Sam Oches, Megumi Robinson and Tony “Professor Pizza” Scardino delve into restaurant visibility and social media content best practices, drawing on Tony’s personal experiences and Megumi’s industry research.
Check out the full episode or view highlights below:
How People Actually Discover Food Online
Belle partnered with NRN on a survey of Gen Z and millennial diners to understand where discovery for restaurants really happens. Data showed that social media is the top driver of choice, with influencer reviews driving measurable foot traffic.
- 73% visited a restaurant in the last 3 months because of a social media review
- 55% said social media reviews are the top reason they’d try a restaurant — beating Google and Yelp
Megumi elaborated that “You want to balance having content that is jumping on trends while, at the same time, also, first and foremost, thinking about what is actually going to be most useful.”
She dives deeper into how to show up when consumers search for food and dining options on social media. She explains “social search engine optimization” and that restaurants should do the following on every post:
- Think like a diner’s search bar. Work in phrases like best pizza in Chicago, late-night tacos, gluten-free brunch
- Include these phrases in captions, voiceovers, alt text and thumbnail images
- Use relevant hashtags
- Prioritize usefulness over fleeting trends
Authenticity Beats Polish for Food Content
Tony and Megumi explain that polished content doesn’t equal impact and that human beats corporate every time. Whether it’s a quick iPhone Reel, a staff taste test, or a walk-through of your dough-making process, relatable content consistently outperforms heavily produced videos.
Restaurants shouldn’t shy away from simple, unfiltered posts. Audiences connect with genuine moments. Megumi added that “Content needs to be relatable, authentic, and useful. People want behind-the-scenes and to feel like they’re having a conversation.”
A blend can also work. A few well-produced photos of your dishes can anchor your visual identity, but layering in authentic video reviews and staff experiences is what ultimately makes diners feel invested. Try publishing both and see which style resonates best with your target.
Working with Influencers for Your Restaurant
The podcast conversation recognizes that not every operator can be a content creator. Instead, influencer partners can infuse a human element that is often missing from a restaurant’s food content. Through partnerships, restaurants can still build human connections without an on-camera extrovert on staff.
Why social media influencers help restaurants rank and convert:
- Influencer posts generally drive higher engagement than brand posts, which boosts your social search ranking
- The right partner extends you to audiences you haven’t reached yet. They have followers who may not have heard of your restaurant yet or are not following your page.
- Third-party credibility answers the guest’s biggest question: Would you spend your own money here?
Influencer foodie partners to prioritize:
- Micro influencers — roughly 10k to 100k followers — are critical because engagement is high and they are more relatable to followers. An influencer with 10k followers and a 5% engagement rate is more impactful than one with 500k followers but a 0.5% engagement rate.
- Look for locals who already love your food. If they’ve posted about their fandom organically, that’s your best starting point.
Restaurant Social Media: Crawl, Walk, Run Content Strategy
While social media and influencers may appear overwhelming to restaurant operators, the podcast conversation touched on how they can take a staged approach and start small. Megumi recommends a crawl, walk, run strategy to build momentum and determine what works best.
Crawl
- Audit your digital footprint. What posts earned saves, comments, DMs
- Pick 3 content themes to start, like signature items, behind the scenes, community
- Post once a week on Instagram and once a week on TikTok
- Add social SEO elements to every post. Track reach from search and hashtags
Walk
- Identify 3-5 micro creators who already engage with you
- Run a pilot campaign: a tasting event with a clear creative brief and goals expressed
- Repurpose creator content on your feed with permission
Run
- Expand to a quarterly influencer program with simple contracts, unique offers and trackable codes
- Layer in paid amplification behind top-performing Reels to the zip codes that matter most