Restaurant Social Media Post Ideas That Turn Engagement Into Direct Orders

If you’re struggling to come up with restaurant social media post ideas that actually turn engagement into orders, you’re not alone.

Many restaurant owners put the time into creating posts but never see a clear return in the form of more direct sales or repeat visits.

The key is using social media strategies that do more than just boost your social media presence—they should also increase restaurant sales by motivating customers to act, then making it easy for them to order.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

1. How to craft social media post ideas that drive real revenue
2. Tips to keep your social media content consistent and effective
3. Ways to track which posts are increasing orders and repeat visits

Use Seasonal Promotions to Spotlight Limited-Time Offers

Seasonal promotions are time-bound menu offers that create urgency, excite customers, and keep your menu feeling fresh.

Featuring menu items that are only available for a short time, not only grabs viewer attention and drives immediate orders but also turns casual followers into loyal customers eager to see what’s next.

Tie promotions to holidays, local events, and food-centric days

Connect your specials to local events, holidays, or food-themed national days to make your content timely and relevant.

For example, if there’s a summer festival in your community, feature a signature dish inspired by the event and promote it across your social media channels in a short video with clear instructions on how to order directly from your online ordering system or mobile app.

Offer exclusive access to loyal followers

Make your seasonal offerings feel extra special by encouraging pre-orders or offering app-only access to your most loyal customers.

This not only rewards your current social media followers but also gives potential customers a reason to follow your page and join your loyalty program.

Share Behind-the-Scenes Content to Give Your Brand a Personality

Behind-the-scenes content is any glimpse into your restaurant’s daily life that shows the people, processes, and personality behind the food. By showing how dishes are made and who’s making them, you humanize your restaurant name and create an emotional connection that makes customers feel closer to your team.

This type of content can build trust and strengthen your social media presence while still supporting your overall strategy.

Introduce the team behind your most popular menu items  

Showcase the people behind your signature dishes and cocktails—from chefs to bartenders.

Post short videos of prep routines, ingredients sourcing, and how it’s made. Customers LOVE this peek into your process and will help create a stronger emotional connection because they can now put a personality to the food and drinks they love.

Share “day in the life” stories

Highlight staff with “day in the life” content, staff spotlights, or fun team traditions. These social media post ideas make your feed relatable and memorable while helping your brand stand out among other restaurants in your area.

Use behind-the-scenes content to drive loyalty

Tie these posts into your promotions by mentioning loyalty program perks or upcoming specials.

For example, “Members get early access to this dish—join today so you don’t miss out!”

This approach blends personality with purpose, turning casual viewers into paying customers.

Encourage User-Generated Content to Increase Social Proof

When your restaurant customers share their own experiences, it’s one of the most powerful forms of marketing you can get.

User-generated content (like tagged photos, videos, and positive reviews) are customer-created photos and posts act as free, trusted advertising for your restaurant. It builds trust faster than any ad because it comes from actual people enjoying your food, and it costs you nothing to create.

Here’s how to encourage diners to share their experiences and turn that content into more orders.

Repost customer photos and stories

Encourage guests to share their experiences by using a branded hashtag or tagging your restaurant name. Then, repost their social media post on your feed or stories.

This creates authentic content for your page, plus customers love seeing their content being reused on one of their favorite restaurants’ social media platforms.

Run contests and incentives for direct orders

Take it a step further with a photo contest or review giveaway tied to direct orders. For example, “Post pictures of your favorite dishes this week for a chance to win a free drink with your next online order.”

This kind of post idea is an easy win for your target audience, making it a no-brainer for customers to order within the week.

Tag and thank users publicly

A simple shoutout goes a long way in encouraging guests to post their experience again. Public recognition makes people feel valued, encourages repeat participation, and helps you gather even more social media post ideas without much added effort.

Get Customers Involved with Interactive Posts

Interactive social media post ideas turn passive scrollers into active participants. These could be polls, quizzes, and contests that not only boost engagement but also give you valuable insights to shape your menu and promotions.

If you’re having trouble with follower engagement, give them something easy to respond to by starting with these easy ideas.

Use polls and quizzes to gather feedback

Post polls, quizzes, and playful “this or that” games, then ask your social media followers to vote on their favorite dishes, new flavor ideas, or what to do for an upcoming special.

Use multiple platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, to run the same polls and compare the results.

Here are a few poll ideas:

• “Which of these signature dishes should be our next special?”
• “What’s your go-to comfort food from our menu?”
• “Sweet or savory brunch—what’s your pick?”

These interactive posts not only engage your audience, it also gives you feedback on which menu items they love most and solid data when making menu changes.

Launch name contests and menu challenges

Let customers participate in shaping your menu with naming contests or “create your own” challenges. For example, ask people to:

• Suggest a name for a new menu item
• Build their dream burger, pizza, or sandwich
• Submit flavor ideas for your next seasonal dessert or drink

Customers become more invested in your restaurant with this kind of community involvement, and are more likely to order the new creation once it goes live on the menu.

