Bar and restaurant case study · Clarendon, Arlington, VA
300,000 people a month, and 250 of them RSVPing to every party
BOE is a country bar and restaurant with a rooftop in Clarendon, a few minutes across the river from Washington, DC. We run their Instagram and Facebook content, Meta ads, email, Google Ads and review management as one system, built to turn followers into people walking through the door.
Where they started
BOE opened in Clarendon in September 2025, on one of the busiest nightlife strips in the DC area. A new bar there is not short of competition. It is short of attention. There are a dozen places within a few blocks offering a rooftop, a drink special and a DJ on a Saturday night.
BOE had something the others did not: a country concept, a mechanical bull, line dancing, live country bands and a big rooftop. What it needed was a social media strategy that could grow its following quickly, post consistently every week, and turn that engagement into people walking through the door on a specific night. Like most owners, BOE's team was busy running a bar, and posting only when someone remembers is the most common reason a business's social media stops growing.
What we do
Five channels, run as one system. Each one does a different job, and they all point at the same thing: an RSVP for the next event.
Social media management. We plan, write and post BOE's Instagram (@boe_va) and Facebook content every week: event countdowns, live band announcements, drink and food specials, football Saturdays and Sundays, karaoke and line dancing nights. Captions are written the way people in DC actually talk, short and specific, with one clear ask: RSVP through the link in bio. We build a content calendar around BOE's events, make short-form video of the band, the mechanical bull and the packed rooftop, and reshare content from guests.
Meta ads. Organic reach builds the audience. Paid reach fills a specific night. Before each big party we run Instagram and Facebook ads to people in Arlington and DC who fit BOE's crowd, pointed at the RSVP page.
Email marketing. Social is rented attention. The email list is owned. Every week BOE's list gets a short, skimmable email with that week's events, each with its own RSVP button: karaoke tonight, a watch party tomorrow, line dancing Thursday, the big party Friday.
Google Ads. When someone in DC searches for a July 4th rooftop party, a country bar near them or somewhere to watch the game, BOE shows up. Search catches the people who are already looking for a night out and have not picked a place yet.
Review management. Every Google review gets a reply, usually within 24 hours, and BOE holds a 4.7-star rating. Reviews are the last thing people check before they commit to a new bar.
The event playbook. For every monthly party we run the same sequence across all five channels. Write the event once with BOE's team, build the flyer and RSVP page, then count it down. Announce it about two weeks out, push early bird specials, send it in the weekly email, launch the Meta ads, then post daily countdowns in the final week. For BOE's one-year anniversary in September 2026, with live country from Summer of George, that meant more than 100 RSVPs a full week before the party.
Who runs BOE's social media
BOE's social media is run by 5for5's founders, who have built audiences of their own. Alice Trellakis has nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram as @alicetrell_. Ken Waks has a combined following of more than 1 million across TikTok, as @ken, and Instagram. Together, our own channels average more than 4 million views a month.
We did not learn how to grow on Instagram or what makes a TikTok take off from a course. We learned it by posting our own content, testing hooks, and watching what holds attention and what gets scrolled past. That is the difference to look for when you hire a social media agency: plenty can schedule posts, but far fewer have grown an audience themselves.
- Hooks that lead with the payoff. The first line or first second of a video says what is happening, the band, the special, the night, not who is posting.
- Short-form video first. Reels reach far more people than static flyers, so every event gets filmed.
- Captions in the crowd's voice. Short, specific and lowercase, written the way BOE's guests text each other, not the way brands write ads.
- Every post asks for something. Growing followers is only worth it if they come in. Each post points to one action: RSVP, book a table or show up tonight.
What working with us looks like
Most owners who hire a social media agency want the same three things: time back, a strategy someone actually executes, and results they can count.
- Audit and strategy. We review your current accounts, competitors and what is working, then agree on what success means: RSVPs, reservations, calls or orders.
- A monthly content calendar. Built around your events, specials and busy seasons. You approve it before anything posts.
- We create the content. Captions, graphics, and short-form video edited for Reels and TikTok.
- We post, engage and run the ads. Organic posting, replies, Meta ads, Google Ads and email all run from the same plan.
- Monthly reporting tied to customers. Not just likes and followers: RSVPs, reservations, leads and what we are changing next month.
