Lustig is an Austrian-inspired gourmet restaurant in Culver City led by chef-owner Bernhard Mairinger (formerly of Beverly Hill's Bierbeisl).The founder’s story, an Austrian native introducing L.A. to true Austrian cuisine, is central to the brand identity. Together, we built a community of diners through behind-the-scenes moments, polished plating shots, and fun reels. Chef Bernhard's commitment to culinary excellence, coupled with our commitment to story-driven marketing, helped craft a social presence as flavorful and memorable as the dining experience itself.
⟢ Social Media Management
⟢ Ad Management
⟢ PR Communctions
High-quality images build trust, curiosity, and desire, reflecting the same care and craft found in Lustig’s kitchen.
Chef Bernhard’s pillars of quality and hospitality themed our images, which included detail shots of artisanal ingredients, the atmospheric dining room, and candid guest moments. Our photography builds a powerful and consistent brand to help convey taste, texture, and tone before a single bite. Each photoshoot required a meticulous approach; shooting solo meant mastering everything from camera settings to lighting and appealing placement.
Post-production became just as critical as the shoot itself. Finishing touches like retouching silverware to remove blemishes, correcting subtle imperfections, and enhancing colors to match the feed’s signature theme were essential. This process taught us to look through the lens with a chef’s eye, ensuring each image evoked a sense of intrigue and mirrored the sophistication worthy of Michelin Guide attention.
From crafting scripts that align with the brand’s voice to capturing raw, authentic moments, every frame reflects the refined playfulness of the restaurant.
For short form content, rhythmic cuts of the cooking process like schnitzel hitting the fryer in slow motion, the final swirl of craft cocktails, or the satisfying assembly of a dish. For long-form content, I tapped into Chef Bernhard’s vibrant personality, creating playful narratives like the Schnitzel Series to showcase how versatile this Austrian classic is. Reels served as our menu teaser: fast, addictive, and algorithm-friendlyPost-production touches such as fine-tuning audio for clarity, overlay shots to maximize viewer retention, and editing sequences that flow with a fun flair created an immersive experience that showcased the food, energy, and cheeky elegance of Lustig LA.
Stories sit at the top of the feed to keep your brand top-of-mind. Although their 24-hour expiration can feel short-lived, I capitalized on this sense of urgency and ensured every frame unlocked a more authentic layer of Lustig.
For a restaurant introducing an authentic yet foreign cuisine to Los Angeles, this visibility is key to sparking curiosity and reducing the “unfamiliar” barrier. Graphic design and photography were used to announce daily or weekly specials, seasonal dishes, or reservation reminders. Daily stories captured kitchen prep, cultural tidbits about Austrian cuisine, and wine pairings to educate and engage. To position the brand as approachable and interactive, features like polls (“White🍸 or Red🍷?”), questions, and chef Q&As allowed us to connect with our viewers and bridge the cultural gap between Austrian cuisine and LA locals.
Boosting can take great content and put it in front of a larger, targeted audience. For Lustig, I designed visually intriguing posts with messages that are easy to digest.
Our strategy focused on targeting food enthusiasts interested in fine dining experiences, wine and cocktail culture, and global cuisine within key West LA neighborhoods, including Culver City, Venice, Playa Vista, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood. Managing a limited monthly budget required intentional effort. I allocated funds effectively by aligning our promotions with peak engagement times and targeting specific demographics of older professionals, families, and couples. The ad content featured crowd-favorite dishes, limited-time specialty menus, and the restaurant's ambiance, each tied to a strong call to action, such as “Reserve Your Table.” I utilized our archive of high-quality photography and graphic design to create visuals that communicated swiftly and boldly, drawing people in. The ultimate goal was to tap into the curiosity of LA locals, converting their interest into direct Opentable bookings & increased foot traffic.
This service is not included in this client's package.
Apart from internal media, press is an alternative source that validates brand credibility, increasing both online visibility and web traffic. A mention in the right outlet can elevate perception, especially in upscale dining.
For Lustig, securing features in major publications and local LA blogs was pivotal in introducing Angelenos to a world-class Austrian dining experience with a modern twist. Each pitch highlighted Chef Bernhard’s pedigree, the cultural uniqueness of the concept, and the immersive experience behind the cuisine. Publications reinforced Lustig’s prestige, illuminated readers on the restaurant's hospitality and food, and invited curious foodies to Culver City’s top-tier culinary destination.
