Restaurant social media management is monthly work that regularly shares dishes, the kitchen, daily menus, and the venue’s atmosphere on a restaurant’s or café’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, while monitoring reservation questions, tags, and comments. Restaurant Instagram management is central to this work because someone deciding where to eat in the evening often sees a Reel first, then checks the menu and location on the profile. An account whose latest post is outdated or whose Story menu does not show current prices can direct a guest to another venue.
The following sections address subjects specific to the food sector: content types, menu announcements, reservation and delivery directions, legal limits on posts featuring prices, Google Business Profile, reviews, and a special-day calendar. The general workflow of the service is explained on the social media management page.
Let us turn the kitchen’s weekly workflow into a posting plan
When you send your Instagram address, a current menu photograph, and the busiest days of the week through WhatsApp, the account receives a free preliminary review. Once the images that can be filmed at the business and the posts to be prepared are clear, a written proposal is sent the same day.
In what order does a guest choose a restaurant on Instagram?
A guest’s journey usually begins with a discovery video, continues through profile and menu checks, becomes clearer with location and opening hours, and turns into action through a message, call, or order click. Different content serves each step, and a gap at one step can break the entire chain.
- Discovery: A short video seen in the Explore feed or a friend’s Story provides the first impression of the dish and dining room.
- Profile check: The cuisine type, neighborhood, and hours in the biography show whether the venue is the place being sought.
- Menu and price: The ‘Menu’ Highlight or profile link answers what can be eaten and whether it fits the budget.
- Trust: The dates of recent posts, review responses, and guest tags show that the venue is active.
- Action: A message or call is used for a table, a store link for home delivery, and directions for pickup.
- After the visit: Guests tagging the business and leaving Google reviews contribute to the next person’s discovery.
Café social media management shortens this chain; someone who sees the coffee, dessert display, and seating area often comes directly without reserving a table. In this work, also searched for as cafe social media management, location, opening hours, and the day’s display products replace the emphasis on reservations found on restaurant accounts.
Dishes, counters, and kitchens: which content answers which question?
The content that works best in the food sector answers a concrete question in the guest’s mind: what will I eat, how is it prepared, what is the atmosphere like, and who is it suitable for? When restaurant social media posts are distributed according to these questions, the account does not become an album of dishes photographed from a single angle.
| Content | Question it answers | Suitable format |
|---|---|---|
| Dish close-up and cross-section | What does the portion look like, and what is inside? | Single image, short Reel |
| Preparation and cooking moments | Is it fresh and handmade? | Reels, Stories |
| Counter and dessert display | What has been prepared today? | Story, pinned post |
| Dining room, garden, terrace | What kind of place is it to sit? | Carousel, Reels |
| Chef and service team | Does the kitchen have a personality? | Reels, carousel |
| Guest tags | Have others visited and enjoyed it? | Resharing in Stories, with permission |
In kitchen videos, moments lasting a few seconds, such as steam rising from a pan, dough being rolled, or sauce being poured over a dish, attract more viewing than long explanations. The dish should appear in the first frame, and the video should remain understandable when watched silently. Most footage can be filmed by the team on a phone outside service hours; Onur Freelance prepares a filming note explaining the angle, lighting, and moment to capture, while editing, covers, subtitles, and copy are handled as part of management.
How are daily and weekly menu announcements organized?
The daily menu is shared in Stories and the weekly menu as a pinned post or Story Highlight; updating both at a similar time each day teaches guests where to find the menu. For neighborhood restaurants, home-style cooking businesses, and venues with busy lunch service, this arrangement is the most viewed part of the account.
- The day’s dishes: Counter images of meals prepared in the morning are added to Stories before the lunch rush.
- Weekly plan: The menu changing by day is collected in one carousel and pinned to the top of the profile.
- Sold-out items: A finished dish is removed from Stories or updated with a ‘sold out’ note.
- New products: A dessert or seasonal dish joining the menu is first announced through a separate Reel.
- The ‘Menu’ Highlight: Images with old prices are removed; the permanent menu is kept consistent with the list on the table.
