By Matt Plapp
If you want to grow your sales and dominate your community like no pizza chain ever could, here’s your three-step blueprint. It’s simple. It works. And it’s built for local legends.
First, imagine this: Your pizzeria replaces the hometown newspaper as the place locals turn to see what’s happening. Well, here’s the great news: It’s easy!
The solution is in your pocket—or maybe in your hand: Pull out your phone, reach out to the locals your customers should know about and start telling stories.
3 Steps to Success
Before I give you a plan you can copy and paste into your marketing strategy, let’s review the three steps:
Step 1: Don’t Be a M.I.N.O. (Member in Name Only)
Most restaurants simply exist in their community—meaning they have a piece of real estate and run some ads. But the best ones are everywhere, partnering, showing up and getting attention year-round.
Stop blending in. Start showing up.
Step 2: Tell Stories
Nobody wants to hear you brag about your pizza every single day. But they’d love to hear about the girls’ basketball team’s playoff run or the band headed to nationals.
Stories build connection. Connection builds loyalty.
Step 3: Help Others Sell Their Stuff
This is the secret most restaurants never figure out. Your Facebook and/or Instagram page is a media outlet. Use it to help local teams, nonprofits and business owners get attention, too.
When you give your platform to others, they return the favor 10 times. That’s how you build unstoppable momentum and a brand people rally around.
The “Dream 23” Strategy
This is Matt Plapp’s version of the classic “Dream 100” from the marketing world—but built for local restaurants. Here’s how it works:
Option 1: The Dream 23 Coaches Plan
- Find 23 coaches in your local schools
- Message them. Invite them in.
- Record a five- to 10-minute video about their team, goals, season, fundraiser or whatever they care about.
- Post it to your Facebook page and collaborate/tag the team, school, parents and players.
- Rinse and repeat!
Option 2: The Dream 23 Business Owners Plan
- Pick 23 small businesses within a few miles of your shop.
- Invite the owners to your restaurant or set up a video chat.
- Record a five- to 10-minute video where they tell their story, show a product or highlight an offer.
- Tag, collaborate, support and spotlight them, publicly and proudly!
Now you’ve got 46 weeks of nonpromotional, high-engagement content. Why not 52? Because life happens: holidays, events, one-offs. Leave a little room for other content, too.
Bonus: Real Restaurants Doing the Dream Right
Still not sure how this looks? Here are a few owners who do this consistently, each in their own style. It’s not about doing it exactly the same way, it’s about simply doing it all the time, over a long period of time.
Steal these ideas:
- Bravo Burrito: Owner Mike Lardy hypes up a community event on his personal account, then shares to the business page. Watch it here.
- Stuff’D Steaks & Hoagies: Here’s an A+ example of a local owner telling stories, going live and making content that connects. Watch it here.
Final Mission: Make One Video Per Week That’s Not About You
That’s it. Aim for one video every week that tells someone else’s story, helps someone else win, and makes your restaurant a connector in your community.
Do this over the next 52 weeks, and your pizza shop won’t just be selling pies. You’ll be building a truly local brand—a local touchstone that the chains can’t touch.
My name is Matt Plapp. I’m the CEO (chief energy officer) 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 my biweekly column for PMQ to help restaurant owners understand the gold mine we have to market in 2026—and beyond.
