Several weeks ago in this column, I laid out the power of the 1-Page Marketing Promo Planner, a simple framework we created to help pizzeria owners execute focused, effective campaigns. That article struck a chord because it tackled what most of you ignore: execution.
This week, I want to show you exactly how it works in the real world.
The 100-Sandwich Hustle
Recently, I saw a restaurant owner on Instagram documenting his journey to sell 100 breakfast sandwiches a day. On day five, he’d sold 29. The sandwiches looked amazing. He had energy, momentum and good content.
But I couldn’t help but wonder: Does he have a plan, or is he just posting and praying?
So I asked him in the comments: “What are you doing to market it?”
Crickets.
Related: 8 Must-Have Marketing Funnels Part 1: Dave Portnoy Just Took Your Pizzeria Viral…Now What?
Praying ≠ Planning
Here’s the truth: Most pizzerias approach marketing like a game of roulette. They spin the wheel with a social post, cross their fingers, and hope customers show up. They think today’s digital marketing is the place for their lame print ads from 20 years ago.
But hope is not a marketing strategy. Planning is.
That’s where the A.B.R. Formula comes in:
- Attract: Create an irresistible offer that gets attention (like a free breakfast sandwich).
- Build: Collect customer data, email, phone and Messenger into a usable database.
- Retain: Follow up through text, email and social content to bring people back again and again.
One Page. Unlimited ROI.
This is exactly what our 1-Page Marketing Promo Planner was built for. Whether your goal is 100 sandwiches, 50 catering orders, or 20 new loyalty members, this sheet gives you clarity and control. It forces you to ask:
- What’s the offer?
- Who’s the target?
- How will we build the list?
- What’s our follow-up?
Without this, you’re just winging it.
What If You Gave Away 1,000 Sandwiches?
Sounds crazy, right? But what if that’s what it takes? Too many times, owners think, “I can’t afford to give away food, it will crush my food cost.” Well, if you don’t, it will crush your growth. And it shouldn’t hit your food cost on the P&L; it should hit your marketing expense line.
And on top of that, what’s the best way to prove to someone how great your food is? For them to try it! So, pizzeria owners, let’s “put our money where our mouth is!”
If your specialty sandwich is that good, give 1,000 away in the next 30 days. Sure, you’ll incur an expense for all the free food. But if you do it right, you’ll 100x that investment. Why? Because the only way someone should ever get something free from your pizzeria is when they give you something. In this case, they’re giving you their contact information.
By giving away 1,000 breakfast sandwiches, the aforementioned restaurant owner would be able to:
- Get hundreds of people to try his product.
- Build a massive customer database from people who raised their hands through social media engagement (rather than just opened their mailbox).
- Gain real traction toward that 100-per-day goal.
If his sandwich is that good and he delivers exceptional hospitality, then 100 sandwiches will soon be his low point.
That’s called investing in acquisition, not burning money.
Real Talk: What’s Your CAC?
That brings us to a question many of you don’t know or track: your customer acquisition cost or CAC. In order to gain belief in marketing and understand how to grow your sales, you have to understand what it actually costs to gain a new customer.
Let’s assume, for this example, that that owner offers to give away 1,000 free sandwiches:
- Only 30% of those will be redeemed, so 300 x approximately $3 food cost = $900.
- Facebook ads to gain 1,000 opt-ins should be approximately $2,000.
So he’s got a cost of $2,900. Assuming 30% of customers redeem this promotion, his CAC is $9.66.
But that’s not the entire story. That’s only factoring in the 300 customers who visited due to the promo. Our America’s Best Restaurants clients see another 30% of those customers visiting within a year without using that promo, simply from the marketing they get from the pizzeria. So, in reality, his CAC is $4.83. I got that number by taking the original 300 customers and the future 300 customers and dividing the expense of $2,900 by 600.
Spending $5 to $10 to get a customer’s data and a visit is cheap! Remember, you’re not spending money to acquire the customer’s first visit; you’re doing it to acquire the next 100 visits.
The Bottom Line
The restaurant I mentioned has started on the right path by using video storytelling, but that won’t get him where he wants to go. The difference between 29 and 100 sandwiches daily is planning the journey, not just praying for the outcome.
That’s where you win. That’s where the 1-Page Promo Planner becomes your secret weapon.
Want the free 1-Page Planner? Grab it here: www.mattplapp.live/promo.
My name is Matt Plapp. I’m the CEO of America’s Best Restaurants. I’ve worked with thousands of restaurants since 2008 when I started this company, and over the next 12 months, we will help 2,500-plus restaurants with their marketing. This is the latest article in a weekly column for PMQ to help restaurant owners understand the gold mine we have to market in 2025—and beyond.
