Marketing Par Levels: Keep It Stocked, Keep It Spontaneous

Just like your kitchen needs par levels to stay ready, your marketing needs systems that balance consistency with spontaneity.

Walk into any well-run kitchen and you’ll find systems that keep operations flowing smoothly, even during the chaos of a summer dinner rush. Par levels—those minimum stock quantities that ensure you never run out of essentials—are the backbone of consistent service. Your walk-in is stocked, your prep lists are checked, and your team is prepared for the next shift.

Your restaurant’s marketing deserves a similar, thoughtful approach but with a twist that most content calendars overlook entirely….

The Problem with Perfect Planning

I’ve seen restaurants struggle with social media during their busiest months. Some get stuck in rigid content calendars, while others freeze without any plan at all. Both approaches miss the mark. Restaurant life is spontaneous by nature—Tuesday’s special sells out by 6 PM, a regular customer celebrates their anniversary at table twelve, or the morning delivery includes stunning local corn that wasn’t on anyone’s content plan—these are the moments that create authentic, engaging posts.

Yet most marketing advice pushes restaurants toward scheduling posts well in advance, which can make you miss the authentic moments unfolding in real time—or worse, ignore them because you’ve already “covered” social media for the day.

“Reserve about 60% of your posting capacity for what unfolds in real time during your day…”

Instead of treating your social media like side-work to get through, think of it like your walk-in cooler. You need certain staples always ready to go, but you also need space and flexibility for the unexpected gems that walk through your door. Leaving room for spontaneity means more than just posting about an impromptu seafood special or a gorgeous delivery of local produce. It’s about having the nerve, the system, and the skillset to capture and share the moment—trusting that what moves you will move your audience too.

Maintaining Marketing Par Levels for Engaging Content Creation in Restaurants

Just as successful restaurants never run out of essential ingredients, your social media presence should never run dry of compelling content ready to serve your audience.

Your Marketing Walk-In Should Always Have:

• High-quality photos of your most popular dishes, but keep them fresh—that photo of your signature dish from March won’t cut it in June
• Behind-the-scenes shots—hands kneading dough, flames on the grill, your team in action
• Quick video clips of signature preparations (these never get old and can be repurposed endlessly)
• Photos and stories that showcase your restaurant’s culture ready to share during slower posting periods

Make it a habit to consistently capture your core money-makers. In addition to your food, this can also be your people, events, seasonal focus, and community-driven. Build a library in the cloud of popular dishes, behind-the-scenes moments, and culture-supporting material. This is your evergreen content—reliable and reusable throughout the year.

Your Spontaneity Par Level. This is where the magic happens. Reserve about 60% of your posting capacity for what unfolds in real time during your day. The team member who just celebrated five years with you. The family of four who drove two hours specifically for your lobster roll. The gorgeous sunset visible from your patio during tonight’s service.

The Summer Rush Strategy

During peak season, your marketing par levels become even more critical. You’re too busy to overthink content, which means you need systems that capture great moments without disrupting service.

Multi-Device is a Must
Keep a dedicated smartphone, or multiple dedicated devices, connected to Wi-Fi and stationed at the restaurant specifically for capturing visuals. Modern devices are affordable, and having one or more on hand empowers your team to document the magic in real time.

The 24-Hour Window
Fresh beats flawless. That photo of your team cranking out the 50th special of the night? That’s gold. Post it with a quick caption about the hustle, the heat, and the hands that made it happen. Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment or save it for next week’s special, momentum can generate more return than waiting for the right timing. The sooner you share, the sooner your guests see it, feel it, and crave it.

Staff as Storytellers
Your servers and cooks witness moments you miss. Give them permission and tools to capture what they see. Their perspective often resonates more authentically than anything you could script. By utilizing a dedicated device which auto-uploads directly to your cloud library for review and approval, you’re building a safe, structured system—not encouraging staff to post independently, but empowering them to contribute to your brand’s story responsibly.

Avoid the Calendar Trap

The most engaging restaurant social media accounts I follow don’t feel managed—they feel lived.

They capture the energy, surprises, and genuine personality that make people want to visit. This doesn’t happen when you’re posting Tuesday’s content on Tuesday because that’s what the calendar says.

Your marketing par levels should support spontaneity, not constrain it. Keep your foundational content stocked and ready, but leave room for the stories that unfold naturally in your restaurant every single day. Because in the end, your customers aren’t following you for your posting schedule—they’re following you for the experience you create, one spontaneous, delicious moment at a time.

By Luke LaBree 🔎
CMO, Dennis Food Service