December 2, 2024

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Who we are

We help you plan and execute your Local Marketing.

Our dedicated professionals are active members of their communities with a wealth of marketing experience. We offer flexible pricing options, including hourly, project-based, or ongoing arrangements. Rest assured that all work will be estimated and billed accordingly.

Our Vision

Our vision is fueled by the old adage “All restaurant sales are local.” We will be the go-to outsourced local store marketing team for restaurants, offering award-winning local marketing services to help our clients achieve their sales goals.

Our Mission

Our mission is to offer a solution that enables you to improve your restaurant's visibility and attract new customers, without incurring additional overhead or hiring extra staff.

our logo

At BOTG Local Marketing, we take your business seriously—because when we work for you, we’re stepping into the battlefield of competition, where every sale is a victory. Our 5 Project Managers, known as War Room Warriors, each oversee at least 10 markets, developing tailored strategies to drive growth.
 
Supporting them is our team of 50 local store marketing professionals—our “soldiers”—who take those strategies into the trenches of your local markets, relentlessly working to win the sales war for your brand, restaurants, or restaurant group. We know it’s tough out there, but we have one mission: to increase your sales.
 
From our War Room, we craft the tactical plans that help you outmaneuver your competition, because in the end, all restaurant sales are local.

Milestone

we've been Winning The Battle For Sales For a long time!

Hiring a local store marketing team for your restaurant group can help you enhance your visibility and gain new customers, but the costs can sometimes be too much to absorb. The local store marketing professionals at Boots On The Ground Marketing are ready to go to battle for increased sales for your restaurants in the top 50 markets in America at costs that will more than fit your marketing budget.

Our team has more than 200 years of combined local store marketing experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries. We understand the strategy needed to develop a local store marketing plan that features community involvement, cause marketing, fundraising and the unique opportunities that each community has available. We also understand the importance of local influencers and the detail and follow through needed. We look forward to working with your restaurant group.

Started

1965

Small Team, Big Dream

Zukerman joined Ruben Advertising, where he helped secure two national restaurant clients. First, he brought on Burger Chef, then the #2 hamburger chain in America with 1,600 locations, for whom he developed the brand’s first national television commercials and local marketing strategy. After Burger Chef was acquired by General Mills, Zukerman added Steak ’n Shake to the roster, creating and implementing a successful local store marketing strategy for their 750+ locations before the chain was eventually sold to Edward Kelly.

Growth

1998

Growth

Zukerman brings Pizza Hut on board, becoming their largest regional agency. Through innovative local store marketing, he helped drive Pizza Hut’s growth and pioneered the creation of cooperative advertising groups, pooling funds from corporate and franchise stores to support local marketing efforts. Pizza Hut was eventually acquired by PepsiCo.

Rebranding

2012

New name

Following the retirement and passing of two partners, Zukerman rebranded the group as Z Marketing Partners. He brought on Papa John’s as a client, managing 17 cooperative groups and utilizing local store marketing strategies to help grow sales for over 300 stores.

Restaurant Division Created

2016

New Division

After decades in restaurant marketing, Zukerman recognized the need for an "Uber" of local restaurant marketing, adapting to the evolving landscape with innovative solutions. Changing times require bold new directions.

Local Store Marketing Company Created

2024

New Need

After the pandemic, Zukerman recognized the need for a low-tech approach using high-tech tools for local store marketing. While many national restaurant chains shifted focus to national advertising and influencers, some mid-sized chains continued to grow by sticking with local store marketing.
 
Take PJ’s Coffee, for example. They embraced grassroots guerrilla marketing, opening 28 stores in 2023 with plans for 40 more in 2024. That’s what we call sales growth. To help businesses achieve similar success, we launched Boots On The Ground Marketing LLC—the first outsourced guerrilla-based marketing group available in over 50 of the top U.S. markets. We’re ready to fight for your sales with local store marketing veterans leading the charge.

Track Record

Our numbers

We’ve been there, done that, and even now writing a book!  We are local store restaurant marketing!

