Circa 1880

Case Study: Circa 1880 – Restaurant Digital Marketing Success in Baird, TX

Overview
Circa 1880 is a charming country dining restaurant located in Baird, Texas, known for its rustic atmosphere and high-quality dining experience. After being acquired by new owners, the restaurant faced significant challenges, including widespread rumors of a corporate takeover, difficulty attracting diners from surrounding towns, and a noticeable decline in local foot traffic.

Seeking a solution, Circa 1880 partnered with Key City Digital, a West Texas digital marketing agency specializing in local SEO, restaurant marketing, and social media growth strategies, to revitalize their brand and drive customer engagement.

Challenges
Persistent rumors of a corporate buyout damaged the restaurant’s local image.
Difficulty attracting diners from Baird and nearby Abilene, Clyde, and Callahan County.
Declining restaurant foot traffic and low social media engagement.

Solutions Implemented
Key City Digital developed a comprehensive restaurant marketing strategy designed to rebuild Circa 1880’s reputation and boost community engagement:

New SEO-Optimized Website
Designed and launched www.circa1880.co
Optimized for local search engine rankings to improve visibility for searches like “restaurants near Baird, TX”.
Built for speed, mobile usability, and conversions (reservations & inquiries).

Organic Social Media Growth
Implemented a targeted restaurant social media strategy across Facebook and Instagram.

Focused on storytelling, community connections, and showcasing the authentic Circa 1880 dining experience.
Increased engagement and reach without relying on paid ads.

Grand Reopening Campaign
Created buzz around the restaurant’s reopening with event marketing, word-of-mouth promotion, and community involvement.

Leveraged hashtag campaigns (#grandreopening) to encourage locals to share experiences online.
Results

The results were immediate and measurable, with Circa 1880 experiencing a dramatic digital marketing turnaround:

Website Performance: Ranked #1 in local Google search results within weeks, boosting online visibility.

Social Media Growth (First 30 Days):
Engagement increased by 645%
Followers grew by 153%
Organic reach expanded by 101%
Video views skyrocketed by 64,000%

Community Response:
Over 500 locals tagged friends and shared reopening content.

The grand reopening was so successful that Circa 1880 ran out of food during its first soft opening.

Conclusion
Through local SEO, organic social media marketing, and event promotion, Circa 1880 transformed its brand reputation and became a go-to dining destination in Baird, TX once again.
This case study demonstrates how Key City Digital helps restaurants increase foot traffic, boost online visibility, and engage local communities with proven digital marketing strategies.