Reward participants with exclusive perks

Encourage participation with a small reward, like a free soft drink or a 5% discount code through your app or restaurant website.

Consistency Tips for Staying Top of Mind

Even the best restaurant social media post ideas won’t succeed if they’re only shared ever once in a while.

Create a weekly posting rhythm

Plan recurring themes to make it easier to create content without starting from scratch.

For example:

• Monday specials: Kick off the week with discounted menu items
• Staff pick Friday: Highlight team member’s favorite dishes
• Behind-the-scenes Sunday: Share fun kitchen moments or the prep that’s going into the weekly special

Use scheduling tools to stay organized

Tools like Buffer, Later, and Meta’s built-in scheduling feature can help you add content across multiple platforms without getting overwhelmed. This way ensures your content gets posted even during busy times, like right before lunch or dinner.

Don’t only post promotions

Bombarding your followers with relentless promotions will cause your audience to become indifferent to your brand.

Mix up your posts with personality-driven content, like fun staff stories or lightly scripted skits. Followers connect with emotions and personality, not discounts—share your identity and you’ll be rewarded with more loyal customers.

How to Repurpose Posts Across Platforms

Repurposing your social media content means taking one strong post and adapting it into multiple formats so you can maximize its value without reinventing the wheel.

Instead of creating new social media content for multiple platforms would take way too much time and effort, you can reuse it across all your social media channels. This ensures more of your potential customers see it without doubling your workload.

Turn one post into multiple formats

If a social media post performs well, transform it into:

• Instagram Reels or TikTok clips, for short, engaging video content
• A Facebook post with a link to order the featured menu item
• An email newsletter segment for loyal customers

This is especially easy to do with Instagram and Facebook because they’re both owned by Meta—meaning you can set up a feature called Crossposting that allows you to post on one, then automatically have it post to the other platform.

Keep posting templates handy

Design simple templates for posting content like “Today’s Special” or “Weekend Feature” that can be updated quickly. These save time and make it easy to start posting regularly, even during your busiest weeks.

Tracking What Drives Orders and Repeat Visits 

Tracking means measuring the real impact your social media posts have on sales, loyalty, and repeat visits. This is helpful so you can understand what’s bringing in real customers and what’s just costing you time and money.

By using the ideas below, you can pinpoint which content drives revenue and double down on what works.

Use promo codes and app-exclusive offers

The easiest way to track which posts are driving orders is to give each promotion its own unique promo code or app-only deal.  For example:

• Share a code like “BURGER10” in your Facebook post for 10% off your featured burger
• Post a free drink code in your Instagram Stories that’s valid for one day only
• Announce an app-exclusive special—like a new menu item available for pre-order—so you can see how many customers take advantage

Because these codes and offers are unique to your social media channels, you’ll know instantly which posts motivated customers to place an order.

Monitor engagement vs. sales spikes

Compare your media post engagement (likes, shares, comments) with spikes in website visits, app orders, or loyalty program sign-ups. This helps you see whether high engagement is actually converting into real revenue.

Adjust based on what works

If posts showing how to make a signature dish outperform posts with staff doing a skit, shift your strategy accordingly. Data lets you double down on the ideas that drive both first-time and repeat customers.

Keep Your Social Media Strategy Focused On Results

It’s easy to get wrapped up in chasing likes and comments, but if your posts aren’t generating revenue, it’s time to adjust.

The most successful restaurant social media strategies pair consistent posting with tracking results—so every idea you put out has a clear path to driving orders and repeat visits.

Contact ChowNow to learn how you can direct diners to a Direct Online Ordering System using social media.

FAQ: Restaurant Social Media Post Ideas

What’s the best time of day to post on social media?

For most restaurants, the best posting times are 11 a.m.–1 p.m. (lunchtime) and 5 p.m.–7 p.m. (dinnertime)  when people are thinking about food.The exact timing can vary depending on your audience, so track engagement to find your sweet spot.

How often should a restaurant post on each social media platform?

Aim to post three to five times per week on your main social media platforms.. Consistency matters more than volume—focus on quality social media content that encourages guests to act.

How can my restaurant get customers to share more content for me to repost?

Encourage user-generated content by asking directly in captions, offering small incentives (like a free drink), or running contests tied to promotions. Use a branded hashtag, tag customers in your posts, and publicly thank them. Many might reshare your thank-you post and it will give you free exposure to their network.

What should my restaurant post on social media if we don’t have time or budget for professional content?

Share clear food photos, quick behind-the-scenes clips, and short videos. You don’t need professional equipment as authentic, simple posts often perform best. In the restaurant industry, authenticity often outperforms overly polished content.

How can I tell which social media posts are driving direct orders?

Use unique promo codes, track link clicks, and offer app-exclusive deals to tie sales directly to posts. Watch for order spikes after specific content and review trends over time to see which post types consistently drive revenue.