Having a team member send a counter photograph to a shared messaging group every morning is a sufficient starting point. Image text, templates, scheduling, and the organization of Highlights are handled through restaurant social media management.
Where do reservation and delivery requests lead on the profile?
Reservation and delivery requests are connected to a clear action route on the profile: an action button, phone number, profile link, or direct message. At the start of restaurant social media management, which route takes priority is decided according to service hours and workload.
According to Meta’s explanation of action buttons on Instagram business profiles, buttons such as ‘Reserve’ and ‘Order food’ can be added to a business account. The same page states that the number of providers for these buttons is limited, an account with one of the providers is required to select the button, and only one action button can be displayed on the profile at a time.
Because of the single-button limit, the second channel is stated in the biography and Story Highlights. The profile link opens the page bringing the menu and ordering options together rather than the homepage; the structure of such a page is explained on the restaurant website design page. The business decides which ordering platforms to work with and under what conditions; on the social media side, guests are helped to reach the correct store page.
Prepared responses are written for table inquiries received by direct message: the date, time, and number of people are requested, and it is stated that final confirmation will come from the business. Group dining or corporate event requests are forwarded to the person responsible for reservations.
What do price labeling and advertising regulations say about posts with prices?
Article 8 of the Price Labeling Regulation, concerning menus, governs price lists at business premises and contains no separate provision for social media. However, a restaurant post featuring prices may fall within the commercial advertising definition in the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices, which covers marketing communications in any medium.
The Price Labeling Regulation, in its current text, requires restaurants, cafés, and pastry shops to have a price list in front of the entrance and on tables; it may also be displayed by QR code at the table, a separate list is provided to guests who request it, and every product offered for sale appears on the list. Through the amendment published in issue 33153 of the Official Gazette dated January 30, 2026, the sixth paragraph, without prejudice to Article 51 of the Labor Law, prevents these businesses from demanding extra charges from guests under names such as service, table, or cover charges.
These rules affect account management in the following areas:
- A single price source: Prices in Stories, posts, and the QR code page are taken from the same list; old images are removed when prices change.
- Old footnotes: Expressions such as ‘service charge is not included in the price’ left on menu images are removed.
- Total price: Article 7 of the advertising regulation prohibits statements and images that could mislead people about the actual total price payable.
- Campaign posts: Article 14 of the same regulation requires discount advertisements to state the previous price, start and end dates, and quantity if limited.
- The actual dish: Edits making portions look larger may be considered misleading about quantity; the use of artificial intelligence that significantly affects consumer decisions is disclosed under the eighth paragraph added to Article 18 in 2026.
A separate note is needed for businesses serving alcoholic beverages: the eleventh paragraph of Article 27, added to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices through the amendment in issue 33297 of the Official Gazette dated July 1, 2026, states that alcoholic beverages cannot be advertised. Beverage content is therefore discussed with legal counsel before it is added to the calendar. This section provides general information and is not a legal opinion.
How are Google Business Profile menus and photographs kept consistent with the account?
The menu, photographs, and hours on Google Business Profile are updated on the same day as the Instagram information; guests often check both sources and may give up rather than ask which is correct when they notice a difference.
Google’s menu editor help page states that this feature is available to food and beverage businesses and that menu options can be entered in sections with descriptions and prices. Its photograph tips page requires bright images that represent reality without excessive filters or artificial intelligence, and recommends even lighting for food photography.
When images produced through restaurant social media management are selected in accordance with these rules, the same shoot is used on both channels. When prices change, the profile menu, Story Highlight, and QR code page are corrected on the same day. Profile category, attributes, and local search settings are covered in detail in the Google Business Profile optimization guide.
Let us align your posts with the prices on the menu
The current menu, Instagram Story Highlights, and Google Business Profile are compared side by side to identify differences. Images with old prices, conflicting hours, and missing links are listed and shared free of charge through WhatsApp.
How are reviews, guest tags, and invited creator posts managed?
The basis of review management is responding regularly and calmly on behalf of the business to Instagram questions and complaints and Google reviews. According to Google’s customer reviews help page, the business must be verified to respond; an approved response appears publicly below the review, and the reviewer receives a notification.
