I love working on restaurant social media content! There’s only one small problem with it. It works. I’m so hungry and have an incredible craving for the type of food I’m working with, so I usually go out for lunch that day. So what content should restaurants create to engage more people and build community through social media?

Here’s a list of ideas that are gaining traction for many of our restaurant clients, along with some examples from Bavarian Grill.

Restaurant Menu

1. Current menu – Online or downloadable
2. Favorite menu items
3. Gluten-free menu options
4. Allergy-sensitive menu options
5. Vegetarian menu options
6. Vegan menu options
7. Low-calorie menu options
8. Low-fat menu options
9. New menu items
10. Poll: Ask for new menu item suggestions
11. Seasonal menu items
12. Limited time menu items
13. Favorite beverages
14. Coffee drinks
15. Specialty drinks
16. Fun food photos – Get creative!
17. Source local ingredients – Show local community support
18. Source special ingredients
19. Share recipes – But not grandma’s secret recipe!
20. Unique food and drink pairings
21. Nutritional information

Specials & Promotions

22. Current specials
23. Specials only available on social – encourages visits
24. Promote loyalty programs
25. Promotions for slow business hours

Contests

26. Incentivize customer content sharing
27. Contests with giveaways

Giving Back

28. Sustainable business practices – Be green
29. Recycling and repurposing programs
30. Community involvement
31. Non-profits and charities supported
32. Employees helping the community – Give employees a day to serve your community

Events

33. Restaurant events
34. Current events tie-in – Stay away from sensitve topics
35. Local events tie-in
36. Birthday specials – What do you do for birthday guests?
37. Anniversary specials

Restaurant Features

38. Patio dining
39. Take out
40. Catering
41. Dining experience – Show a full dining area
42. Features unique to your restaurant

Customers & Guests

43. Happy customers enjoying your food
44. User-generated content – People LOVE this!
45. Customer reviews
46. Video clips of happy customers
47. Feature regular customers
48. Dining areas full of customers

Social Love

49. Subscribe to your email – Email is still a great marketing tool
50. Give a review
51. Promote specific platform reviews from Yelp, Trip Advisor, Zomato, and others
52. Promote your blog – If you don’t have a blog, you may want consider starting one
53. Link back to your website’s full menu, location, and other relevant pages
54. App – Promote your app if applicable (see what I did there?)
55. Link to other social platforms

Staff & Team

59. Introduce your team
60. Staff recommendations – They know your menu better than anyone
61. Employee of the month
62. Staff group outings
63. Employee advocacy – Your team members are your best brand ambassadors!
64. Get to know us
65. Employment opportunities

Operations

66. Behind the scenes – People love this stuff!
67. Video of restaurant operations
68. Video of food prep
69. Video of work fun – Everyone loves to have fun

About Your Restaurant

70. Restaurant history
71. Did you know? – What would you like people to know?
72. Awards
73. News 

Miscellaneous

74. Your favorite thing about us in one word
75. Restaurant humor (non-offensive)
76. Kid-friendly
77. Pet-friendly
78. Hashtag promotions – #useuniquehashtags
79. Reservations
80. Memes
81. Inspiration and quotes – Relevant to your restaurant
82. Food tourism
83. Food stats
84. Foodie reviews
85. FAQ
86. Merchandise for sale
87. Delivery vehicles – And deliveries in progress

If you have any other ideas, we would love to hear them! Please share in the comment section below.

Restaurant Social Media Checklist

Download the free checklist and use it to evaluate your restaurant’s social content and create some fresh, new content with these great ideas!