Southern Junction is not your average barbecue joint. Founded by Ryan Fernandez, who grew up in Kerala, India, before moving to Texas as a teenager, the two-time James Beard Award–nominated restaurant is located in Buffalo, New York. There, it blends Texas-style barbecue with Indian flavor traditions—what they call “Texish.”
Employing smart, bold creative to strategically align their digital presence, we created a high-performing plan to amplify their story and engage audiences.
Growing the Brand in Buffalo
Southern Junction’s digital presence needed to introduce authentic Texas barbecue to Western New York while also differentiating its fusion approach to creating one-of-a-kind menu items. Our goal was to connect both barbecue enthusiasts and adventurous diners to a story, and a meal, they couldn’t get anywhere else in Buffalo.
We started with specific goals to:
- Increase Instagram followers by 25%+ in 12 months
- Raise Facebook likes by 40%
- Maintain an engagement rate of 4% or higher
- Drive awareness of cocktails, desserts, and brunch offerings
Establishing a Distinct Voice
Our social media audit and analysis revealed inconsistencies in visuals, posting frequency, and brand voice, along with missed opportunities to educate customers and showcase the unique use of ingredients and dishes offered at Southern Junction. To address this, we built a social media playbook rooted in three storytelling pillars:
- Smoked to Perfection – showcasing food and drink in visually compelling ways
- Behind the Pit – spotlighting Ryan and his team as the heart of the brand
- Learning the Ropes – educating guests on navigating the menu and experience
Every piece of content is tied to these pillars, ensuring consistency and purpose in our work. Every post visual and caption is intended to test for engagement and drive audience interactions.
To support these pillars and our content strategy, our team creates custom photography of menu items, cocktails, staff, catering events, and more regularly to build a photo and video library. Our work here blends just the right mix of creative vision, production value, and flexibility, allowing us to run shoots that capture the real Southern Junction in real time.
Delivering Measurable Results
Throughout a year of structured strategy and content production, we not only achieved, but exceeded our measurable objectives:
- Instagram followers grew 39%, from 13.2K to 18.4K
- Maintained a 4.5% average engagement rate on Instagram, above industry benchmarks
- Facebook likes increased 55% from 5.1K to 7.9K
- Elevated visibility for under-ordered items like cocktails, brunch, and desserts
Qualitative wins included stronger customer recognition of Chef Ryan, more frequent mentions of social posts by guests, and a sustainable content system that aligned with the restaurant’s operational flow.
A sampling of our photography services for Southern Junction social media and marketing.
