Not Our First 
Multi-Unit Brand

Multi-unit restaurant brands don’t need more marketing. They need alignment, accountability, and a partner who understands how growth actually happens.

Start the Conversation

Built for Brands That Don’t Have
Time for Guesswork

You’re managing growth across markets, channels, and locations. 
You’re accountable for performance—not just activity. 
And you’re expected to explain why it’s working.

That’s where we come in.

We’re not a generalist agency that “also does restaurants.”

We’ve built our careers inside the complexity of hospitality—where margins are tight, expectations are high, and inconsistency shows up fast.

We understand the difference between: 

  • Traffic and incremental demand
  • Brand awareness and brand preference
  • Reporting and real accountability

And we build accordingly.

Professional food preparation environment

What Makes Us Different
(and Easier to Work With)

We’re strategic. We’re direct. And we don’t hide behind marketing language.

We’ll tell you when something isn’t working. We’ll show you what is. And we’ll build the system to make it repeatable.

We’re also collaborative by design because the best outcomes happen when strategy, brand, media, and data are aligned across teams.

No theatrics. No overcomplication. No “just trust us.”

Just smart people solving real growth problems.

01

From Disconnection to a System That Works

Most of the brands we work with come to us with the same underlying issue:
Things look fine on the surface, but underneath, it’s disconnected.

  • Channels aren’t aligned
  • Data isn’t telling a clear story
  • Performance is hard to prove
  • Growth feels inconsistent across locations

We turn that fragmentation into a connected system that drives measurable demand across every market and every guest interaction.

02

Good Food Isn’t a 
Growth Strategy

Great product matters. But it’s not enough.

Not when:

  • Visibility is fragmented across search, AI, maps, and social
  • Guest expectations shift faster than your systems
  • Every dollar of marketing spend is under scrutiny

We help restaurant brands compete—and win—in that environment.

With strategy that aligns. 
Creative that scales. 
And performance you can actually defend.

03

Strategy That Holds 
Up Under Pressure

We’re built for brands that are growing, evolving, and under pressure to perform.

That means:

  • Decisions backed by data, not assumptions
  • Systems designed for scale, not one-off wins
  • Strategies that work across 20, 50, or 200+ locations

Because if it doesn’t scale—or can’t be measured—it won’t hold up.

Plated large hamburger meal

Strategy that Fuels Growth

At Acquired Taste, we’re curious, forward-thinking and built to evolve. We blend creativity with storytelling, smart technology and deep restaurant experience to deliver strategy that scales. Every move we make is grounded in performance. From digital ecosystems that unify your brand to targeted campaigns that drive foot traffic, we turn complexity into impact.

Results that speak

Growth. Demonstrated.

$1.5B+

Client revenue generated

10:1

Return on ad spend

532%

Increase in reservations

50+

Restaurant brands supported

11

Clients retained for 11+ years

Experience You Can Build On.

Strategists. Creatives. Analysts. Restaurant operators at heart.

We’re a highly experienced team that understands the nuances of multi-unit growth—and knows how to turn complexity into clarity. Meet our leaders.

Michael Westafer, Chief Executive Officer

Michael

Westafer

Chief Executive Officer

Mike brings over 25 years of experience in marketing, leadership and business strategy. With a diverse background in design, development, branding and marketing, Mike has helped more than 20 restaurant clients achieve success.

Candice Scott, Chief Marketing Officer

Candice

Scott

Chief Marketing Officer

Candice is a proven marketing brand leader with a focus on driving impactful integrated programs for restaurants. She brings over 20 years of experience working with over 30 brands, including Gordon Ramsay North American and Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group.

April Ott, Director of Brand Experience

April

Ott

Director of Brand Experience

April is the heart of the Acquired Taste account team – overseeing account relations, brand projects, digital design, website marketing, email marketing and more. She has over 18 years of experience in the restaurant industry, gaining her passion for restaurants as a former Bloomin’ Brands team member.

Stephanie Summerlin headshot

Stephanie Summerlin

Director of Paid Media

Stephanie is a digital media veteran with over a decade of experience across leading agencies, Fortune 500 brands, e-commerce, and restaurant clients. She specializes in full-funnel multi-channel media planning, deep data analysis, and uncovering opportunities through first-hand platform knowledge and a strong technical background.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

If your marketing feels harder than it should—or harder to prove than it should be—we should talk.
We’ll bring the clarity. The system. And the results.

start the conversation