Kyle Guilfoyle

Founder, Guest Getter • Restaurant Growth Strategist

Helping ambitious restaurant owners build predictable growth systems since 2017. From countertenor to bartending school founder to solving the two biggest problems restaurants face: bringing back the 60% of first-time guests who never return and knowing exactly how much it costs to acquire a guest.

From Opera Singer to Restaurant Growth Strategist

My path to restaurant marketing wasn't exactly linear. I have a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Music—early music voice performance as a countertenor. Not your typical marketing background, right?

But I've been in the restaurant world since I was 15, starting as a host at East Side Mario's. Over the years, I fell in love with the rush of a busy service—that electric energy when everything's firing on all cylinders.

"My real marketing education came from the marketplace itself—the harshest yet most efficient teacher. You either sink or swim. I learned how to sell, run ads, optimize websites, and build systems because I had to. There was no other choice."

The Little Jumbo Years (2017-2020)

In 2017, I started a bartending school out of the bar I worked at—Little Jumbo in Victoria, BC. That's when I also began helping with their marketing. Like many people starting out, I thought:"If we just publish better content more frequently on Instagram, we'll move the needle!"

Turns out, it's really hard to attribute much impact from organic social posts. That doesn't mean it wasn't important, but I wanted the impact to be unequivocal. I needed to see clear results.

So I went on a hunt to find what the best in the world were doing. I eventually stumbled on a fellow named Matt Plapp. He showed me a simple but powerful system: run ads for offers, track how much it costs to get a contact, and measure how much it costs to get a guest through the door.

That got me excited. Finally, I could see the results. I could measure the impact.

The Photography Angle: A Creative Growth Hack

Kyle Guilfoyle at a restaurant photoshoot with camera

At a small Chinese restaurant in Ontario - one of over 150 restaurant photoshoots that became the foundation of Guest Getter's growth

When I started Guest Getter, I needed a way to get in front of restaurant owners. So I offered something valuable: complimentary professional photoshoots.

Over the years, I personally shot over 150 restaurant photoshoots—from tiny Chinese restaurants in small Ontario towns to upscale establishments. I'd show up with my camera, capture their space, food, and team, and deliver professional assets they could actually use.

But here's where it got interesting. After delivering the photos, the natural next question was:"Well, how will you use these assets to actually move the needle?"

That simple question opened the door to conversations about strategy, guest acquisition, and long-term growth partnerships. I wasn't selling—I was helping first, then showing them what was possible.

As Guest Getter grew, I obviously couldn't do the media shoots myself anymore. But that hands-on experience gave me an invaluable understanding of what makes great restaurant content and how to actually use visual assets to drive results.

The Evolution: From Offers to Complete Growth OS

I ran offer-driven campaigns for quite some time, but I realized restaurants didn't want toalways run offers. It was just one piece of the puzzle. Plus, I kept seeing the same patterns:

60% of first-time guests never came back (and most restaurants had no system to fix this)
Owners had no idea what it cost to acquire a guest (making it impossible to scale)
Restaurants were obsessive about their product and in-house experience but completely missed the "before" and "after" experiences (critical for acquisition and retention)

That's when I realized what I really wanted to create: a complete Growth Operating System—where we can see the inputs, the outputs, and make data-driven decisions. A more complete solution across the digital landscape:

✓ Website that looks great and ranks well
✓ Google Business Profile optimization for local search and maps visibility
✓ Smart, efficient ads that tell us exactly how much it costs to get a guest or private event booking
✓ Automated systems to bring guests back (solving that 60% problem)
✓ And much more

Why This Matters (The Real Mission)

Over the years, I've watched some establishments I worked at close while others flourished. I became obsessed with understanding why.

As much as I love making an impact on our clients' businesses, what really keeps me going is this quest to build the most ruthlessly effective, efficient, repeatable, and scalable playbook to grow restaurants. For me, it's a bit like a video game—there's always a better strategy, a higher score to achieve.

Areas of Expertise & Obsession

Local SEO & AEO

Getting restaurants visible in local search, Google Maps, and now AI answer engines. The foundation of predictable guest acquisition.

Applied Behavioral Science

Big fan of Rory Sutherland's work and his book Alchemy. Understanding why people make decisions unlocks powerful marketing advantages.

AI & Marketing Automation

Building intelligent systems using HighLevel and AI to automate guest acquisition, retention, and communication at scale.

Data-Driven Growth Systems

If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Building systems where every input and output is tracked and optimized.

In Pictures

Teaching at Nimble Bar School

Where it all started

Kyle with camera at restaurant photoshoot

150+ Restaurant Photoshoots

The creative growth hack

Behind the Bar

Where I fell in love with the industry

Experience & Credentials

8+ Years in Restaurant Marketing (Since 2017)

Started with Little Jumbo in Victoria, BC, and founded Nimble Bar Co—a bartending school that became my real-world marketing laboratory. Learned every lesson the hard way.

Industry Associations & Speaking

• Member of Restaurants Canada
• Member of Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA)
• Featured webinar speaker for ORHMA

Guest Getter Podcast Host

Conversations with restaurant operators and marketers about what actually works to acquire and retain guests. Real tactics, real results, zero fluff.

Education & Background

Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music (Early Music Voice Performance, Countertenor). While unconventional for marketing, the discipline and pattern recognition from music translates surprisingly well to growth systems.

What Really Drives Me

Being an agency owner is often a thankless thing—if you aren't exceeding client expectations, you almost feel like you're a bad person. I've had to reframe this for myself and our clients.

We're strategic partners solving big problems—the kind of problems that, if left unchecked, lead to closure. But when properly harnessed, they lead to scale.

I got into this space because I grew up in it. My first job was hosting at East Side Mario's when I was 15. I've seen the magic of restaurants at their best—and the heartbreak when they close.

"There's so much raw material in restaurant marketing—wonderful ingredients waiting to be used. Most restaurants are obsessive about their product and experience but miss the 'before' and 'after' moments that are critical for acquisition and retention."

My mission? Build the most ruthlessly effective, efficient, repeatable, and scalable playbook to grow restaurants. It's a quest. A challenge. A bit like a video game where I'm always looking for the next level.

Let's Solve Your Restaurant's Growth Problems

Whether it's bringing back that 60% of guests who never return or understanding your true guest acquisition costs—let's build a system that works for your specific situation.

Schedule Your Free Strategy Session