Button Up Media vs Host Hospitality: Which Restaurant Marketing Agency Should You Hire?

If you are shopping for a restaurant marketing agency and you have both Button Up Media and Host Hospitality on your list, you are already doing the smart thing: you are comparing two agencies that specialize in hospitality instead of generalists who will learn your business on your dime.

We should be upfront. We are Button Up Media, so this is our comparison and we think we are the better choice for most South Florida restaurants. We will tell you exactly why. What we will not do is invent weaknesses for Host Hospitality. Everything below about them is drawn from what they publish about themselves on their own website as of September 2026, and we have linked to it so you can read it yourself.

Here is the honest short version: Host Hospitality is a multi-city agency with a portfolio of large hospitality names. If you run an independent restaurant, bar or cafe in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach, we believe you are better served by a local hospitality specialist that will be in your dining room this week.

Button Up Media vs Host Hospitality at a glance

Here is how the two agencies line up on the things restaurant owners actually ask about. The Host Hospitality column reflects what their website states as of September 2026.

• Who they work with: Button Up Media works only with hospitality, specifically independent restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes and coffee shops. Host Hospitality states it serves the restaurant industry exclusively, including cafes, bars and restaurants with a casual or premium casual atmosphere.
• Revenue requirements: We have no revenue minimum. Host Hospitality's site says it works with establishments that have reached or are aiming for at least one million dollars in annual revenue.
• Where they work: We work in South Florida only. Host Hospitality lists New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
• Services: We cover social content, in-house photo and video, Google Business Profile and local SEO, website design built to take bookings and orders, and Google and Meta ads. Host Hospitality lists paid ads and SEO, influencer partnerships, content creation, social media management and email marketing.
• Languages: We work in English and Spanish. If language matters to you, ask any agency directly what they support.
• Who does the work: With us, you work directly with the founders, Juan Hernandez and Christian Paula. Host Hospitality does not state its team structure on its homepage, so ask them who would run your account.
• How results are reported: We report in bookings, phone calls and online orders, in plain language. Host Hospitality says it tracks increased customer visits, higher spending, more repeat business and larger bookings, and that most clients see a revenue increase of twenty to thirty percent over time.

What Button Up Media does

Button Up Media is a South Florida marketing agency built for one kind of business: hospitality. Restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes and coffee shops are all we do. We do not split our attention across dentists, law firms and e-commerce brands, so we already understand slow shoulder seasons, the difference between a reservations problem and a walk-in problem, and why a five-star review streak matters more than a follower count.

Because hospitality is our only specialty, we keep the whole program under one roof instead of sending you to five vendors. That means social media content and short-form video, photography and video shot in house in your own space, Google Business Profile and local SEO so nearby diners find you, website design built to take bookings and orders, and Google and Meta ads. Every channel points at the same target: measurable bookings, calls and orders. Our monthly reporting is in plain English, because most owners do not want a dashboard with forty metrics. They want to know whether last month's spend put more people in seats.

We are a small, senior team, which means you work directly with the founders rather than a rotating cast of junior account managers. We are bilingual in English and Spanish, a real advantage in a market where a huge share of guests search, read reviews and comment in Spanish. And we have done this work for real local hospitality names, including the Rusty Pelican, The Odyssey, Castaway and The Boathouse, with results like a 72 to 1 return on ad spend and more than 200 million organic views. You can see more of that work in our case studies.

What Host Hospitality does

Host Hospitality is a digital marketing agency that states it serves the restaurant industry exclusively. Its website lists paid ads and SEO, influencer partnerships, content creation, social media management and email marketing, and describes its clients as cafes, bars and restaurants, including those with a casual or premium casual atmosphere.

The agency lists four markets: New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Its site says it works with establishments that have reached or are aiming for at least one million dollars in annual revenue, and its portfolio includes large hospitality names such as Tao Group, Lavo, Berimbau, Nobu, Jean-Georges and Hard Rock. On results, the site says most clients see a revenue increase of twenty to thirty percent over time, and that it tracks increased customer visits, higher spending, more repeat business and larger bookings.

Their homepage does not publish pricing, team size or contract terms, so those are worth asking about on an intro call.

Why we believe Button Up Media is the better choice for a South Florida restaurant

Both agencies specialize in hospitality, so this is not a specialist versus generalist comparison. It comes down to four things.

1. We are local, and local shows up in the work

Every client we have is in South Florida. That means we can be in your dining room this week to shoot your new menu, catch the light at 6pm on your patio, and film your bartender making the drink everyone orders. It also means we know the market rhythm: the December to April season, the quiet late-summer weeks, the fact that a Brickell lunch crowd is nothing like a Hialeah weekend crowd. An agency running accounts across four cities can do good work, but it cannot be at your restaurant on a Tuesday.

2. No revenue threshold

Host Hospitality's site sets out a revenue profile it works with. We do not have one. A single-location neighborhood spot that is trying to fix quiet weeknights is a completely normal client for us, not an exception we make. If you are a one-restaurant operator, you will not feel like the smallest account in the room.