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Get to know us more

We help you plan and execute your ideas

Now you can bring your local store marketing ideas to life with the help of an experienced LSM professional who brings a wealth of expertise to the table. We offer flexible pricing options tailored to your needs, whether hourly, project-based, or ongoing. Plus, we work exclusively with each restaurant concept—one burger chain, one coffee shop, one pizza place, one chicken brand, and so on—ensuring a dedicated focus on driving your success.

Allan Zukerman

CO- MANAGING DIRECTOR

Our Staff

Meet Our Headquarters Staff

Our team has more than 200 years of combined local marketing experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries, and we are ready to put that experience to work battling for sales in each of more than 50 markets.

Allan Zukerman

Co-Managing Director

As Managing Director of The Restaurant Marketing Department, Zukerman brings over forty years of restaurant marketing and operations management. He has developed high level marketing strategies for over 20 restaurant concepts including Burger Chef, Chi Chi’s, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. Prior to a recent sale, he previously was a franchisee within the Papa Johns system for 26 years and served on the franchisor’s Franchise Advisory Council for 3 years.

Steve Zukerman

Co-MANAGING Director

Steve is a multimedia professional and social entrepreneur. He has lived in Los Angeles since 1996 working as an award-winning director, producer, writer, cinematographer, and editor on numerous restaurant themed projects that include the hit Fox Network TV show, “Hell’s Kitchen”, and The Food Network’s “Restaurant Stakeout”.

He has concepted, created, deployed, and managed digital and social media content for 138 franchise restaurant locations across 6 states, for brands including Papa John’s, Hardee’s, Spaghetti Warehouse, Indy-based MCL Restaurant and Bakery, as well as the premiere California longboard skateboard brand LeanBoard.

Through his production company Soapbox, and in partnership with Books That Cook Publishing, Steve has produced TV spots and web content profiling numerous restauranteurs that include TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Squealers Barbecue, Mirabelle, Rioja, Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill, Spaghetti Warehouse and MCL Restaurant and Bakery.

Rich Lunseth

ART DIRECTION

Rich Lunseth has one simple philosophy: always make the client look good. He knows successful marketing communications is grounded in the importance of immersing himself in his client’s business and their marketplace business through primary and secondary research. Whether working on a print ad, television commercial, brochure, menu, POP, website, social media or any other tactic, Rich strives for the unique, the bold, the stunning and the appropriate solution that will make an impact and lead to measurable results.

Before joining BOTG, Rich worked eight years in Chicago for Gams Communications where he earned his stripes creating restaurant and bar concepts for resort properties and O’hare Airport for Carson International, a food service division of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Rich moved to Indianapolis in 1987 and landed at CRE Marcom to work on a wide variety of business to business and consumer accounts including Maple Leaf Farms and Peter’s Restaurants. In 1999, Rich went to Pearson McMahon Fletcher England where he worked on regional and national accounts such as Ball State University, Tire Barn, J.D. Byrider and hhgregg, the largest account in the agency.

Rick Doyle

MEDIA

Rick Doyle brings over 35 years of media knowledge and expertise to BOTG. Rick’s background includes both traditional and interactive media at all levels of deployment in local, statewide, regional and national media.

Over his career, Rick has managed media for numerous retail accounts including Wendy’s, Stir CrazyFresh Asian Grill, the Spaghetti Warehouse, Flat Top Grill, MCL Cafeteria & Bakery and Sakana of Tokyo. He has also worked on numerous other retail accounts including Auto Nation, the largest retailer of new cars and trucks in the world, and Shell Oil, one of the largest retailers of gasoline in the United States. Throughout his career Rick has continued to expand his knowledge of media including online, mobile and social platforms. He currently manages the social search programs for all BOTG clients.

Previously Rick created integrated media programs for American Express, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sprint, Johnson & Johnson and numerous other New York based clients. His resume includes stints at major global agencies including J Walter Thompson, Young & Rubicam, and Ogilvy & Mather and major national retail agencies including Campbell-Ewald and Zimmerman. He also worked at About.com and 24/7 Real Media, where he learned the digital space from the inside out.

