Apr 8, 2023
Understanding The Restaurant Chain’s Challenge
For more than a decade, Mama Sushi has built a legendary reputation in New York City by pioneering the Asian-Latin fusion category. Founded in Inwood by restaurateur Susana Osorio, the brand developed a cult following at their original Dyckman Street location. Yet, expanding into the Bronx, Queens, and Passaic, New Jersey, presented a new hurdle. The team struggled to ensure that these newer venues generated their own dedicated fanbase rather than relying solely on spillover traffic. Selling the food was not enough; they needed to export their specific "vibe"—a high-energy blend of nightlife, music, and inventive dishes—and implement a digital strategy that could reliably bring hungry patrons to every door.
The Smart Google Ads Strategy
The solution centered on a focused Google Ads plan that used both hyper-local search and remarketing campaigns. First, the team defined a clear audience. Ads targeted people in the New York Metro area who were actively searching for nightlife dining or specific cravings, using geofencing to target a three-mile radius around each location. Dynamic keywords ensured that the ads closely matched high-intent searches—targeting niche terms like "Latin sushi," "Dominican sushi," and "sushi with sweet plantain"—which increased relevance and encouraged more clicks.
Every click sent users to a visual-heavy landing page, not a generic text-based homepage. Visitors saw high-quality images of signature dishes like the "Morengue" and "Boca Chica" rolls, along with reservation availability for their specific borough. This immediately signaled that this was not an average sushi spot, helping visitors feel confident about booking a table. To stay in front of hungry prospects, the campaign also included remarketing ads that reminded previous visitors to return and finalize their dinner plans or delivery orders.
The Results Unveiled
With a calculated monthly budget, the campaigns produced meaningful results. Over time, Mama Sushi generated 145,200 ad impressions, significant spikes in table reservations, and a consistent stream of online delivery orders, with a click-through rate of 4.15 percent. By highlighting specific items like the "El Campesino" roll, conversion rates soared, giving the business a steady flow of high-intent diners for its expansion locations in the Bronx and New Jersey.
These numbers translated directly into fully booked weekends and a robust weekday lunch crowd. By pairing precise audience targeting with appetizing ad copy and strong, vibe-centric landing pages, the company turned Google Ads into a dependable revenue engine instead of a short-term experiment.
Turning Insights Into Your Next Campaign
This case study shows that a unique restaurant concept can thrive online with the right structure and focus. The key lessons are simple. Know exactly who you want to serve and don't hide your niche. Align keywords, ads, and landing pages with specific menu items and the energy of your venue. Use remarketing to bring hungry visitors back at the moment they are ready to eat.
When these pieces work together, even a competitive hospitality market can yield a powerful pipeline of qualified diners. For restaurant groups that rely on filled seats and consistent orders, this kind of paid search strategy is not just a nice-to-have, it is a direct path to measurable growth.