Slate – Kitchen & Bar
A Performance-First Facebook + Instagram Ads Strategy to Boost Reservations and Event Bookings
📊 The Results (Jan 2024 – May 2025)
🔥 99% of Facebook views and 55% of Instagram views came from paid ads, proving ad creative effectiveness.
Client Details
🧩 Client Overview
Slate is a premium Nairobi-based restaurant and bar under The Food Library Group, offering a curated nightlife experience with gourmet food, cocktails and weekly live events. As a destination spot for high-end dining and vibrant social nights, Slate needed to consistently drive new reservations, maintain event buzz and stay top-of-mind with their target audience on social media.
❌ The Challenge
Despite being a top-tier venue, Slate was not fully tapping into Meta ads to convert online attention into table bookings. The issues we identified:
- No clear paid media strategy to drive traffic during event nights
- Inconsistent conversion from Instagram reach to direct reservations
- Lack of messaging flow to handle incoming DMs effectively
- Weak retargeting strategy — one-off ads but no system to nurture interest
✅ Our Solution
We developed and executed a targeted Meta Ads campaign strategy focused on direct bookings, repeat visibility and DM-driven lead capture.
🔧 Key Executions
📣 Paid Ads with Reservation CTAs
- Created and managed ad creatives tailored around upcoming events, menu highlights and vibe-driven experiences
- Optimized for direct messages and website traffic
- Targeted based on nightlife interest, Nairobi diners and lookalikes from past engagers
- Created and managed ad creatives tailored around upcoming events, menu highlights and vibe-driven experiences
💬 Messaging Integration
- Messaging campaigns encouraged real-time interaction and booking via DMs
- Tracked and segmented users for retargeting and follow-ups
- Messaging campaigns encouraged real-time interaction and booking via DMs
📊 Visual A/B Testing
- Ran multiple creative tests (event posters, Reels, ambiance videos)
- Highlighted promos like “Buy 1 Get 1” cocktails, DJ nights and theme events to maximize traction
- Ran multiple creative tests (event posters, Reels, ambiance videos)
💡 Campaign Highlights
🎟️ Event-Based Funnel Strategy
Each live music night or special event had its own dedicated ad funnel, driving urgency and DM reservations.
📈 Weekly Momentum Build
Created a weekly flywheel — ads launched early in the week, peaked on weekends and sustained Slate’s buzz consistently.
📥 Messenger as the New Booking Frontdesk
Over 1,100+ leads captured in Messenger — turning it into Slate’s most efficient, conversion-ready channel.
🚀 How It Translates to Business Growth
- Bookings On-Demand: Quick ad launches now fill tables within 24–48 hours
- Lower CAC: DM-to-booking flow keeps ad costs low and conversions high
- Brand Visibility: Slate has become one of Nairobi’s most seen and engaged nightlife brands across Meta platforms
🧩 Key Visual Highlights
🎯 2M+ Combined Views (FB + IG)
💬 1.1K+ Direct Conversations
📈 9.3K+ Interactions
