The Nerd Shop · Take-out menu
CMO-level marketing,
to go.
Books, guides and templates from a former restaurant CMO, built for owners who are done doing marketing at midnight.
Why the Nerd Shop
Nothing like it existed. So I built it.
There was no single place where marketers and restaurant owners could get the plans, playbooks and templates it takes to run a real marketing department. So I recreated the best systems I’ve used throughout my career and packaged them here, priced affordably for every size of operation, from independent restaurants to multi-unit groups and franchises.
Read it
E-books
Books you can finish on a slow Tuesday and use on a busy Saturday.
Rules of the Nerd
15 rules, real stories and step-by-step how-tos for filling tables. Witty, nerdy and relentlessly practical.
Nerd Out Over AI
AI for every line of your marketing plan, plus the back of house and the office, with 60+ copy-and-paste prompts.
Nerd Out Over AI: Pocket Edition
The essential prompts and methods from Nerd Out Over AI at half the length, including the P.L.A.T.E. prompt.
Do it yourself
Marketing Guides
Step-by-step playbooks for the jobs that actually move covers, check average and repeat visits.
The Restaurant Marketing Playbook: Starter
Score your marketing out of 100 in 20 minutes, then fix it with checklists for every channel and a 12-month promo calendar.
The Restaurant Marketing Playbook: Complete
Everything in Starter, plus 30-Day Quick Wins, a 90-Day Growth Plan and copy-and-paste templates for reviews, email, text, social and staff.
Menu Math for Normal Humans
Plate costing, pricing and menu engineering without the spreadsheet dread.
Open Strong
The 90-day pre-opening marketing playbook, from first announcement to soft opening and the first 30 days.
Regulars Only
Turn first visits into fifth visits with the R.E.G.S. method, a visit ladder and message templates.
Book the Room
The private events playbook: pricing, packages and the R.S.V.P. method for turning inquiries into deposits.
Fill in the blanks
Templates & Tools
Ready-made templates, spreadsheets and copy. Add your name, numbers and logo.
2027 Restaurant Marketing Calendar
Every holiday, food day and plan-ahead date for 2027, plus a one-promotion-a-month planner.
Restaurant Marketing Plan Template
A full annual marketing plan, ready to fill in: budget, KPIs, menu, digital, events, holidays and measurement.
The Menu Nerd Calculator
Sorts every dish into Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles and Dogs and tells you what to do with each.
Event Sales Kit
Package sheets, a proposal, an event order (BEO) and nine follow-up emails, in editable Word files.
The Social Menu
30 editable Canva post templates, each with a caption you can copy, tweak and post.
The S.A.L.T. Shaker
100 ready-to-use replies for the reviews restaurants get most, from raves to rants.
Plan the year
Holiday Campaign Kits
Each kit has a 60-day runway with every 2027 date filled in, ready-to-post copy and six editable Canva templates.
Planning this New Year's Eve? The 2026 kit is free with the free toolkit. Want all nine 2027 kits? Grab the bundle.
Fill more seats
Grow Sales
Copy, offers and outreach that turn first visits into regulars and slow nights into full ones.
Gift Card Season Kit
Sell more holiday gift cards: offer, six-week calendar, scripts, signs and every message.
Menu Copy Pack
Five formulas, word lists and 135 sample descriptions that make guests order the dish.
52-Week Email & SMS Library
A full year of ready-to-send guest emails and texts for 2027, tied to real dates.
LTO & Happy Hour Launch Kit
Pick a profitable offer, launch it in six weeks and decide to keep, kill or bring it back.
Catering & Off-Premise Sales Kit
Find catering accounts, win the first order with a 4-touch sequence and keep the reorders coming.
Influencer & Creator Kit
Find the right local creators, host them well and know what every partnership earned.
Loyalty Program Design Workbook
Design a loyalty program step by step, then see exactly what it costs and what it needs to earn.
Guest Survey & NPS Kit
Surveys, NPS scoring, follow-up scripts and an analyzer that shows what guests really think.
Get found, stay loved
Visibility & Reputation
Show up on Google, look delicious online, earn press and handle the bad nights with a plan.