Issues such as a cold order or a long wait are acknowledged in the public response, while details are discussed privately; comments alleging hygiene problems are forwarded to the business owner immediately. As part of restaurant social media management, a link or QR code placed on the table or receipt can be used to request a review from a satisfied guest; this link can be prepared using the Google review link generator.
Limits on fake reviews and invited content creators
Article 28/B of the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices, rewritten by the amendment effective August 1, 2026, states that when sellers offer a review facility, only those who purchased the product or service may submit a review. Under the same article, reviews without purchase verification cannot be used in advertisements; no one may be contracted to produce false reviews to increase sales, and services may not be purchased for this purpose. This provision is considered before screenshots of Google reviews are shared on Instagram, and Onur Freelance does not arrange gifts, discounts, or payments in exchange for reviews.
When a food writer or content creator is invited, Article 23/A of the same regulation applies: a post involving a benefit such as payment or a free or discounted meal includes the expression ‘Advertisement’ or ‘Promotion’ and the advertiser’s name.
Explicit consent for guest and employee images
Personal data is involved in posts showing the faces of guests at a table, a family celebrating a birthday, or the kitchen team. The Personal Data Protection Authority’s explicit consent page defines explicit consent as consent concerning a specific subject, based on information, and freely expressed, and considers general consent covering everything invalid. In practice, guests are asked separately whether they agree to appear in that particular post; without agreement, the frame focuses on the dish and table. This section provides general information and is not a legal opinion.
From Ramadan to New Year’s: a special-day calendar for restaurants and cafés
A special-day plan enters the year’s busy periods for menus and reservations into the calendar several weeks in advance; if announcements are left until the last day, the opportunity to fill tables is missed. Days suitable for the business are selected according to cuisine type and guest audience; not every special day requires a post from every venue.
- Ramadan: The iftar menu and reservation arrangements are announced before the month begins.
- Holidays: Holiday breakfast and holiday opening hours are entered into Stories and the profile in advance.
- Valentine’s Day and New Year’s: Set menus and limited tables are shared with the reservation route specified.
- Mother’s Day and Father’s Day: Family tables and weekend breakfast are highlighted.
- Seasonal transitions: Terrace opening, the return to hot drinks, and seasonal products are announced through separate content.
- Local periods: Match evenings or neighborhood events are added to the calendar according to the audience.
In announcements containing set menus or discounts, price and date information is prepared together with the advertising rules above; this is the part of the restaurant social media management calendar requiring the most care. If special-day content will be supported with advertising, campaign setup is planned separately within Meta advertising management; a clear proposal for this work is provided after the scope is reviewed.
The difference between general practice and an account fed by the kitchen
In common practice, restaurant accounts are managed with ready-made templates, stock food images, and the same number of posts every month; on an account fed by the kitchen, content comes from the business’s actual dishes, the day’s counter, and guests’ questions. The table below compares frequent mistakes with the corresponding approach.
| Common practice | An approach fed by the kitchen |
|---|---|
| Stock food images or images belonging to another venue | The business’s own dish and actual portion |
| The menu image remaining unchanged for months | A menu Highlight updated the same day as price changes |
| Only campaign and discount announcements | A balance of preparation, team, dining room, and menu introductions |
| Answering table inquiries hours later | Prepared responses and checking arrangements based on service hours |
| Deleting negative reviews | A clear, calm response, with details discussed privately |
| Buying followers and arranging reviews | Real guest tags and reviews based on purchases |
| The profile link opening the homepage | A link to the page showing the menu and ordering options |
The source of production lies at the center of the difference: when the account follows the kitchen’s rhythm, a few short team videos and the day’s counter photograph cover much of the month, while the template simply maintains text and layout consistency.
Restaurant social media management fees and working arrangements
At Onur Freelance, the monthly management fee for restaurant and café accounts starts at 9,000 TL; the advertising budget paid to Meta is not included in this amount. The final amount is stated after the number of accounts, daily menu posting, volume of Reels, and message traffic have been reviewed; details of the items appear on the social media management prices page.
