Photography and Video to Advertise a New Restaurant
A high school classmate recently opened a new version of his restaurant in my hometown. This provided me with an excuse to visit family back home. And while I was there, an opportunity to create visuals for a restaurant promo. And I loved the idea of being able to help market and promote my friend’s new venture!
Lula and Sadies is a “fine southern eatery” in a newly renovated historic building in Durham, NC. Specializing in southern comfort food, the Lakewood restaurant is quickly growing a loyal following. Their food is cooked fresh, to order, and uses sustainably raised and grown ingredients from regional farms and purveyors. Owner Harry S Monds, or “H2” as he’s known, is a truly good guy – and has been in the restaurant business since 1991.
Lula & Sadie’s is a family-owned business, a Veteran-owned business, and a minority-owned business. Harry’s son Harry M Monds (or “H3”) is the head Chef. He collaborates with his father on imagining and creating atypical but very interesting new dishes. And Dorian, another of H2’s sons, also works the kitchen assisting his brother. Of course his wife Pam and mom Lula participate as well, making it a true family collaboration.
Analyzing a restaurant promo showed that I would need several types of visuals, some of which I have much less experience with than my usual work:
- Interior photos (architectural)
- Exterior photos (architectural)
- Portraits
- Food photography
- Lifestyle photography
- Video including all of the above
Restaurant Portraits and Lifestyle
The featured image at the top of this page is an executive portrait of my classmate and friend, Harry Monds. I truly love this image of him in his environment! I also captured portraits of head Chef H3 and the restaurant’s Manager Nicole. And of course some “action shots” of the crew doing what they do best.
Restaurant Interiors
The interior of the restaurant shows nice large dining area, illuminated by full-length windows up front. A really cool round booth can accommodate a larger group intimately. Artwork from local artists, to be rotated monthly, line the walls.
The bar area is a separated area, with a clear roll-up door to bathe the area in sunlight during the day, and create a cool ambiance in the evenings.
Food Photography
Food photography is a must for a restaurant promo. I was really happy with the drink photos I captured, reminiscent of the cocktails I shot for the House of Blues in Dallas (featured in our Hero Shot article). Shooting everything with a consistent look is a challenge. That consistency eliminates the option to highlight different aspects of different dishes. And working in a small corner definitely limits your setup options. I learned that photography in a full restaurant is more of a challenge than I anticipated. Particularly if you want to avoid getting in the way of busy staff or annoying those dining. Kudos to those product photographers who excel at it. I now have a new respect for food photographers and the magic that they are able to create!
Video – Restaurant Commercial Promo
For a video I wanted to highlight a busy restaurant, within the confines of a standard 30-second commercial. This is an important part of marketing for a restaurant promo. My goal was to create something that could be shared on social media, and perhaps on the restaurant’s website. The video below is what I came up with, although I am also working on a 60-second version as well. Feel free to “Like” 👍 and share!
Restaurant Promo Finale
We closed out the last evening of photography with a sunset shot on the rooftop deck. In my opinion, this is a most excellent way to end a day!
If you have a chance, I’d encourage you to visit Lula & Sadie’s restaurant! Or, as H2 would say, “put some South in Yo’ mouth!” 😄 They are located at 2022 Chapel Hill Road, Durham, NC 27707, by the Lakewood shopping center.
And if you own a restaurant that could use some restaurant promo – or new photography or video for your marketing and advertising – please contact Morton Visuals! We’d love to be of service!