3. Content produced in house, not coordinated

Photo and video are not something we outsource or source from creators. Our Creative Director shoots it, which is why the content looks like your restaurant instead of stock food photography. That in-house pipeline is the engine behind more than 200 million organic views, and it is the same reason we can turn a dish into a reel quickly when you need to push a slow night.

4. Bilingual by default, and you talk to the founders

We write, post, reply to reviews and run ads in both English and Spanish, because in South Florida that is not a nice extra, it is half your guests. And you work directly with Juan and Christian. When something breaks on a Friday night, you are texting a founder, not opening a ticket.

Where the two agencies are genuinely similar

A comparison that pretends the other side has nothing going for it is not much use to you, so here is the fair part. Both agencies work only in hospitality, so neither one needs a crash course in how a restaurant makes money. Both run paid ads and social media, both produce content, and both talk about results in business terms rather than follower counts. Host Hospitality also brings experience with large hospitality groups and multi-market brands, which is a different kind of experience than ours.

If you operate a large group with locations in several cities, that multi-market footprint is worth a conversation with them. If your restaurants are all in South Florida, our whole company is pointed at your market.

Questions to ask both agencies before you sign

Ask us and Host Hospitality the same questions, then compare the answers side by side. These are the ones that separate a real partner from a good pitch.

• Who does my work day to day, and can I have their name? You should be able to get a specific person before you sign, not "the team".
• What exactly is included each month, and what costs extra? Get the scope in writing, including how many posts, reels, review replies and shoots.
• Is there a long contract, and how do I leave? Neither agency publishes contract terms, so ask directly and read the exit clause.
• Who owns my accounts and content if we part ways? Your Instagram, Google Business Profile and ad accounts should be in your name, on your email. This is the one owners forget and regret.
• How will you report, and in what units? Bookings, calls, direction requests and orders are the numbers that matter. Impressions are not.
• Can you show me a restaurant like mine? Similar size, similar market, similar problem, with an owner you can call.

We wrote a longer version of this list in our guide to choosing a restaurant marketing agency in Miami, including what a good answer and a red-flag answer sound like for each question.

How to decide

Start with your situation, not the agency. If you run a multi-city hospitality group, talk to agencies with a multi-market footprint. If you run an independent restaurant, bar or cafe in South Florida and you want a hospitality-only team that shoots in your space, works in both languages, and reports in covers and calls, we believe that is us.

The good news is that this decision does not have to be theoretical. Book a free call with Button Up Media, hosted personally by our co-founder Juan, and we will walk through your restaurant, what is working, and exactly how we would approach it. Then ask Host Hospitality the same questions and compare. If you want the wider view first, our roundup of South Florida restaurant marketing agencies covers eight firms, including this one.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for a restaurant, Button Up Media or Host Hospitality?

For an independent restaurant, bar or cafe in South Florida, we believe Button Up Media is the better hire, because we work only in hospitality, only in South Florida, shoot photo and video in house in your space, work in English and Spanish, and put you directly with the founders. Host Hospitality is also a restaurant-only agency and operates across New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, with large hospitality groups in its portfolio, so a multi-city operator should have that conversation too. Ask both agencies the same questions and compare the answers.

Does Host Hospitality work with small independent restaurants?

Host Hospitality's website states that it works with establishments that have reached or are aiming for at least one million dollars in annual revenue, so if you run a smaller independent spot, ask them directly where you fit before you invest time in the process. Button Up Media has no revenue minimum. A single-location neighborhood restaurant is a normal client for us.

Where are Button Up Media and Host Hospitality located?

Button Up Media is based in Miami, Florida and works with restaurants across South Florida, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Host Hospitality lists four markets on its website: New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

What services does each agency offer?

Button Up Media covers social media content, in-house photography and video, Google Business Profile and local SEO, website design built to take bookings and orders, and Google and Meta ads, all under one roof. Host Hospitality lists paid ads and SEO, influencer partnerships, content creation, social media management and email marketing.

Do these agencies work in Spanish?

Button Up Media works in both English and Spanish across content, review replies and ads, which matters in South Florida because a large share of guests search and review in Spanish. Host Hospitality does not state its language support on its homepage, so ask them directly if bilingual work is important to your restaurant.

Which agency is better for restaurant content and video?

Both agencies produce content. The difference is how. Button Up Media shoots photo and video in house, in your dining room and kitchen, led by our Creative Director, which is the engine behind more than 200 million organic views. Host Hospitality lists content creation and influencer partnerships among its services. If content is your priority, ask both agencies to show you recent work from a restaurant like yours.

How do I get started with Button Up Media?

Book a free call at buttonupmedia.com/contact. We will ask about your restaurant, what is working, where you are stuck, and then walk you through exactly how we would help. Every call is hosted personally by our co-founder Juan, in English or Spanish, with no long contract and no hard sell.

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If this was useful and you would rather hand it off, book a free strategy call and we will build a plan around your specific restaurant.