What’s a popular restaurant chain to do when it’s looking to draw a younger demo? All signs point to TikTok – and that’s exactly what St. Louis Bar and Grill is implementing as part of its new digital strategy.

In late March, the restaurant announced the launch of its curated TikTok channel through its partnership with Loop Media. The channel is broadcasted at St. Louis’ 75 locations across the country.

The channel features a wide range of entertaining themes including animal videos, makeovers, challenges, sports bloopers, food preparation and more.

“We’re continually searching for new ways to enrich the time our guests spend with us through all channels,” says Royal Nasager, VP of marketing at St. Louis Bar and Grill. “Adding another meaningful point of differentiation and competitive edge across the business is always a welcomed bonus.”

Recently, the chain has made a push to grow its younger audience base by ramping up marketing in four core areas: menu innovations, limited time offers, creative advertising and a digital strategy that aims to create compelling content.

According to Nasager, the research that led to the decision to implement the channel was undeniable. “About 40% of younger audiences go to TikTok when looking for a place to eat over Google Maps or web search,” he says. “We also recognize how sticky the platform is for Gen Zers – at least 25% of its users are 35 and older.”

The new channel is bolstering an overall strategy that’s already showing promising results. “Over the past five years, we’ve seen an increase in younger patrons. There’s been a significant rise in 25- to 35-year-old guests visiting our establishments across the country and engaging with us through our app,” says Nasager. “This directly correlates with our digital strategy through owned channels and our paid efforts in traditional media to support menu innovation. A large part of our content is focused on the unique food experiences we provide that you can’t find anywhere else.”

When the brand set out to develop this approach, the creation of this custom channel was the first of its kind. “We’ve worked closely with TikTok to build out dynamic content that features some of its best creators. It ranges from funny, to informative, to awe-inspiring and silly. It’s all super captivating and definitely hard not to watch,” says Nasager.

But a successful digital strategy was going to take more than just an in-house TikTok channel. “In addition to the TikTok launch, we continue to lean into our efforts through our own channels to increase our reach and broaden our appeal. It’s no secret that the dynamics of search, brand interaction and awareness have changed dramatically over the past decade,” says Nasager.

According to him, there needs to be a consistent brand voice through all messaging, but how you deliver that message must be tailored to the channel. “Understanding the users by platform really becomes elemental here. Far too often, you’ll encounter brands that have yet to implement a digital marketing matrix that fully expresses the desired intent and outcomes of what they’re putting out. These spaces require a lot of strategy and pre-planning to be effectively implemented,” says Nasager.

While the brand is making a claim to draw a younger audience, St. Louis is still a restaurant that attracts a variety of age demographics – many of which are looking to enjoy a sports game. Nasager says its TikTok channel hasn’t taken away from that aspect of the restaurant’s roots – and in fact, it’s only promoted it. “When games aren’t on, guests are seeing it as a source of entertainment that sparks conversations. We’re noticing that it’s actually bolstering inclusion among age groups and creating a common connection that otherwise might not have existed,” he says.

Nasager notes that there are business KPI’s that St. Louis has established, from guest satisfaction to the ability to promote the chain’s specific messaging and features. And while the roll-out is still early, the brand is pleased with the results. “We know how appealing TikTok is for all cohorts. You only need to spend five minutes in one of our restaurants to realize the broad appeal it has. Independent of demographic or profile, we’ve witnessed a universal acceptance and appreciation for what we’re doing with the platform,” he says.