7 Unconventional Content Ideas for Restaurant social media

April 3, 2024 /

In this article, we will explore 7 unconventional content ideas for restaurant social media. Why unconventional? Because we won’t be focusing on food posts. These ideas will not only diversify your restaurant’s social media presence but also help it stand out and gain guest loyalty.

The realm of restaurant social media is quite complex. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are numerous pitfalls because of the countless possibilities.

What am I talking about?

The main mistake in restaurant social media, one I often see is posting only pictures of food. This approach prevents a restaurant from standing out among others. It’s hard to determine whether it’s a restaurant official account or a food blogger. And most importantly this approach will not help your restaurant to get more new customers.

So what’s the solution?

The best way to manage your restaurant’s social media account is to treat it like an online magazine of your establishment. Create a three-dimensional perception of the restaurant. Share insights into every aspect of your restaurant’s work including its everyday life. This will help build trust in the restaurant, help it differentiate itself, and increase the number of new guests.

To cultivate this three-dimensional perception of your restaurant, simply posting content is not enough; it requires a deeper and more complex approach.

To help you fully grasp this concept and implement it in your restaurant, I’m developing an online course “Restaurant Superpower: How to Make the Most of Social Media Platforms.” It’s not just a collection of tips; it’s about creating a solid system for managing your restaurant’s social media presence. You can join the waitlist now to get a special price.

Now, let’s dive straight into the unconventional ideas for your restaurant’s content that you can easily implement and that will help you create an account that doesn’t resemble a food exhibition.

Share an interesting fact about the location of your restaurant.

There are several goals here: the first is to get to know your restaurant better. The second goal is to make a memorable impression in customers’ minds. The third goal is to broaden the perception of your restaurant beyond just food.

Tips for implementing the idea

Utilize the Reels format for the idea
Create context. Start a video by showing your restaurant against the street backdrop or by showcasing city views. This helps viewers understand the location.
Tie the fact to your restaurant. Make sure the fact you share relates to your restaurant in some way, connecting it to the establishment’s identity or history.

Create a video featuring your team members

Create a video featuring your team members (3 to 5 people), each giving a brief response (even just one word) to a question about the restaurant. For instance, ask them why they enjoy working here

The goals are to introduce your staff to your customers and to build your restaurant’s HR brand.

Tips for implementing the idea

Display each person’s name and job title in the video to establish a personal connection with your audience.
If you have team members who have been with the restaurant for an extended period, feature them in the video and include the number of years they have been part of the establishment.
Ask a question that doesn’t solely focus on your food. Since you already have numerous opportunities to showcase your dishes on social media, consider posts featuring your staff to foster an emotional connection with customers and enhance your HR brand. Take advantage of this opportunity.

Create an online tour of your restaurant.

The goal is to immerse customers in the restaurant’s atmosphere.

Tips for implementing the idea

Utilize the reels format for this idea.
Show everything as customers would see it in the establishment, from the front door to the menu.
Include a glimpse of the kitchen; it’s important for customers to see the conditions under which the food is prepared. This inspires trust in the restaurant.

Share the restaurant owner’s story.

The goal is to introduce the owner to customers and create an emotional connection.

Tips for implementing the idea

Present it in a short interview format or as a first-person narrative. This inspires more trust.
Include some challenges the owner faced when opening the establishment. This will make the story more memorable.
Share the restaurant’s mission: why the owner created it and what message they want to convey.

Create a list post.

For example:

5 Reasons to visit our restaurant.
Top 5 must-try dishes in our restaurant.
5 Fun activities for kids during family dining in our restaurant.

The goal is to create a memorable impression and reach a wider audience, as list posts are often saved by users.

Tips for implementing the idea

The list should be related to your restaurant, its main products, or topics.
If you use the Reels format, change the scene every time you introduce a new list item.
Utilize this idea to promote your restaurant’s events. For example, “5 reasons to attend the live music event this weekend.

Feature consumption situations in your restaurant’s content.

Consumption situations are lifestyle scenarios in which customers visit your restaurant, such as grabbing a takeaway coffee in the morning before work, ordering pizza for a party, or having a quick lunch.

The goal is for customers to recognize these consumption situations as relevant to them and choose your restaurant the next time they experience them. For example, they might see a video of ordering pizza for a party and decide to order from you for their next gathering.

Tips for implementing the idea

You can use the photo or Reels format for this idea.
Feature a representative of your target audience in the content. Customers should understand that this is about them.
Pay attention to the mood of each consumption situation. For example, ordering pizza for a party should feel fun, while having a quick lunch might be about taking 10 minutes for yourself on a busy day.

Create a section where your employees talk about their hobbies.

For example, every Friday, you can post about what your employees are interested in, such as yoga, hiking, gardening, reading, painting, music, DIY, traveling, etc. This way, you can connect their personal passions to their work.

The goal is to foster an emotional connection between employees and guests.

Tips for implementing the idea

At the beginning of the video, introduce the employee’s name and position to guests.
You can utilize the interview format for this idea.
The post should answer three questions:
What is their hobby?
Why is it important to them?
How does it help them in their work?
If possible, clearly show the employee’s hobby, for example, by demonstrating how they practice yoga, paint, share videos from travels, etc.

As you can see, there are many opportunities to showcase your restaurant beyond just its food. Each restaurant is like an interesting film, with numerous storylines and episodes to explore. You have a great opportunity to share every aspect of it. I hope the ideas we discussed today will help you see your restaurant’s social media account from a fresh perspective.