For just one hour between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, Austrian restaurant Lustig serves a special with three kinds of sausages, plus either a kaiser roll or pretzel. A bosna sandwich features Nürnberger bratwurst, ketchup, mustard, onion, and curry powder in a sourdough roll. Draft 10 ounce pours of beer are $7 to go along with with the sausage specials.
APR. 12, 2024 LATaco.com by Hadley Tomicki | Read full article »
To aid guests who are feeling a financial strain from tax season, chef Bernhard of the new Culver City favorite Lustig in the Helms Bakery complex is offering 10% lunch bills from Tuesday, April 16 to Friday, April 19. Enjoy discounted salads, pizzas, schnitzel, sausages, dessert and more from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.”
APR. 1, 2024 LAMAG Los Angeles Magazine by Jasmin Rosemberg | Read full article »
“…Chef Bernhard Mairinger’s dinner menu is full of global influences, but the former BierBeisl chef is at his best with pan-European dishes like chicken liver profiteroles with dark chocolate and a classic veal wienerschnitzel with lingonberry-yuzu chutney…”
APR. 1, 2024 TimeOut LA by Patricia Kelly Yeo & Michael Juliano | Read full article »
“Chef Bernhard Mairinger’s inventive eats have a modern Austrian twist. Dishes like veal Wiener Schnitzel with yuzu-lingonberry chuttney and apple strudel cigars will surely get you into the Central European spirit…”
MAR. 15, 2024 Table Talk by Hannah George | Read full article »
“At this bold Austrian spot in the iconic Helms Bakery development, chef Bernhard Mairinger is cooking up both European offerings like veal Wiener schnitzel and diverse dishes such as hamachi jalapeno and a merguez sausage pizza — which can be paired with libations like a whiskey sour…”
MAR. 8, 2024 by Jeff Miller | Read full article »
“Everyone knows that “there is no such thing as a free lunch”, but if I told you today that you could really have a free lunch, would you try it? Lustig restaurant, opened by chef Bernhard Mairinger, opened in Culver City, Los Angeles late last year, adding a new Austrian flavor to Los Angeles’ food map. Recently, Lustig announced that as long as you meet “one condition” you can have a free meal at their place!..”
MAR. 5, 2024 by Isabella (LA Weekly Asia) | Read full article »
“The best new restaurants in Los Angeles to try right now: From the impish Ted Lasso-inspired “RELIEVE” sign in the bathroom to the menu’s various cheeky asides, this cozy, Austrian-accented bistro in Culver City manages to put “fun” and “fine dining” in the same sentence. Chef Bernhard Mairinger’s dinner menu is full of global influences, but the former BierBeisl chef is at his best with pan-European dishes..”
MAR. 1, 2024 by Patricia Kelly Yeo | Read full article »
“The Biggest LA Restaurant Openings to Know in February: Culver City’s Lustig is helmed by chef Chef Bernhard Mairinger, previously of Bierbiesl and Bierbiesl Imbiss. Find Mairinger’s famous schnitzel on the menu, plus chicken liver profiteroles, a croque monsieur, and ample dessert options. Make sure to watch out for the cheese cart as well, which rolls around the space with a selection of cheeses under clear glass covers…”
FEB. 29, 2024 by Rebecca Roland & Mona Holmes | Read full article »
“Here’s a cuisine you don’t hear much about in LA: Austrian. Located inside Culver City’s Helms Bakery building, Lustig is an industrial-looking space full of sharp lines and red, blue, and yellow accents (in case you forgot your primary colors). The menu is a modern approach to Alpine cuisine…”
FEB. 23, 2024 by Sylvio Martins | Read full article »
“Pedigreed chef Bernhard Mairinger, whose modern-Austrian restaurant BierBeisl was a cult favorite among Beverly Hills-centric industry execs and countryman Wolfgang Puck, has spent the past decade mostly on the private-chef circuit; now he’s back with this instantly busy, hyper-refined and more personal creative vision in Culver City. Mairinger has resurrected his veal wiener schnitzel, ..”
FEB. 14, 2024 by The Hollywood Reporter (Print Issue)
“At Lustig in Culver City, the pizza is made with béchamel, prosciutto cotto, gruyere, and parmesan. The crust is made with organic spelt sourdough. Chef Bernhard Mairinger commented, “What I love about pizza is that it is so flexible and easy to play with. At Lustig many of our pizzas represent a dish that you wouldn’t normally associate with pizza including the Croque Monsieur, the Ratatouille or our Raclette. For the Croque Monsieur I took the ingredients of a beloved and decadent sandwich and turned it into a pizza (that has our customers asking for more)…”
FEB. 3, 2024 by Aly Walansky – Forbes.com | Read full article »
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