Restaurant · Guide · Updated July 2026

4 Instagram Tactics to Get More Restaurant Customers

Instagram is the number one marketing tool available to your restaurant right now. Four tactics, rooted in social proof, are what separate operators who fill seats from operators who post and wonder why nothing happens. Before we get into any of them, one prerequisite: your food has to be good. Marketing amplifies your restaurant’s reality. If that reality is bad, these tactics will backfire.

Why Social Proof Beats Self-Promotion Every Time

If you tell people you are amazing, it carries almost no weight. If a stranger tells people you are amazing, that carries enormous weight. That gap is the entire logic behind every tactic in this guide. Instagram is where that third-party validation lives and spreads. Your job is to collect it, display it loudly, and let it do the convincing for you.

Tactic 1: Shout Your Awards and Accolades

If your restaurant has won anything, you need to tell the world. A local publication feature, a James Beard Foundation nod, a Michelin star recommendation, a “best of city” list placement. Any of it counts. Post it. Write about it. Pin it.

The mistake I see constantly from operators I work with is sitting on accolades out of modesty or just plain forgetting to post. That is leaving trust on the table. People want to associate with the best. They want to bring their spouse somewhere that has been recognized, somewhere they can feel proud taking a client or a friend. An award is a shortcut to that feeling. It validates your food before they ever taste it and converts a hesitant scroller into a paying customer walking through your door.

Yell it at the top of your lungs on Instagram. That is not bragging. That is responsible marketing.

Tactic 2: Use Celebrity and Influencer Endorsements

When a high-profile person comes through your doors, document it. Take a photo. Post it. Write a caption that makes clear who they are and that they chose your restaurant. This is exactly what Salt Bae does. He highlights every celebrity that walks in, every single time, because each one is a stamp of approval that signals to the rest of the world: this place is worth your time.

I know most operators are not running steakhouses that attract global celebrities. That is fine. The principle still applies at every scale. When a local food blogger, a well-followed Instagram foodie, or a micro-influencer visits your shop, treat it the same way. Feature them. Call them out by name in your caption. Explain who they are and why their visit matters. You are borrowing their credibility and putting it to work for your restaurant.

The mechanic here is simple. People trust people they follow and admire. When someone they respect is seen eating at your place, a direct transfer of trust happens. That trust is what converts a passive follower into a customer who books a table.

Tactic 3: Turn Your Existing Customers Into Advocates

Friend endorsement is different from influencer endorsement because it reaches people through relationships they already trust completely. When someone sees their own friend posting about dinner at your restaurant, the social proof is immediate and personal. That restaurant becomes top of mind. The desire to go becomes real.

The tactic is to actively incentivize your guests to post. Do not just put up a sign asking people to tag you. Give them a reason. Many operators offer entries into a draw, a free appetizer, or a small discount in exchange for a post. Make the ask feel like a genuine offer, not a transaction.

One disclaimer worth repeating here: the friend has to be able to say honest, good things when someone asks them about it. If a friend posts because they got a free appy but the food was forgettable, the next conversation kills any goodwill the post created. The incentive accelerates sharing. The quality of your food and service is what makes that sharing work in your favor.

Tactic 4: Collect and Display Testimonials and Reviews

Honest, public reviews from real customers are among the most powerful tools you have. When someone who has no personal connection to you tells the world that your food is great and your service made them feel welcome, that is true credibility. It tips the scale from casual interest to genuine intent to visit.

Ask for reviews. Make it easy for guests to leave them. When you receive great ones, do not hide them. Post them on Instagram. Share the words in your caption. Put the review front and center where scrollers can see it.

Here is a tactic you can act on right now. When a customer tags you in their story, re-share it. A story of someone laughing at a table, a photo of your food looking exactly as good as it does in person, a caption they wrote about their experience. All of it is a testimonial. When someone browsing your profile sees those re-shared stories, they see real people enjoying themselves at your restaurant. That is a third-party stamp of approval that no amount of polished branded content can replicate.

Again, the prerequisite is quality. If your food is not good, do not push reviews. One honest bad review shared widely undoes weeks of good content.

Do the Basics First, Then Market

None of these four tactics work if your foundation is broken. Get your food dialed in. Get your service consistent. Get your ambience right. Instagram marketing does not fix a broken restaurant experience. It accelerates whatever experience you are already delivering, good or bad.

Once your fundamentals are solid, these four tactics give you a concrete plan for building trust at scale on Instagram: awards for instant credibility, influencer visits for borrowed authority, friend shares for personal relevance, and testimonials for honest third-party validation.

The Bottom Line

Instagram is not about posting pretty pictures and hoping. It is about systematically collecting and displaying the trust that other people have already placed in you. Nail your food first. Then amplify the proof that it is good. As an operator, your marketing job is simple: get out of the way and let your happiest customers do the talking.

Watch the full video

Keep going: restaurant guides