Brother Marcus - brand & marketing strategy
Brother Marcus brings the joy of Eastern Mediterranean hospitality to London, serving vibrant evening mezze, cocktails, and relaxed weekend brunches. Founded by Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large, the restaurant blends bold East Med flavours inspired by Tas’s heritage, with the warmth and generosity inspired by Alex’s legendary younger brother, Marcus.
How I Helped a Brother Marcus Grow – From Strategy to Sales
When I joined Brother Marcus group, my first job was to build out the marketing function. That meant recruiting the right people, setting clear structures, and creating a strong foundation for future growth. I didn’t just want a team that could “do” marketing—I wanted a team that understood the brand inside out and could help it grow in the right direction.
I developed a professional development plan for the marketing manager so they had the tools, confidence, and guidance to step up. Because in marketing, people are as important as the campaigns we run.
"Clare played a key role in developing and strengthening the marketing team at Brother Marcus. She helped shape the team structure by bringing in a Marketing Executive and introducing a Local Marketing role, ensuring the department was set up for long-term success. She also implemented clear systems and processes, including SMART goals and strategic planning frameworks, which gave the team direction and accountability.
"Her impact went beyond structure, Clare helped us build and execute successful opening strategies and campaigns, while fostering a supportive and collaborative working environment. She leads with both professionalism and empathy, and always made time to listen, advise, and encourage growth.
"I am incredibly grateful for Clare’s mentorship and the role she played in my career progression. She is an inspiring leader who builds strong teams and empowers the people around her to be their best." - Minty Beardsley, Senior Marketing Manager, Brother Marcus
Projects
One of the most exciting projects was the brand refresh. Working closely with the founders, I helped define a mission statement, core values, and a new tone of voice that truly reflected who they were and what they wanted to become. I then project managed the rollout—both internally and as part of the opening campaign for their flagship Canary Wharf site. This wasn’t just about a new look; it was about creating consistency and clarity across every customer touchpoint.
On the strategy side, I created and delivered the annual marketing plan and budget. I introduced paid search into the mix (a big win for increasing bookings), set up competitor pricing tracking, and used that data to help shape menus and guide pricing decisions. I also worked with the operations team to identify smart ways to improve sales—everything from adjusting opening hours to refining booking policies.
Social media was another big focus. By developing a proper strategy and hiring a marketing executive to manage day-to-day content, we significantly improved performance and engagement. I also introduced monthly marketing reporting, so we could see what was working, what wasn’t, and adapt quickly.
Finally, I led the onboarding of new tech platforms—Airship, Toggle, and Sunday—to make marketing campaigns more effective and streamline operations.
This is the kind of work I love doing as a freelance marketing consultant for restaurants: getting under the skin of a brand, building strategies that actually deliver results, and making sure marketing works hand-in-hand with operations to grow sales. Whether you need help with brand positioning, opening campaigns, social media strategy, or simply making sense of your marketing data, I bring a hands-on, practical approach that gets things moving fast.