Media Pitch
A media pitch is a short, personalised email sent to a specific journalist or editor proposing a story about your restaurant. Unlike a press release — which announces news formally — a media pitch is conversational and journalist-specific: it identifies why this particular story is relevant to this particular journalist's beat, and proposes the angle they should write.
Why It Matters for Restaurants
The media pitch is the most important tool in restaurant PR. A great press release with a poor pitch still gets ignored. A moderate press release with a brilliant pitch can generate a feature. The pitch is the salesperson for your story — and its job is to answer the journalist's fundamental question in the first two sentences: 'Why should I write about this, and why now?'
In Practice
A strong media pitch is typically 100-200 words. It references something the journalist has recently written (showing you actually read their work), proposes a specific story angle with a clear news hook, explains briefly why your restaurant is the right subject for that story, and offers a clear next step (a reservation, a call, a photo set). ChowPR writes personalised pitches — not mass-sent templates — for every restaurant we represent.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the biggest mistake in a restaurant media pitch?
Making it about the restaurant instead of making it about a story. Journalists aren't looking for advertisements — they're looking for stories that serve their readers. The pitch should open with the story idea, not with 'I'm excited to tell you about my new restaurant.'
How long should a media pitch email be?
100-200 words for the pitch itself. If you include a press release, attach it separately or include it below the pitch. Never paste a full press release into the pitch email — it's a signal you don't understand how pitching works.
How many journalists should I pitch at once?
It depends on whether you're offering an exclusive or a general announcement. For major story pitches, we recommend pitching one journalist at a time with a clear 48-72 hour exclusive window. For general news releases, broader simultaneous outreach is appropriate.