- Initial meeting: Cuisine type, service hours, reservation and delivery arrangements, and the team’s filming capabilities are discussed; the preliminary review is free.
- Profile review: Menus, hours, and prices on Instagram, Facebook, and Google Business Profile are compared.
- Calendar: Daily menu arrangements, kitchen videos, and upcoming special days are entered into the monthly plan.
- Production and approval: Footage is edited, copy is written, and posts are submitted for approval before publication.
- Publishing and monitoring: Posts are scheduled; comments, messages, and tags are monitored at specified times.
- Monthly review: Which dish videos were watched and which announcements generated messages are reviewed, and the following month is planned accordingly.
No numerical promises are made about follower, reservation, or order counts; results depend on the menu, location, season, and advertising use. Onur Freelance is an independent specialist working in Maltepe Gülsuyu, has no official affiliation with Meta, and does not provide support on Meta’s behalf. Businesses in Istanbul are consulted on site or through video calls, while those outside the city are consulted remotely; WhatsApp messages are answered between 09.00–21.00. The general framework for account management appears on the social media management service page.
Let us prepare the first month’s menu and posting calendar together
For a business seeking ideas, evaluating an existing proposal, or wanting to start this month, the route is the same: send the Instagram address and a photograph of the current menu through WhatsApp. The account is reviewed, and the first month’s draft plan and monthly fee are provided in writing.
Seasonal planning and direct booking arrangements for restaurants inside accommodation properties are also addressed on the hotel social media management page.
How the same service varies across other sectors is explained on the real estate, beauty center, hotel, doctor and clinic, and school pages.
Which parts of the business profile where menus and photographs are published are free is explained in the article Is Google Business Profile paid?.
A location-focused content plan for a city with high neighborhood density is explained on the social media management in Istanbul page.
An example of content planning in a city known for its local cuisine and historic bazaar is explained on the social media management in Bursa page.
The plan for a city known for its summer season and geographically indicated local flavors is explained on the social media management in Tekirdağ page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is restaurant social media management per month?
At Onur Freelance, the monthly management fee for restaurant and café accounts starts at 9,000 TL; the advertising budget paid to Meta is outside this amount. The final fee is specified in the written proposal after the number of accounts, daily menu posting, Reel editing, and message volume have been reviewed.
Is café social media management planned differently from a restaurant?
Yes, in a café the emphasis generally shifts from reservations to location, opening hours, and the day’s display products. Coffee, dessert, and seating area content take priority; menu announcements can be kept simpler.
Is sharing prices on a restaurant's Instagram account mandatory?
Article 8 of the Price Labeling Regulation governs price lists at business premises and contains no separate provision requiring prices to be shared on social media. If a price is shared, it should match the list on the table and should not create a misleading impression of the total price payable.
Is professional filming necessary for kitchen and preparation videos?
No; short footage filmed outside service hours with a steady phone in good lighting is sufficient for most accounts. Onur Freelance prepares filming notes, while editing, covers, and copy for the footage received are handled within the management service.
Should the daily menu be shared in Stories or posts?
The daily menu is shared in Stories, while the weekly menu is shared as a pinned post or Story Highlight. When updates are made at a similar time each day, guests learn where to find the menu.
Can Google reviews be shared on Instagram?
Article 28/B of the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices states that reviews without purchase verification cannot be used in advertisements; this provision should be considered before sharing screenshots. Gifts, discounts, or payments are not arranged in exchange for reviews.
Can guest photographs be shared on the restaurant's account?
Explicit consent specific to that post must be obtained for guests whose faces are visible; KVKK (Turkey’s Personal Data Protection Law) defines explicit consent as consent concerning a specific subject, based on information, and freely expressed. Without consent, the frame focuses on the dish and table; this information is not a legal opinion.
Is an increase in followers or reservations promised?
No, no numerical promises are made about follower, reservation, or order counts. The menu, location, season, and advertising use jointly determine the result; instead, the proposal specifies the tasks to be performed and monthly reporting arrangements.
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