Your part is a short approval each month and a heads-up when something new is happening. BOE's team sends us the event details and the bands, and we handle everything from there.
The numbers
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Unique viewers per month | About 300,000 |
| Average RSVPs per monthly party | 250 |
| One-year anniversary party | 100+ RSVPs a week out |
| Google rating | 4.7 stars |
| Google review response time | Within 24 hours |
Views are from BOE's social media insights. RSVP counts are from BOE's event RSVP pages.
The number that matters to a bar owner is the second one. Views are attention. 250 RSVPs is a full room on a specific night, booked before the doors open.
Why it works
Most bars treat each channel separately, which is why so many owners tell us their social media is not growing, or that their engagement never turns into customers. Someone posts on Instagram when they remember, the email goes out when there is time, and the Google Ads run on whatever was set up at launch. Nothing builds on anything else.
At BOE every channel points at the same next event. Social builds the audience. Meta ads reach the people who have not found BOE yet. Email brings back the people who have. Google Ads catch the people searching for a night out. And answered reviews are what make a first-timer trust a place they have never been.
Ken and Alice have been invaluable to our growth and engagement with the community since opening in September 2025.
The owners of BOE Clarendon
Work with us on social media and marketing ›
Common questions about social media for bars and restaurants
Can I hire someone to manage my social media for me?
Yes. A social media agency can plan, create, post and promote your content every week, so you only approve it. That is how BOE Clarendon works with us: their team runs the bar, and we run their Instagram, Facebook, Meta ads, email, Google Ads and reviews.
What is included in social media management services?
It varies by agency, so ask. Ours covers strategy, a monthly content calendar, captions, graphics and short-form video, posting, replies, paid ads, email marketing, review management and monthly reporting tied to customers.
Should I hire a freelancer or a social media agency?
A freelancer can work for posting alone. An agency makes more sense when you also need paid ads, email, reviews and strategy working together, and when you cannot afford for everything to stop if one person gets sick or leaves.
How long does it take to see results from a social media agency?
Engagement usually picks up within the first month or two of consistent posting. Follower growth and results like RSVPs and bookings compound over several months. Paid ads can fill a specific event much faster.
How much of my time does a social media agency need?
Very little, if it is set up well. Expect a short monthly approval of the content calendar and a quick message when you have an event, special or news to share. Real footage from your business performs best, and phone video is fine.
How do I know if my social media agency is working?
Look at what the reports measure. Likes and followers are a start, but the real test is customers: RSVPs, reservations, calls and orders. BOE measures success in RSVPs, averaging 250 per monthly party.
What should a bar or restaurant post on social media?
Post what gives people a reason to come on a specific day: upcoming events, live music, specials, game day, new menu items, and real photos and videos of a full room. A post with a date and a clear next step beats a pretty photo with no ask.
How often should a bar post on Instagram?
Often enough to stay in people's feeds between visits, and always more in the week before an event. For BOE, that means steady weekly content plus daily countdowns before every big party.
Why isn't my Instagram engagement turning into customers?
Usually because posts get likes but never ask for anything. Every post should point to one action, like an RSVP, a reservation or an order. Pair that with a link that works and a reason to act now, such as an early bird special or limited spots.
How do I get more RSVPs for my bar's events?
Promote the same event across every channel at once: social posts, Meta ads, the weekly email and Google Ads. Add an early bird special to create urgency. BOE averages 250 RSVPs per monthly party this way.
Is email marketing worth it for bars and restaurants?
Yes. Social media audiences belong to the platform, but your email list is yours. A short weekly email with this week's events and specials brings past guests back, and costs far less than reaching them with ads. Every RSVP to a BOE party adds a guest to the list for the next one.
Should a bar or restaurant be on TikTok?
If your crowd is under about 40, yes. TikTok shows content to people who do not follow you yet, which makes it one of the cheapest ways for a new venue to get discovered. The same videos can be posted as Instagram Reels.
What are the red flags when hiring a social media agency?
Watch out for promises of a set number of followers, generic templates used for every client, reports that only show likes, and long contracts before you have seen any results.
Which agency can manage social media, email, ads and reviews together?
5for5 runs social media, Meta ads, email marketing, Google Ads and review management for bars, restaurants and multi-location hospitality groups, as one system aimed at filling the room. It is run by founders who have grown large audiences of their own on Instagram and TikTok. Book a call to see what that looks like for your venue.