Social media for restaurants: what to post, and where it reaches hungry guests

Why does a restaurant need social media?

Because guests check what tonight looks like before they pick a table. A menu page says what you serve; a post from this week shows the special, the terrace and whether the place is lively. Social media is also where people tag your dishes and send your profile to friends deciding where to eat. A restaurant or café that posts often gives Google and guests the same fresh picture, and our guide to restaurant SEO covers the search side.

How should a restaurant use social media?

1. 1. Start where your guests are

   Pew's 2026 survey by age: Instagram reaches 79% of adults 18 to 29 and 21% of those 65 and over; TikTok 65% and 11%; Facebook 69% and 59%. A late-night bar near a campus starts on Instagram or TikTok; a lunch spot for retirees starts on Facebook. Our social media plan for small businesses goes through the choice.¹

2. 2. Add a Reserve or Order food button to Instagram

   On a business account, tap Edit profile, then Action buttons under Public business information, and pick Reserve, Order food or Book now. You need an existing account with one of Instagram's partners, and only one button shows at a time, so pick the one that brings most guests: tables or orders.²

3. 3. Shoot the photos Google asks for, then reuse them

   Google's photo tips ask a restaurant for at least three food and drink photos of the most popular dishes, three of the interior, three of the outside from each approach, and three of the team. Shoot them evenly lit, JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB, at 720 by 720 pixels or more. The same set makes a week of posts.⁷

4. 4. Keep photos real

   Google wants photos in focus, well lit and without heavy filters, so they show what a guest will see. Videos on the profile run up to 30 seconds and 75 MB. Photos can take 24 to 48 hours to appear after upload.⁶

5. 5. Link your accounts to your Google Business Profile

   Under Edit profile, then Contact, add one link per platform: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn or X. The feature is in select regions only, and Google gives no click counts for these links. Keep the name and hours the same everywhere, as NAP consistency explains.⁵

6. 6. Post specials and events where Google can show them

   Posts about events, deals or specials, from Facebook, Instagram or the profile itself, can appear as featured posts on your mobile Business Profile, in place of reviews, for single-location food and drink businesses in English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the profile, set a weekly repeat for a standing special, and give offers and events their dates; posts older than 6 months are archived unless they have a date range. Our guide to Google Business Profile posts covers each post type.⁴

7. 7. Mind the alcohol rule on Google

   Google allows posts from businesses in regulated industries such as alcohol, but not content about the products. Post the quiz night, the new chef or the terrace opening; leave the two-for-one cocktails to Instagram and Facebook, which have their own rules.⁴

8. 8. Put the menu where posts can link to it

   A post about a new dish works best when the menu is one tap away. The free menu maker turns a price list into an online menu, and the social post generator writes an Instagram, Facebook and Google post from one line about the dish.

Checklist

• One or two apps chosen by your guests' age
• Reserve or Order food button on Instagram
• Three food, three interior and three exterior photos
• Photos real, well lit and unfiltered
• Social accounts linked on the Google profile
• Weekly special set to repeat on Google
• No alcohol promotions in Google posts
• Menu online for posts to link to

Written by Joseph Jang, Co-founder, PlacePilot