ve learned over 25 years in the industry: The strongest media relationships develop gradually and naturally. 

    That said, not every engagement needs to be long-term. Many clients have come to JS2 PR with a defined moment to amplify, like an opening, partnership, food festival appearance, or significant announcement. In those cases, we’re happy to design a project-based campaign built around a specific milestone, and our approach remains the same: thoughtful storytelling, targeted media outreach, and a strategy tailored to the moment at hand.

  • Let’s begin with a conversation! 

    An initial consultation gives the JS2 PR team a chance to learn more about the brand, the story behind the concept, and the goals you hope to reach through public relations. While many projects are associated with an event, like a restaurant launch, others simply seek to strengthen a brand’s visibility within the competitive dining landscape.

    In the early stages, we’ll focus closely on understanding target audiences, geographic markets, upcoming milestones, and the role PR can play in supporting the brand’s goals. Those insights help shape a strategy that feels intentional and realistic, rather than formulaic or overly ambitious.  

    Next, we’ll develop a proposal that outlines the recommended scope of work, including the media opportunities we’ll pursue, and a timeline designed to build momentum with those who cover the hospitality industry.

    We design each and every program individually, rather than pulling from template libraries. Why? Because each and every brand is unique in different ways that are important to recognize. This approach is how we ensure our outreach strategy aligns organically with the brand’s story and audience.

  • A team like ours that has worked across the food and beverage space for decades knows how to navigate real moments without overcorrecting or losing momentum. After all, restaurants don’t operate in a vacuum. Opening timelines shift, reviews land unexpectedly, trends evolve rapidly, and challenges can surface without warning. We’ve truly seen it all! 

    That experience also shows up in smaller, less visible ways. A few examples are knowing when a story is ready to be shared, and when it needs more time; recognizing which media opportunities are worth pursuing and which ones may not serve the brand; and spotting potential snags before they become larger issues.

    At JS2 PR, experience means being able to approach opportunities and challenges alike with a steady hand and unshakable foundation. As you’ll see if you choose to work with us, our team isn’t easily rattled, and we’re comfortable addressing complex situations directly as they arise, whether that means adjusting strategy in real time, guiding messaging through multiple iterations, or helping a client navigate a sensitive moment with understanding and compassion. 

    That level of perspective has lead us to stronger decision-making, more in-depth storytelling, and PR strategies proven to hold up under pressure.

  • JS2 PR works with restaurant and hospitality brands across the country, with deep experience in key dining markets.

    Our team is based in Southern California and supports clients throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, as well as Northern California markets including San Francisco, Sacramento, Palo Alto, and Walnut Creek.

    Beyond California, JS2 PR regularly works in Las Vegas, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Scottsdale, New York, Seattle, Portland, Miami, and Chicago.

    Each market has its own media landscape, dining culture, and customer expectations. A story that resonates in Los Angeles may benefit from a different angle in Chicago or New York. JS2 PR approaches each location with that context in mind, tailoring outreach to local editors, producers, and creators while maintaining a consistent narrative that reinforces each brand’s unique history.