TJ Gipson

Multicultural

Troy Julian Gipson is currently Executive Director of Multicultural & Entertainment Marketing for Z Marketing Partners Advertising Agency. He specializes in Multi-Cultural Advertising, Marketing, Events and Social Media campaigns. He has worked with celebrities and athletes in Music, Film, Sports & Fashion to procure endorsements, produce events and create additional revenue streams.

He is also a proud member of the Recording Academy, and Grammy Foundation.

Bill Church

Food service

With over two decades in the food and beverage category, Bill Church has become known as not only an operations expert, but as a marketing pro as well. In his position with ZMP, he leads our retail development initiative, assisting clients with evaluating business models, brand development, and implementing effective systems to help businesses achieve their growth goals.

Bill has direct retail experience, having owned his own bar and restaurant, as well as working with established restaurants and chains in management positions. In addition, he has significant experience within the convenience store industry where Bill created programs to drive foot traffic into convenient stores that otherwise would complete the fuel purchase with payment at the pump. Bill additionally has extensive experience in the field of Franchising as he has held top level management positions as a Franchisor in addition to being a Franchisee of several quick serve concepts. He has had much exposure to the retail beverage business through family members who have held significant positions in liquor distribution and soft drink marketing and sales.

Sam Gaw

TECH GURU

Sam is a versatile entrepreneur with expertise in Digital Marketing, Journalism, Consulting, Content Creation, and SEO Freelancing. Over the last 19 years, I have built several successful companies and have even sold five of them, including a one-page website that received over one million views and was purchased by a public company.

Throughout my career, I have created websites and digital marketing strategies for a wide range of clients, from national franchises to large real estate brokerages, health companies, and one of the largest life insurance companies. In early 2018, I founded EXPOconnect, a startup in Orlando, FL, that pioneered the creation of online expos well before the COVID pandemic. Our online expos have been successful for companies and groups all around the world.

Meet our project managers

Sharon Stephens

Senior project manager

A seasoned professional with 23 years of experience in client relationship management, onboarding, and service delivery within SaaS and marketing sectors, I have developed deep and long-lasting relationships with clients to understand their needs and exceed expectations. Boots on the Ground Marketing is a dynamic environment where creativity means operational efficiency, as the Senior Project Manager,  I am ready to drive strategic initiatives and project management excellence.  Let’s connect and explore how we can achieve your project goals together.

Tracy Piedmont

project manager

With over 25 years of experience in IT and FinTech for the Hospitality and F&B sectors, I have a proven track record of driving growth and innovation across both domestic and international markets. My expertise spans sales and marketing, with a focus on developing strategies that fuel business expansion. I also excel in project management, successfully leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and within budget globally. Passionate about leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations, I thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments where strategic thinking and effective execution are key to success.

Lizzy Becker

project manager

With a solid foundation in marketing and project management, I’ve spent most of my career at a digital marketing agency, honing my skills in content management, website oversight, and project execution. As a certified ScrumMaster, I’ve effectively led development-focused projects from proposal to final delivery, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth and cohesive execution.

david schmidt

project manager

I’m a versatile and accomplished project management professional with over 25 years of experience across multiple industries, including food service. I’ve demonstrated exceptional skill in managing diverse projects within fast-paced startups and innovative technology companies. At Boots On The Ground Marketing, I bring extensive expertise in client management, business operations, problem-solving, and process optimization, consistently delivering results and exceeding expectations.

Kristin Austin

project manager

With over two decades of experience in hospitality and restaurant operations, Kristin brings a hands-on, results-driven approach to managing projects across the North Central Region. Known for her expertise in multi-unit operations, team leadership, and turnaround strategies, Kristin has a proven track record of optimizing performance and driving growth. If you’re looking to elevate your local store marketing efforts in IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI, or TN, let’s connect to create impactful strategies that deliver results.