How Eatigo Filled Empty Restaurant Tables with Smart Marketing

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In a world where most restaurant tables sit empty outside of peak hours, one startup found a way to flip the script. Eatigo, Southeast Asia’s leading time-based restaurant reservation app, cracked the code on turning downtime into revenue.

With a blend of smart discounts, data-driven marketing, and strategic expansion, Eatigo not only solved a real pain point for diners and restaurants alike — it also built a sustainable, scalable business model. This is the story of how timing, tech, and tailored marketing helped them rise to the top.

Launched in 2013, Eatigo started with a simple yet powerful idea — help restaurants fill their empty tables and let customers enjoy quality dining at discounted rates. The Bangkok-born startup quickly saw that one of the biggest problems in the restaurant industry wasn’t bad food or poor service, but empty seats during off-peak hours.

Founded by Michael Cluzel and Siddhanta Kothari, Eatigo aimed to optimize restaurant revenue by balancing customer footfall throughout the day using dynamic time-based discounts — often up to 50% off. This allowed customers to save money while helping restaurants fill otherwise vacant slots.

What Problem is Eatigo Solving?

The core challenge Eatigo tackles is restaurant underutilization. Most establishments see a surge only during lunch and dinner hours, while remaining empty during the rest of the day. Eatigo’s reservation model redistributes this traffic more evenly, reducing wastage of resources like staff time, space, and inventory.

Their platform also solves a second problem: price-sensitive diners. By offering significant discounts, Eatigo attracts a broader demographic, from students to families, and creates repeat users through savings-driven incentives.

The Marketing Gameplan: How Eatigo Reaches Its Users

Eatigo’s growth was not just product-driven — their marketing playbook is a case study in precision and persistence:

1. Hyperlocal Marketing
   Eatigo started with a focused launch in Bangkok and then carefully expanded to cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, and Manila. In every market, they localized their messaging, food imagery, and even discount timings based on local eating patterns.

2. Performance Marketing with Data at Its Core
   Eatigo used data-driven targeting for online ads, identifying patterns like when users search for restaurants, or how far in advance they tend to book. Their marketing team would constantly test different time slots, price points, and copy variations to fine-tune conversion rates.

3. Partnership Campaigns with Restaurants
   Restaurants play a dual role on the platform — as service providers and marketing partners. Eatigo would co-launch joint campaigns with high-end restaurants, offering exclusive time-limited discounts. These generated buzz and gave Eatigo credibility in the premium dining space.

4. Referral and Loyalty Programs
   Eatigo created strong network effects through user referrals and discounts for frequent bookings. Their app interface made it easy for users to share deals, while back-end analytics ensured offers were optimized for high retention.

5. Offline-Online Blend (OOH + Digital)
   In key cities, Eatigo also experimented with out-of-home advertising like transit ads and mall kiosks. These were reinforced by digital retargeting campaigns that reminded users of deals they had viewed but not booked.

Challenges Along the Way

Despite its early success, Eatigo faced several hurdles:

• Restaurant Onboarding Fatigue: Many restaurants were skeptical of offering steep discounts. Eatigo had to carefully educate partners about the benefits of customer acquisition vs. margin trade-offs.

• Competition from Global Apps: In some markets, Eatigo faced competition from global players like Zomato or TheFork, requiring even more personalized and local strategies.

• Consumer Trust: Initially, users were unsure about the legitimacy of the discounts. This was solved over time through positive user-generated content and social proof.

Expansion & Presence Today

Eatigo now operates in several Southeast Asian markets, including:

• Thailand

• Singapore

• Philippines

• Malaysia

• Hong Kong

• India (limited presence)

The company serves over 4,000 restaurants and has completed millions of reservations, proving that the combination of timing, tech, and smart marketing can disrupt even traditional industries.

Key Takeaways for Startups

• Solve Real Problems That Businesses Will Pay For
  Eatigo wasn’t just an aggregator — it helped restaurants increase revenue by turning quiet hours into profitable slots.

• Marketing Should Educate and Drive Behavior Change
  Their content didn’t just promote discounts; it trained users to dine outside peak hours and see value in planning ahead.

• Data is the Secret Sauce
  From identifying ideal promo times to understanding customer loyalty patterns, Eatigo constantly adapted based on what the numbers showed.

• Don’t Overlook Offline Channels
  While a digital-first product, Eatigo didn’t shy away from using billboards, flyers, and local partnerships to build awareness.

Final Thoughts

Eatigo’s journey is a masterclass in lean startup thinking — solve a real-world inefficiency, use tech to scale it, and apply smart, context-sensitive marketing to grow fast. For startups in crowded markets, it shows that innovative pricing models and user-centric marketing can still carve out meaningful space.

Is your startup optimizing time as a resource like Eatigo did?

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Stay tuned for more marketing tips,

— Team Startup Stoic