30 Social Media Post Ideas for Restaurants, Cafés and Bars
People decide where to eat on their phones, often an hour before they go. A restaurant that posts today's special, tonight's event and a glimpse of the kitchen gives them a reason to choose it. The ideas below are built around what already happens in your kitchen and dining room every week.
How to use this list: plan the fixed posts (specials, events, hours) a week ahead, and leave room for one or two spontaneous ones. Our free content calendar template has a weekly grid for this.
Posts that bring people in tonight
- This week's special. "Braised short rib, until it runs out."
- Tonight's event. "Trivia at 7. Two tables left."
- Weekend brunch menu. "New: pistachio pancakes."
- Happy hour times, clearly.
- Last-minute availability. "Walk-ins welcome until 9 tonight."
- Seasonal menu launch.
- Booking reminder for a busy night.
- Delivery or takeaway options and how to order.
Posts from the kitchen
- How a dish is made. "How we make 400 dumplings before lunch."
- Ingredient spotlight. The farm, the bakery, the coffee roaster you buy from.
- Chef's knife skills in 15 seconds.
- Prep at 7 am. The quiet before service.
- A recipe people can try at home — a sauce, a dressing.
- Plating close-up. Slow, satisfying video.
- Taste test. The team tries a new dish.
- What happens to leftovers, if you donate or compost.
Posts about people
- Meet the team. One person, one fact, one favourite dish.
- A regular's usual order (with permission).
- Customer photo of the week, credited.
- Staff recommendation. "What our bartender drinks after a shift."
- New hire welcome.
- Anniversary of the restaurant or a long-serving team member.
Posts for community and seasons
- Local partner shout-out. Tag them.
- Holiday hours and closures.
- Charity night or local fundraiser.
- Ask the audience. "Which dish should come back for winter?"
- Behind the scenes of an event setup.
- Then and now. Opening day photo next to today.
- Review quote, credited, with a photo of the dish.
- Thank-you post after a big weekend.
A sample week
| Day | Platform | Post |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | This week's special, while it lasts | |
| Tue | Trivia night Thursday at 7 — book a table | |
| Wed | TikTok | How we make 400 dumplings before lunch |
| Thu | Tonight: trivia at 7, two tables left | |
| Fri | Weekend brunch menu is up |
A note on allergens and prices
Keep allergen information and prices in posts accurate and current; an old post with last year's price or a missing allergen causes real problems. When the menu changes, update the pinned post.
Free tools
- Instagram caption generator — three captions for tonight's special.
- Hashtag generator — add your town for local food tags.
- How to schedule Instagram posts and Facebook posts.
- A sample week for restaurants and cafés on PostClaw.
Too busy during service to post? Start free with PostClaw: write the week's posts on Monday morning and let them go out at the right times.