Through targeted brand strategy, Orange, an award-winning Essex PR Agency, helped the Mercury Theatre Cafe Bar become a must-visit spot for food and drink in Essex.
When the Mercury Theatre Café Bar approached Orange, the ambition was clear: to elevate the brand and attract a broader audience beyond theatre-goers. The aim was to become a must-visit destination in Essex–welcoming, friendly, and known for quality. To achieve this, the restaurant needed a specialist PR and marketing agency that could match the tone, amplify presence, and position the Café Bar as a standout venue in its own right.
About Mercury Theatre Cafe Bar.
Located in Colchester, Essex, the Mercury Theatre Café Bar serves as a welcoming and accessible space for both theatre attendees and local visitors. Known for its friendly and inviting atmosphere, the Café Bar prioritises creating a warm environment that encourages repeat visits and an enjoyable space. Offering a diverse menu of cakes, pastries, light meals, and a variety of beverages, it caters to a broad audience with varied tastes.
The Brief.
The Mercury Theatre Café Bar was already well-regarded for its friendly atmosphere and quality food offering, but the team was ready to elevate the restaurant to the next level.
The objective was to grow awareness both locally and regionally, attract new customers, and increase bookings. A key part of this strategy involved strengthening social media presence, particularly across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, to better connect with the restaurant’s target audience. The business was also eager to build relationships with local influencers and keep its social media channels fresh, engaging, and reflective of the Café Bar’s unique character.
What did Orange do?
Orange developed a strategy that showcased everything that makes the Mercury Theatre Café Bar a standout space. Our approach combined social media management with influencer marketing, all tied together by a consistent and authentic brand voice.
On social media, we created and managed engaging content across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. From behind-the-scenes staff interviews and new menu launches, to showcasing the space as a welcoming spot for remote working, our content focused on communicating the Café Bar’s core appeal. We also introduced regular on-site content days, allowing us to build a strong library of high-quality visual assets for use across all platforms.
For influencer marketing, we handpicked a group of local lifestyle and food creators whose audiences aligned with the business’s values. These influencers were invited to experience the Café Bar firsthand–meeting the team, trying the menu, and sharing their visits authentically with their followers. This not only expanded reach and visibility but also generated valuable user-generated content that helped to increase engagement and drive bookings.
The Juicy Results.
Our work delivered swift and meaningful results. Engagement across social media increased significantly, fuelled by a clear content strategy and a stream of fresh, high-quality visuals. The Mercury’s TikTok engagement rate increased by 70.81% from November 2024 to April 2025, proving successful in leveraging engagement rates. Carefully curated influencer collaborations helped introduce the Café Bar to new, relevant audiences, with authentic content highlighting the venue’s welcoming atmosphere and standout offering. For example, a partnership with lifestyle influencer Marianne generated 2,366 plays, 323 likes, and an estimated reach of around 1,800 unique accounts, bringing the Café Bar visibility with highly engaged followers in Essex and beyond.
As a result, the Mercury Theatre Café Bar has successfully repositioned itself as a must-visit destination in Essex–appealing not only to theatre-goers but to the wider public as an everyday venue for food, drink, and connection.
