Introduction & Context:
AL HAYBA is a Middle Eastern restaurant based in Casablanca, offering an immersive Levantine dining experience—from freshly baked manakeesh to grilled lamb skewers and creamy hummus. While their food delighted in-house diners, their digital presence lacked the flavor and warmth of their physical space.
Despite glowing word-of-mouth offline, AL HAYBA struggled to gain traction online:
- Their Instagram looked like a generic food page with low engagement.
- Google reviews were positive, but few.
- Website had no clear storytelling or conversion journey.
They approached me to help them turn online browsers into booked tables, especially as competition in the restaurant scene intensified.
The Challenge (Pain Point & Problem Statement):
When I stepped in, AL HAYBA was facing:
- An average of 12 reservations/day, with 40% coming via phone and the rest walk-ins.
- Less than 1% engagement rate on Instagram (despite having 3.7k followers).
- Website bounce rate at 74%, with barely any users reaching the contact/reservation section.
- No email list, no retargeting strategy, and no storytelling to build brand connection.
They had great food, great ambiance, but zero digital narrative.
Category
Content Marketing
Clients
AL HAYBA
Location
Casablanca, Morocco
Led & Executed by:
Mohamed Chourouki
The Strategy & Execution (Step-by-Step Breakdown of Actions Taken):
I designed a 360° content marketing strategy called “From Plate to Persona”, focused on converting interest into intimacy and then into loyal bookings.
Phase 1: Defining the Soul of the Brand
Phase 1: Defining the Soul of the BrandCreated a brand messaging guide focused on “Nostalgia Meets Experience”: warm visuals, family themes, Levantine hospitality.
- Developed 4 content pillars:
– Dish Stories – Cultural backstories of each menu item.
– Meet the Chef – Mini clips with the Syrian chef sharing family recipes.
– Table Talks – Short reels of customer reactions and family gatherings.
– Hayba Moments – UGC campaigns featuring birthday dinners and date nights.
Phase 2: Omnichannel Distribution
Instagram & TikTok:
Posted 4x/week: Reels + Stories + Polls.
Weekly “Dish Drop” episodes with food slow-mos + captions like: “What your grandma would cook… if she had Instagram.”
Collab with 4 Casablanca-based micro-influencers (3–10k followers) for food tasting nights.
Google & Maps Optimization:
Embedded schema for reviews & photos.
Encouraged every happy table to leave a review with a custom QR card.
WhatsApp Funnel:
Created a “7 Days of Hayba” WhatsApp sequence for users who reserved online:
– Day 1: Reservation confirmation + dish highlights.
– Day 3: Chef story + video.
– Day 5: UGC contest invite (“Win a dinner for 2 if we repost your story”)
– Day 7: Feedback request + referral incentive.
Landing Page Redesign:
Mobile-first, 2-click reservation CTA, featured weekly specials & chef’s pick.
The Challenges & Roadblocks:
- UGC hesitancy: Guests were shy to appear on camera.
→ Solution: Trained staff to offer free dessert for short reactions & reviews.
- Influencer outreach flop: 2 food influencers ghosted after accepting.
→ Adapted by sourcing trusted micro-influencers through customer referrals.
- Email open rates flatlined in week 2.
→ A/B tested subject lines + added preview GIFs of sizzling dishes—open rates jumped from 28% to 42%.
The Results & Impact (Before vs. After Data Comparison):
KPI | Before | After (90 Days) | Change |
Daily Reservations | 12 | 86 | +617% |
Instagram Engagement Rate | 0.9% | 4.2% | +366% |
Google Reviews | 84 | 317 | +277% |
Reservation Conversion Rate | 1.3% | 6.8% | +423% |
Email Subscribers | 0 | 1,920 | N/A |
Average Order Value (dinner) | 168 MAD | 191 MAD | +13.7% |
And yes, we had a waiting list on weekends for the first time in the restaurant’s history.
Key Takeaways & Lessons Learned:
🔥 Food is emotional—sell the story, not just the dish.
📱 Video > Photos > Text. Reels and TikToks drove 80% of social traffic and shares.
💬 Empowered staff = better content. Waiters became the best UGC magnets.
🔁 Simple, automated email flows = loyalty. 26% of guests booked again within 3 weeks.
🌟 Micro-influencers > big names. Authentic voices win in tight-knit cities like Casablanca.
Conclusion & Final Thoughts:
This project reminded me that great digital marketing doesn’t start with a camera or funnel—it starts with empathy. By tapping into the emotional core of food—family, tradition, and celebration—we turned AL HAYBA from a “hidden gem” into a social staple.
This strategy is now being scaled to launch seasonal menus, gift card promos, and private event bookings.
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