Cloud kitchen marketing strategy – most brands get this wrong. They try to launch a delivery-only brand the same way as a dine-in restaurant. It doesn’t work.
Gustos Deli came to us with a challenge: launch a New York-style deli brand in Dubai.
Big on flavor. Rooted in community.
But a fully cloud kitchen – no storefront, no seating, no physical space to show off.
Team Donut handled the launch with a supper club experience that brought in 5 high-profile influencers, 400K combined reach, and 3x their first month sales target.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
- 5 high-profile food influencers attended intimate backyard supper club
- 400K+ combined reach from organic influencer coverage (zero paid partnerships)
- 3x sales target exceeded in first month post-launch
- 0 → 2K followers in 2 weeks (significant for cloud kitchen with no location)
- 6 months ongoing partnership – still working together, sales increasing consistently
The Cloud Kitchen Launch Problem
No storefront = no vibe
No vibe = no content
No content = no connection
Traditional restaurant launches rely on the physical space.
Influencers visit, shoot content, tag the location.
Customers see the interiors, the ambiance, the experience.
That drives foot traffic and builds brand memory.
Cloud kitchens have none of that.
You’re asking people to order food from a brand they’ve never seen, in a space they can’t visit, based purely on menu photos.
Most cloud kitchen brands compensate by:
- Overspending on food photography
- Running heavy discount promotions
- Paying influencers for generic “I ordered from X” posts
- Blasting paid ads across delivery apps
Our client: Gusto’s Deli, needed a different approach.
Reading The Room: Why Strategy Started With The Founder
During our first meeting with the founder, we noticed something most would miss.
His passion.
The way he talked about New York delis wasn’t just business – these were memories.
He’d spent his college years in NY, and these sandwiches represented that time in his life.
He was also charismatic. The kind of person who could hold a room’s attention.
That gave us the idea for the campaign.
Most cloud kitchen marketing focuses on the product. We saw an opportunity to lead with the person behind it. The founder’s story, his passion, his authenticity – that’s what would make Gustos Deli different from every other delivery brand.
We pitched an idea: Instead of faking a vibe through styled photoshoots, create a real experience that captures who you are.
A supper club. Intimate. Story-driven. Hosted in his own backyard.
The Supper Club Solution: Matching Strategy To The Brand
Supper clubs were trending in Dubai during winter 2024-2025. Intimate dining experiences, chef-led storytelling, community-focused gatherings.
But we didn’t pick this format because it was trendy. We picked it because it matched the founder and the brand.
Gustos Deli is about New York deli culture – community, conversation, food with stories behind it. A supper club captured that perfectly.
The founder’s backyard became the venue. Cozy, aesthetic, personal. Not a rented event space or a generic setup. His actual home – which reinforced the authenticity of the brand.
Influencer Marketing: Why Food Reviewers, Not Lifestyle Bloggers
Here’s where most brands mess up influencer marketing: they target the wrong type of influencer.
For a cloud kitchen selling New York-style deli sandwiches, generic foodie influencers don’t work.
They post once, their audience scrolls past, and nothing happens.
We targeted food reviewers.
The kind of influencers who care about culinary stories, not just free meals. People whose audiences trust their food opinions.
Why would they show up to a backyard supper club for a brand with no location?
Two reasons:
- The concept was unique. Supper clubs were hot. Food reviewers wanted to be part of these experiences. This wasn’t “come try our new menu” – it was an exclusive culinary event.
- Our relationships in the influencer space After years of influencer marketing for F&B brands in Dubai, we know which influencers care about food culture vs which ones just want content. We invited the right people.
So we sent each influencer a branded charcuterie board with a custom flyer.
The message: no obligation, come if you wish.
5 out of 5 showed up.
Full Event Execution: Social Media Marketing Meets Real Experience
We handled the complete event planning and content creation:
Venue Styling – Transformed the founder’s backyard into an intimate dining setup. We worked with him to arrange props and pieces as per his taste – String lights, styled seating, cozy lounge areas.
Event Flow
- Standing reception: Guests arrived, mingled, got comfortable
- Sit-down dinner: Chefs plated food at the table, introduced each sandwich with its story
- Sandwich-making competition: Influencers competed to create their own deli creation – interactive, memorable, content-worthy
- Branded touchpoints: Custom menu cards for each guest, Gustos Deli signage, takeaway packaging
Content Creation Captured multiple reels, videos, and photos throughout the night. Every moment was designed to be shareable – not staged, but naturally content-rich.
Founder Presentation The founder spoke about his NY deli memories, why he started Gustos, what makes the brand different. This is what connected the experience to the brand story.
Results
Immediate Impact:
5 high-profile food influencers attended and posted organic content 150K+ combined reach across Instagram stories, posts, and reels Zero paid influencer partnerships – all coverage was earned through the experience.
Launch Performance:
3x first month sales target 0 → 2K Instagram followers in 2 weeks (significant for a cloud kitchen with no physical location)
Long-Term Partnership:
Client extended contract for ongoing social media marketing and content management 6 months later, still working together Sales have been increasing consistently since launch
3 Lessons For Cloud Kitchen Marketing Strategy
- Lead with the story, not just the product:
Cloud kitchens can’t compete on location or ambiance. Compete on story. Who’s behind the brand? Why do they care? What makes this more than just another delivery option? - Match your launch to your brand reality:
A supper club worked for Gustos because the founder is charismatic, has a great backyard, and the brand is rooted in community dining culture.That same strategy wouldn’t work for a fast-casual burger cloud kitchen. Your launch should reflect who you actually are, not what worked for someone else. - Influencer marketing for cloud kitchens requires precision:
Don’t spray and pray with generic influencer outreach. Target influencers whose audiences actually care about your food category. Food reviewers for culinary-focused brands. Fitness influencers for healthy meal preps. Parents for family meal options. Relevance beats reach.
At Donut Media, we’re an F&B-focused social media marketing agency in Dubai.
But here’s what makes us different: we think like business strategists, not just content creators.
If you’re launching a cloud kitchen or need influencer marketing that actually delivers results, get in touch.
Read more about the Donut Media team, explore our 5-star client reviews.
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