Opening a new restaurant is a tough job. While you might be excited about the prospect of eventually having a successful and well-loved restaurant, starting out can often seem like an uphill battle, especially if there are a lot of other established restaurants in your area. But luckily, there are some ways that you can carve out some space for yourself and get people in your door at the same time.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to get people interested in your new local restaurant.

Work With Micro-Influencers

Regardless of the size of the area that you live and work in, there are likely at least a few social media influencers that you could work with to bring more attention to your new restaurant.

According to Jonathon Henderson, a contributor to Modern Restaurant Management, shares that connecting with local foodies who are active on social media can be a great way to get your business in front of people that may not have stumbled upon you on their own. You could offer a free meal to these micro-influencers in exchange for having them post about your new restaurant and encourage their followers to come try out your food the next time they have a chance.

Get Involved In Your Community

Another option you should try to get people interested in your new restaurant is to get more involved in your community.

Whether you participate more as a just a private citizen or as a small business owner, getting to know the people in your area and making contacts with other business owners can only help to make your business more attractive. Additionally, if there are events happening in your area, Makenna Crocker, a contributor to BPlans.com, recommends that you sponsor the event or take part in the fundraising or support of whatever is taking place. Then, you can set up a banner showcasing your restaurant and give people an opportunity to try your food before actually going to your location.

Set Yourself Apart From The Other Restaurants In Your Area

As a new restaurant, you’ve got to find some way that you can entice people to come try your food over your competitors.

One way you can do this, according to Mark Masterson, a contributor to Business.com, is to do something that will set yourself apart from the other restaurants in your area. If there’s something that you’ve noticed to be lacking in the other restaurants around your town, do what you can to fill that gap with your own restaurant to give people a reason to check out what’s different about your place.

If you have a new restaurant that you’re needing to get people interested in, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find ways to accomplish this goal.