How a Montreal Restaurant Chain Grew Covers 60% and Cut OTA Fees.
Client: A Montreal casual dining restaurant chain
Results
Average covers per week across all four locations
Average across all 4 locations, up from 3.8
Combined following built from near-zero active base
Share of reservations now booked direct (vs. commission platforms)
The Challenge
Four locations, declining foot traffic, 3.8 average Google rating. Social media abandoned. No local SEO. Reservation platforms taking commission. The chain needed a full digital reset.
Our Solution
Reputation recovery with response to all existing reviews; bilingual (French/English) local SEO for all four locations; professional content shoots; social media content calendar; direct reservation funnel to reduce platform dependency.
The bilingual approach was exactly what Montreal requires. Our rating went from a liability to something we're proud to show on Google.
Full Story
The Challenge
Montreal's bilingual market has a specific complexity that most digital agencies underestimate: local SEO and social media both need to work in French and English to reach the full addressable market. This chain had four locations, each with different neighbourhood demographics, and a Google rating average of 3.8 that was actively deterring potential diners. Social media had been abandoned. OpenTable and other reservation platforms were taking 15–20% of every booking.
Our Approach
The reputation triage was the urgent first step. Every existing Google review across all four locations received a thoughtful response in the reviewer's language — French or English, matched to the original review. Legitimate complaints were escalated internally and followed up. This alone began shifting the perception of the brand as attentive and responsive.
Bilingual local SEO — service pages, GBP listings, citation builds — ensured the locations were discoverable for French-language searches ("meilleur restaurant brunch Montréal") as well as English. Monthly content shoots produced professional imagery and short-form video for a unified content calendar. A direct booking widget on the website, promoted with a simple "book direct and skip the fees" message, grew direct reservation share to 40%.
Results
Weekly covers grew 60% across all four locations. Google rating improved from 3.8 to 4.6. Social following grew to 18,000. Direct reservation share reached 40%, meaningfully reducing platform commission costs.
The Challenge
- Average Google rating of 3.8 across 4 locations — unanswered negative reviews had accumulated
- Social media accounts abandoned — last post was 4+ months before engagement started
- No local SEO — GBP listings incomplete, inconsistent NAP data across directories
- Reservation platforms taking 15–20% commission on every covered booked
What We Did
- Reputation triage: responded to every existing review in French and English; escalated legitimate complaints internally
- Bilingual local SEO: service pages, GBP listings, and citation builds in both official languages for all four locations
- Monthly professional food and ambiance photography; bilingual content calendar (4 posts/week per location page, aggregated to main channel)
- Short-form video content: chef specials, seasonal menu reveals, kitchen behind-the-scenes
- Direct reservation flow: OpenTable fees reduced by routing 40% of reservations through the website's own booking widget
Service Mix
By the Numbers
| Metric | Before | After | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly covers | baseline | +60% | +60% |
| Average Google rating (4 locations) | 3.8 | 4.6 | +0.8 stars |
| Direct reservation share | ~10% | 40% | +30pp |
| Social following (combined) | <2,000 active | 18,000 | — |
How It Unfolded
Review audit and bilingual response blitz; GBP accuracy corrected for all 4 locations
First content shoot; bilingual content calendar launched; direct booking widget deployed
Local SEO content live; review velocity improving
Rating crosses 4.2 across locations
Social following growing; direct reservation share reaches 25%
Rating at 4.6; covers up 45% vs baseline
60% cover growth; direct reservations at 40%; social at 18K
Typical Outcome Ranges
Frequently Asked Questions
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