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Upthriv

Case study, anonymized

How a 6-location Mediterranean restaurant group put AI to work

A full growth function, deployed and run, without the business hiring a marketing team.

Top cited

The result AI assistants cite first for category searches, held week over week.

50% / 34%

Open and click rate on the catering email engine, built from zero.

0+

Reviews surfaced and weighted in AI answers across locations.

0x

One recurring corporate catering account covers the whole retainer.

The business

A family-owned Mediterranean restaurant group with six locations in Southern California. Great food, loyal regulars, but nearly invisible in how new customers actually search today.

The problem

Customers increasingly ask AI assistants and Google for the best place near them. This brand wasn't in those answers. Its location profiles were underused, missed phone orders were common, and a high-margin catering line was underdeveloped.

What we installed, in weeks not months

  • AI-search visibility so the brand surfaces when nearby customers ask for what it sells
  • Optimized presence across all six location profiles
  • An AI phone system that stops missed calls from becoming missed orders
  • An email engine that brings past customers back
  • A rebuilt catering funnel that turns interest into booked events

The outcome

Top result AI assistants cite. When nearby customers ask for what they sell, the brand now surfaces first, holding that spot week after week.
A catering email engine from zero. 50% open rate, 34% click rate, with the best campaign driving a 75% click-through to the menu.
A 3,000+ review moat. Reviews surfaced and working in AI search, where competitors can't catch up.
Catering economics that pay for everything. A single recurring corporate account covers the entire engagement four times over.

Why it worked

One operator deployed a full AI stack across six locations without the brand hiring a tech team. Found, captured, retained, and automated, run end to end and accountable for the result. That is the Upthriv model.

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