As I scroll through Instagram, I’m often saving photos of restaurants that look drool-worthy so I can stop by next time I’m in the area. It’s definitely become common practice to look up a restaurant on social media before deciding to eat there. Long gone are the days when restaurants were picked based on a whim — most people not only want to know what their food is going to look (and taste) like, but they want to hear what other people are saying about it, too. Word-of-mouth is often in the hands of foodies and Instagrammers because to them, if you didn’t ‘gram it, did you really even go? Here are 5 restaurants who are expertly grabbing up a slice of that Instagram pie, and in turn, exponentially growing their potential customer base.
5 restaurants you should be following on Instagram:
Eggslut
With a simple menu centered around one ingredient, you might think Eggslut’s feed could easily become mundane, but oh how wrong you’d be! They’ve turned photographing eggs into a skillful art form with unique angles, dripping yolks, and tasty close-ups worthy of stopping your scroll.
Why we love them: Their Instagram feed is casual, but a little fancy — which is exactly what you can expect with their menu, too. We’re all creatures of habits in some way or another, and what you see with Eggslut is exactly what you get.
Grand Banks
Okay, okay. It’s really easy for Grand Banks to take those “Instagram-worthy” photos because they’re literally on a boat overlooking New York’s Summer skyline, but they sure do curate an inviting feed to their followers with their crushed ice cocktails and shiny oyster plates. Their boat location is upscale, but relaxed, which is evidenced by the many photos of happy patrons in sunglasses under bright yellow umbrellas.
Why we love them: With simple captions and photos that speak for themselves, their awesome ambiance and quality stand on its own merits and they’re not trying to sell you on anything but a great experience. Bonus: they’re only open for a few months during the year when New York is sunny, so they’re instantly associated with glee from New Yorkers brushing off the dreary winter.
Jack’s Wife Freda
This restaurant is an example of when art plays with food. From their whimsical signage outside to the illustrated table tops and sugar packets sprinkled with kind words like “Hug more”; Jack’s Wife Freda has quickly become a NYC staple that’s drawn people in with their charming ambiance and made them stay for the excellent Chakurraks. Their food presentation is on-point, too.
Why we love them: Just like their restaurant, their Instagram page has a lot of personality and their photos are consistently bright and fun, making it super easy to click that “follow” button. They’re also clever about re-posting customer photos, including their long brunch lines snaking around the corner — proving to be both a warning to arrive early and a subtle wink to their elusive popularity.
Salt and Straw
This rainy Portland favorite has become so popular it’s recently expanded to San Francisco and we couldn’t be more excited! With ultra unique ice cream flavors like Vanilla Rose Bubble Tea, Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper, or Pear and Bleu Cheese, they are constantly one-upping themselves with seemingly crazy, but equally delicious flavors that have patrons standing in very long lines to get a scoop. Ice cream lovers can’t seem to get enough of their Instagram account, which boasts over a hundred thousand very engaged followers.
Why we love them: In addition to enticing ice cream photos, they continually showcase their staff, showing their thoughtful company culture, as well as the community events they support locally. They make sure you feel good about treating yourself because they’re a company that gives back, a.k.a good vibes all around!
Shake Shack
If you ever want an example of how to do social media right, just take a look at Shake Shack’s Instagram. They almost exclusively use customer photos and it has created a fiercely competitive nature among their fans to be featured on the page, as evidenced by the very professionally styled customer photos. This is a great example of how having a brand hashtag can benefit your restaurant and allow Instagrammers to get more involved with your brand by taking photos of your food!
Why we love them: Since their strategy is centered completely around regramming customer photos, it’s created a great relationship with their customers by making them feel special for gracing their popular Instagram page. They’ve also mastered talking in puns without making you roll your eyes; a major accomplishment indeed.
Do you love following any restaurants on Instagram? Which are your favorite?
Did you know?
We've been managing social media accounts for restaurants since 2012. For almost a decade, we've partnered with restauranteurs who are serious about using social media to generate business. Whether you're a good fit for our service or not, let's schedule a call and we'll give you free personalized advice on how to improve your social media presence. Either way, you'll walk away from the call more confident about your ability to promote yourself online - completely for free.
