Apartment5a | Hospitality Brand Strategy & Creative Content

Born
Harlem
NYC

Restaurant Brand Strategy and Content — Charlotte NC

Where Hospitality, Culture & Community Meet.

Your restaurant has a story worth telling. Apartment5a is a hospitality brand strategy and creative content firm that helps independent restaurants in Charlotte and beyond build a real presence — through professional food photography, video content, social media strategy, and hands-on consulting. No agency. No middleman. Just someone who has worked every position in a restaurant and knows how to tell your story the right way.

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Founded in New York. Built in Charlotte.

More Than a Name.

Levar Hage — Founder, Apartment5a

Apartment5a is more than a name. It represents where I come from, what I have built, and where this is going.

I spent 20 years working in restaurants — from dishwasher to General Manager. I know what it takes to run a floor, manage a team, and keep guests coming back. I also know what it looks like when a great restaurant has no visual presence, no consistent content, and no one in their corner telling their story the right way.

Most restaurants pay an agency that hires a freelancer who has never worked a shift. That freelancer shoots your food, sends the files to the agency, and the agency sends you a bill. You never meet the person behind the lens and the content never quite feels like yours.

I started Apartment5a to change that. I work directly with you. I understand your business from the inside. And the work we produce together actually reflects who you are.

Behind every engagement is a research and strategy process built on data — competitive analysis, content performance trends, and market insight — so every decision we make for your brand is informed, not guesswork.

Founded in New York. Built in Charlotte.
20+ years restaurant and hospitality operations
USAF Veteran
Professional photographer and videographer
M.S. Hospitality candidate, East Carolina University
Serving independent restaurants across the Charlotte metro area

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20+

Yrs Hospitality

USAF

Veteran

What We Do

We Are Not an Agency.
We Are a Partner.

There is a difference. And your guests will feel it.

Brand Strategy

We audit where you are, identify the gaps, and build a roadmap that aligns your visuals, messaging, and guest experience with who you actually are. This is where most restaurants are leaving money on the table.

Content Creation

Professional food photography and video produced on location. Food, atmosphere, team, events. Content that makes someone stop scrolling and walk through your door.

Social Media Management

Consistent, on-brand posting across platforms with real strategy behind every piece of content. Not filler. Not stock images. Not guesswork. Every post is backed by performance data and built around what actually works for your audience.

Consulting & Assessments

Guest experience analysis, digital presence audits, mystery shopping, menu positioning, and operational brand alignment. The kind of insight that only comes from someone who has actually run a floor.

How We Stay Sharp

Strategy Backed by Data.
Executed by Someone Who Knows the Industry.

We do not post and pray.

Every Apartment5a engagement is powered by a research and intelligence process that runs before we ever pick up a camera. We analyze your competitive landscape, track what content performs for restaurants in your category and market, identify what your competitors are missing, and build a content strategy around real insight — not assumptions.

This means every shoot has a purpose. Every post has a reason. And every strategy session is backed by data, not guesswork.

You get the result. A stronger brand, better content, and a partner who always knows what move to make next.

A Note on How We Work

Apartment5a uses AI-powered tools to sharpen the research and strategy side of the work — analyzing market trends, tracking content performance, and identifying opportunities faster than any manual process could. It helps us move smarter and stay ahead of what is happening in your category.

The creative decisions, the relationships, the camera work, and the strategy conversations are always led by me. AI is part of the workflow. It is not running the show.

Market Analysis

We research your competitive landscape before we build your strategy so you are always positioned ahead of the room.

Performance Tracking

We monitor what content works for your audience and adjust in real time so your brand keeps growing month over month.

Informed Strategy

Every recommendation we make is backed by data from your market, your category, and your audience — not gut feeling.

How We Work Together

Every Engagement Starts
With a Conversation.

Independent restaurants at every stage need something different. Here is how most clients work with us — and how to figure out which option fits where you are right now.

One Day. Everything You Need. — No monthly commitment. No contract. Just show up and let us handle the rest.

Day Rate

The Setup

$800

One-time

2 hours on location. 30 professionally edited images. One subject or one area of your restaurant. Best for a quick content refresh or a single menu feature.

Day Rate
The Session
$1,500
One-time
4 hours on location. 60 professionally edited images across multiple setups. Food, atmosphere, and team covered in a single visit.

Day Rate

The Production Day

$3,000

One-time

6 to 8 hours on location. 150+ professionally edited images. Full restaurant coverage including food, team, space, ambiance, and events. This is everything, captured in one day.

Built for the Long Game. — Retainer clients receive priority scheduling, a defined shoot hour bank each month, and direct access to Levar throughout the engagement.

Monthly

Ground Floor

$1,500

Per Month

Up to 4 shoot hours per month. 30–40 professionally edited images. Content calendar built around your business. Social media posting included. One 30-minute monthly strategy call. Consulting available as a discounted add-on.

Monthly
In Progress
$2,500
Per Month
Up to 8 shoot hours per month across two sessions. 60–80 professionally edited images. Short form video content included. Two strategy sessions per month. Brand consulting included. Priority scheduling over Ground Floor clients.

Monthly

Built to Last

$3,500

Per Month

Up to 12 shoot hours per month across multiple sessions. 100+ professionally edited images. Video content included. Full brand consulting covering guest experience, menu positioning, and digital presence. Monthly strategy call. First right of refusal on the calendar.

Strategy Without the Camera. — Not every problem needs a photoshoot. Sometimes you just need someone who has spent 20 years in this industry to sit across the table and tell you the truth.

Consulting
Brand Audit & Consulting Day
$1,500
Flat Rate
One full day with Levar. No camera. Just strategy. Covers guest experience, digital presence, brand positioning, social media gaps, and competitive landscape. A written action plan delivered within 5 business days. This is where most retainer clients start.

Don’t See Exactly What You Need?

Every restaurant is different. If none of these packages fit where you are right now, reach out and we will build something around your specific situation. No pressure. Just a real conversation.

Let’s Talk Custom

Most clients start with a Production Day to see the work firsthand. Then they stay for the partnership.
Unused shoot hours do not roll over month to month. All shoots must be scheduled a minimum of 72 hours in advance. Hours beyond your monthly tier are billed at $200 per hour. Custom scopes available — contact us directly.