In the restaurant world, “Seasonality” is a buzzword for the kitchen. Chefs obsess over getting the first asparagus of Spring or the best truffle in Winter.
But often, the marketing lags behind. We see websites in July (Winter) still promoting Summer spritzers and salads on their homepage. This visual disconnect creates friction.
Your digital presence should mirror your kitchen: Fresh, relevant, and in sync with the season.
The “Marketing Disconnect”
Imagine a customer browsing UberEats or your Instagram on a rainy Tuesday in July. They are cold and hungry.
- Restaurant A shows a bright, backlit photo of a cold poke bowl.
- Restaurant B highlights a steaming claypot of ragu with moody, warm lighting.
Restaurant B wins that click 9 times out of 10. Visuals trigger physical cravings. If your imagery fights against the customer’s current reality (the weather), you lose the sale.
The Strategy: Quarterly Top-Ups
You don’t need a full-day production every three months. The strategy is agile (and pairs perfectly with menu engineering principles):
1. The Core Menu (Annual)
Once a year, shoot your staples—the burger, the signature pasta, the steak frites—that never leave the menu. These are your evergreen assets.
2. The Seasonal Top-Up (Quarterly)
Every 3 months, book a 2-hour “mini-shoot”.
- Shoot: The 4-5 new specials.
- Shoot: New cocktails/drinks.
- Shoot: Ingredients (raw produce shots are great for storytelling).
- Styling: Adjust the props. Linen napkins and heavy stoneware for winter; bright surfaces and glassware for summer.
Benefits Beyond the Menu
1. Social Media Fuel
A single seasonal shoot can provide 3 months of Instagram content.
- week 1: The “New Menu Launch” carousel.
- week 2: Hero shot of the standout dish.
- week 3: Chef plating video (Reel).
- week 4: Ingredient focus.
2. Google Business Profile & SEO
Google aggressively favors businesses that upload photos regularly. It sees a Profile with photos added last week as “active,” and one with photos from 2023 as “dormant.” Regular uploads directly impact your visibility in “Restaurants near me” searches.
3. Email Marketing
“Our New Spring Menu is Here” is the highest-converting subject line a restaurant can send. But it only works if the email body contains drool-worthy photos of that new menu. Text isn’t enough.
Case Study: The “Summer Spritz” Effect
A Perth coastal venue we worked with had great traffic but low beverage spend.
- Action: In November, we did a dedicated “Summer Spritz” shoot—bright, condensation-heavy, sun-drenched cocktail photos.
- Deployment: Used on table talkers (QR codes) and paid Instagram ads targeting a 5km radius.
- Result: Cocktail sales increased 40% YoY for December. The visual cue of a “refreshing drink” matched the customer’s need (heat relief).
Is your website still serving Winter vibes in Summer? Amplify Creative Lab offers seasonal photography retainers designed for Perth restaurants. We keep your content fresh, affordable, and perfectly timed to the seasons. Plan your next shoot with us.