30 restaurant Instagram post ideas for a month of content

The weekly rhythm

Four posts a week is plenty if they're consistent: one dish, one person, one offer or event, one behind the scenes. Stories every day you're open: a photo of the specials board at 11am takes ten seconds and reminds people you exist at lunch-decision time.

Dishes (post 1 to 8)

1. The dish you sell most, shot from above in daylight. Caption: "The one you keep ordering. [Dish] is back on every day this week."
2. A new dish with the story of where it came from
3. A close-up of the sauce, the crust, the cheese pull
4. Seasonal ingredient arriving in the kitchen
5. The dessert, with the fork already in it
6. Your drink of the month
7. The vegan or gluten-free option, named plainly
8. Three dishes side by side: "Pick one"

People (9 to 14)

9. The chef, mid-service, not posing
10. A team member and their favourite thing on the menu
11. The supplier: the baker, the fishmonger, the farm
12. Regulars (with permission) and how long they've been coming
13. Hiring post, written like a person wrote it
14. The owner's story in three sentences

Offers and events (15 to 20)

15. Lunch deal with the price in the image
16. Set menu for the week or the season
17. Live music, quiz or tasting night
18. Book-now post for Friday, with the booking link in bio and the number in the caption
19. Private hire: the room empty and set up
20. Gift vouchers, especially from November

Behind the scenes (21 to 26)

21. 7am prep: dough, stock, chopping
22. The delivery being unpacked
23. Menu writing: the chalkboard half done
24. A mistake that turned out fine
25. Cleaning down after a busy night, with the numbers ("212 covers, 0 complaints")
26. The walk-in fridge, organised

Community and proof (27 to 30)

27. A real Google review, screenshotted with permission or quoted with the first name
28. Thank-you post after a busy weekend
29. Your hours for the holiday week, as a clean graphic
30. Ask a question: "Which should come back for winter: A or B?"

Phone photo rules

• Daylight from a window, never the overhead kitchen lights
• Shoot from above for bowls and pizzas, from 45 degrees for burgers and cakes
• Wipe the plate edge; move the ketchup bottle out of the frame
• One tap to focus on the food, lower the exposure slightly
• Crop square or 4:5; leave space for text if you'll add it

Hashtags and captions

Five to ten hashtags: your city, your cuisine, your neighbourhood and two broad ones. Put the useful information (price, time, how to book) in the first line of the caption, and ask one question to start replies.

Designs and captions, ready

The Restaurant Social Media Kit has 30 post designs you edit in your browser with your own photos, six styles, three sizes, 60 captions with hashtag sets and a 30-day plan that follows the rhythm above.

Questions people ask