Restaurant Marketing in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach's 552 full-service restaurants employed 11,355 people in 2023, about 20 per restaurant (County Business Patterns), and they compete with 482 quick-service spots for the same diners. We help restaurants here fill tables with accurate Google listings, social and search campaigns, online ordering, private event pages and guest email lists that bring people back after the season ends.
Dining room realities in Virginia Beach
Patios on public property
Since 1985 the City's Café Franchise Program has let outdoor cafés operate on City property in the Resort Area, with City Council approval under Section 33-114.3 and regulations adopted in 2020. Eligible restaurants sit in the RT or OR zoning districts and offer waited service and a full menu on real dishware; quick-service spots are excluded unless granted an exception as Fully Certified Virginia Green Partners. An approved oceanfront patio is worth showing off in every listing.
A $2 billion hospitality market
Economic Census figures in QuickFacts put 2022 sales for accommodation and food services businesses in Virginia Beach at about $2.0 billion. Restaurants share that market with hotels and resorts, and many guests choose where to eat from the same phone search they used to find their room.
Meals tax and service charges
The City collects a 6 percent meals tax on prepared food and drinks, due by the 20th of each month, and a mandatory gratuity of up to 20 percent of the sale is not taxed. Online menus and ordering pages should show service charges clearly, so the final bill does not surprise anyone.
Restaurant challenges in a resort city
First-time diners
Visitors decide from map results and photos, often within a few blocks. A complete Google profile with current hours, menu and recent photos does more than any slogan.
Hiring for the rush
Summer crowds need full crews in the kitchen and on the floor. Job posts, a careers page and social recruiting that start in spring help staff the busiest weeks.
Regulars in the off-season
Residents carry a restaurant through winter. Email and text lists, local events and neighborhood offers keep them coming back when the visitors leave.
Restaurant marketing services
Areas we serve
Restaurant campaigns we run can put your menu in front of locals and beachgoers searching from these places:
- Chesapeake
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- Portsmouth
- Newport News
- Hampton
- Sandbridge
- Town Center
Questions and answers
In the Resort Area, possibly. The City's Café Franchise Program allows outdoor cafés on public property for eligible restaurants in the RT and OR zoning districts with waited, full-menu service on non-disposable dishware, subject to City Council approval. The first step is a feasibility check with the City's Strategic Growth Area Office.
By owning their part of town. Strong rankings for searches near home and work, weeknight specials, family offers and email lists of regulars let an inland restaurant thrive without beach traffic.
Yes, every guest, the same way, without incentives. A card with the check, a QR code or a follow-up email after online orders works well. Reply to all reviews, good and bad, briefly and politely.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns: Virginia Beach city, VA
- City of Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau: Resort Area Outdoor Cafe Franchise Program
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Virginia Beach city, Virginia (2025 estimates, 2020 to 2024 ACS, 2022 Economic Census)
- City of Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue: Other Taxes (meals and lodging)
Checked 2026-10-31.