Google Business Profile Playbook
Your best table is on Google Maps. Claim, complete and run your profile like a pro.
Local SEO & Website Audit Checklist
Score your website, listings and reviews on 50 points, then fix what matters first.
Phone Photo & Video Shot List
Food photos and short videos that make people hungry, shot on the phone you already have.
PR Starter Kit
Story angles, pitch emails, press releases and a media tracker to get your restaurant covered.
Crisis & Reputation Response Playbook
What to do, say and not say when something goes wrong, with 12 ready holding statements.
For groups & franchises
Run the Department
The budgets, dashboards, standards and templates multi-unit marketing teams run on.
Marketing Budget & ROI Calculator
Plan spend by channel and month, then measure what every campaign actually returned.
Multi-Location KPI Dashboard
One weekly scoreboard for up to 10 locations: sales, costs, reviews and guest growth.
Competitive Audit Template
Compare yourself with up to five competitors, score 10 areas and rank your biggest gaps.
Local Store Marketing Playbook
Win the three miles around every location with 40 local tactics and a 2027 calendar.
Brand Standards Template
A fill-in Word brand book with guidance in every section and a complete example.
Campaign Brief & Approval Kit
Briefs that get good creative, approvals that don’t stall and a tracker that flags late work.
Agency RFP & Scorecard
Hire the right agency fairly with an RFP, interview kit and weighted scoring matrix.
Marketing Hiring Kit
Four job descriptions, interview questions, test assignments and a 30-60-90 plan.
Annual Plan Presentation Deck
A 20-slide editable PowerPoint for presenting next year’s plan and getting a yes.
Done for you
Restaurant Marketing Audit
Want a former restaurant CMO to look under the hood? Get a scored, 10-area review of your marketing with a clear plan of attack.
Order the combo
Bundles
Products that work better together.
Always cooking
New tools every month
New products and free tools are added to the shop every month, so check back often. Don’t see what you need? Reach out and the nerds can create it for you.
Free · No credit card
Start with the free toolkit
The AI Starter Playbook, the AI Quick-Start Guide, the Monday Scorecard and the New Year's Eve 2026 kit. Free when you join the list.
PDF guide
AI Starter Playbook
Cheat sheet
AI Quick-Start Guide
Spreadsheet
The Monday Scorecard
Holiday kit
New Year's Eve 2026
Your head nerd
Joshua Becerra, founder of Hospitality Nerd
Joshua has led marketing, PR, digital, events, off-premise and creative across 100+ restaurants and 20+ brands as a restaurant CMO. Everything in this shop is the playbook he used, packed up to go for independent owners.
Questions from the floor
FAQ
Where should I start?
If you want one plan you can run on your own, start with the Restaurant Marketing Playbook: Complete. If you have one big job coming up, like an opening, a holiday or private events, grab that guide or kit. Just curious? Start with the free toolkit or Rules of the Nerd.
What's the difference between the e-books, guides and templates?
E-books are for reading: the ideas, stories and rules behind great restaurant marketing. Marketing guides are step-by-step playbooks for one job, like opening, loyalty or events. Templates and tools are ready-made files you fill in: calendars, plans, spreadsheets, Canva posts and copy.
How do I get my files?
Everything is an instant digital download. You'll get a download link on the confirmation page and by email right after checkout. The link stays active for 24 hours after your first download, so save the files somewhere safe.
What do I need to open them?
PDFs open on any phone or computer. Spreadsheets work in Excel or Google Sheets. Editable templates open in Word or Google Docs, and the Canva templates open in a free Canva account.
Is this for my type of restaurant?
Yes. From independent restaurants, bars and cafés to multi-unit and franchise groups, this is a perfect start for anyone. Bigger groups often start here, then bring in Hospitality Nerd as a fractional CMO for hands-on help.
Can I use these for more than one location?
Yes, for locations you own or operate. Please don't resell or share the files or template links outside your business.
Kitchen's open
Ready to fill more tables?
Grab a playbook today, or start with the free toolkit.
Rather have it done for you? Book a call about Fractional CMO support →
