The Recipe for Engagement: Anthony’s Anniversary Campaign

CASE STUDY

Anthony’s Creative Italian Cuisine Anniversary Campaign

Background

When Haven first began managing social media for Anthony’s Creative Italian Cuisine in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, it looked completely different than it does now. Today, almost without exception, our clients have some kind of social media presence. But ten years ago, it was a very different world.

Our partnership with Anthony’s started with Facebook Live – a Mother’s Day post of Anthony in the kitchen showing how to make the perfect crab omelet for your mom. As the social media landscape gained momentum, we pitched Instagram to Anthony as the “cool new thing”. Today, it’s unlikely to find a thriving business without an active Instagram page.

Over time, we learned exactly what resonated most with Anthony’s audience. Namely, short form video consistently outperformed everything else largely because it captured the atmosphere of the restaurant, the personality behind the brand, and the quality of the food in a way photos alone could not.

As a result of our efforts, by the end of 2024, Anthony’s accounts had grown to 5,571 Facebook followers and 1,567 Instagram followers. The accounts performed well in 2024, averaging consistent engagement from the community along with an average of six thousand views per post.

Building A Campaign for 45 Years in Business

Heading into 2025, the restaurant was preparing to celebrate two major milestones – 25 years in Haddon Heights and 45 years in business overall. We knew we needed to step up our efforts.
To celebrate the anniversary, Anthony created a series of five specialty dinners inspired by the regions in Italy that shaped his cooking over the years. Each dinner focused on a different region including Bologna, Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany and Rome. The dinners took place every other month from February through October, giving Haven the opportunity to create a long term campaign instead of a one time promotion.

Our strategy centered around building momentum before each event. During the months leading up to the anniversary dinners, Haven increased Anthony’s posting frequency to four reels per week. During non-promotional months, posting remained consistent at three reels per week. This approach allowed us to maximize engagement during key moments while still maintaining the audience consistently active year round. Social media content highlighted menu planning, preparation, Italian regional inspiration, and event announcements across Instagram and Facebook.

Social Media Strategy and Community Outreach

Additionally, Haven reached out to a popular Facebook group, South Jersey Food Scene. Marilyn Johnson, the group’s creator, featured the anniversary dinners in a dedicated article and came by to experience the first dinner herself. Afterwards, additional promotional posts appeared throughout the campaign, extending Anthony’s reach to an even larger local audience.

Content creation was a huge part of the campaign. The Haven social team handled content planning, iPhone videography, styling, lighting, editing, and onsite coverage during the dinners themselves. Each event included behind the scenes footage, live content, food features, and atmosphere-driven videos that helped people feel connected to the experience before they even walked through the door.

The results exceeded expectations.

Results

Throughout 2025, Haven completed 13 content shoots for Anthony’s, including five anniversary dinner shoots and eight regular shoots. Anthony’s social media pages generated 1.56 million views across platforms, with multiple reels reaching between 80K and 100K views. The highest performing reel reached 108.3K plays.

The audience growth was even more significant. Anthony’s Facebook page grew from 5,571 followers to 11,783 followers. Instagram grew from 1,567 followers to 2,103 followers. Combined, the restaurant gained nearly 6,000 new followers, which was a 752% increase compared to the previous year.

Why Did This Work?

What made this campaign successful was not just the increase in posting frequency. It was the consistency, the storytelling, and the ability to create content that felt authentic to the restaurant and its audience. Instead of treating social media as a place to simply advertise, the campaign focused on making people feel like they were part of the experience.

Conclusion

For Haven, the Anthony’s anniversary campaign is a perfect example of what can happen when strong content, strategic planning, and consistent execution all work together. If you’re interested in leveling up your social media, message us at hello@onehaven.com.