The Takeaway
Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers used a restaurant billboard program to launch a second Salt Lake City location. Four digital boards near I-15 exits carried 37,552 blips and roughly three million estimated impressions over four months. The last month of the flight added about $20,000 in attributable revenue on an under $100 daily ad budget.
Why Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers Turned to Billboard Advertising
Mr. Charlie’s opened in 2019 with a menu of southern comfort food and fried chicken. It became a favorite of Post Malone and won Utah’s Best New Chicken Item, plus a second-place finish for Best New Restaurant in City Weekly’s Best of Utah poll.
The team opened a second Salt Lake Valley location in the summer of 2021. Owner Paul Willey had used Instagram influencers, social media, and print coupons for the first store. For the second, he decided to go exclusively with a billboard-restaurant plan, so the revenue lift could be cleanly attributed. The team wanted a clear read on what a well-timed billboard for restaurant traffic could actually do.
How Mr. Charlie’s Built Its Billboard Campaign
Paul set up the flight through Blip’s self-serve marketplace and used the complimentary design service available with his plan at the time.
- Boards selected: Four digital boards, two near each location, positioned close to I-15 exits.
- Creative approach: Restaurant billboard design produced through the complimentary service available with Paul’s plan at the time, so he avoided a graphic designer’s bill.
- Campaign structure: One four-month flight, total budget $12,000 ($3,000 per month).
- Attribution: Because the flight was the only new channel, the team could attribute the lift in revenue and traffic directly to it.
The Creative
Paul’s plan included complimentary design support, so the creative did not add to this campaign’s cost. For operators planning their own restaurant billboard design work today, Blip’s billboard design guidelines cover what reads at highway speed.
What Mr. Charlie’s Campaign Delivered
Across four months, the flight generated roughly three million impressions, about 61 per blip on 37,552 blips. The last month of the campaign added around $20,000 in revenue directly attributable to the flight, roughly evenly split between the two locations, at a cost of less than $3,000 (under $100 a day).
The team also saw a 13% month-over-month sales lift at the original location and 11% at the new one, along with a 22% lift in website traffic and a 57% lift in phone calls. That is a strong outcome for any restaurant billboard, and it is a clean read because the flight was the only new channel in the mix. It shows what a focused billboard restaurant plan can do when the attribution model is set up correctly from the start.
Working with Blip has given Mr. Charlie’s the momentum to get our new location on the map while accelerating growth for our original location. I’m thrilled with these numbers and am excited to see where our partnership with Blip takes us in the future.
Paul Willey, Owner, Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers
Why This Campaign Worked
- Freeway placement near the door: Four boards near the I-15 exits meant the ad and the exit sign were part of the same drive.
- Single-channel attribution: The flight was the only new marketing input, so the lift was easy to trace.
- Included creative support: The complimentary service available with Paul’s plan at the time kept the design cost inside the ad budget.
- Consistent monthly spend: $3,000 per month for four months provided the brand with sufficient continuous exposure to build recognition at both locations.
What Restaurant Owners Can Take From This Campaign
Independent restaurants opening new locations can put these ideas to work:
- Isolate the channel to isolate the answer: A billboard for restaurant launches works as a read on out-of-home when nothing else changes in the mix.
- Start with the design guidelines: A strong restaurant billboard uses a concise message and artwork built to the board’s specifications.
- Buy near your door: Boards near the exits closest to your locations turn drivers into walk-ins.
- Watch the monthly progression: Sales lift usually shows up cumulatively; the last month tends to carry the strongest signal.
Run a Restaurant Billboard Program Like Mr. Charlie’s
Pick boards near your exits, prepare clear artwork using the design guidelines, and give the flight enough time to build recognition.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers’ Billboard Campaign
How many billboards did Mr. Charlie’s use?
Four digital boards, two near each location, positioned close to I-15 exits.
What did the campaign cost?
$12,000 total over four months, roughly $3,000 per month, at under $100 in ad spend per day.
What sales lift did Mr. Charlie’s see?
The last month added about $20,000 in revenue, plus a 13% month-over-month sales lift at the original location, 11% at the new one, a 22% lift in website traffic, and a 57% lift in phone calls.
How should I prepare a restaurant billboard design?
Start with Blip’s billboard design guidelines and the specifications for your selected boards. Keep the message short, use high-contrast artwork, and make the location cue easy to read.
Is a billboard restaurant program worth it for a small chain?
Mr. Charlie’s used the flight as the only new marketing input, which gave a clean read on the lift. That is a good model for any small chain opening a new location.