Ten Restaurants CRUSHING Social Media Right Now (ENCORE)

·27 min·2 clips

Chip Klose reveals 10 restaurant accounts that are absolutely crushing social media in 2024.

This episode of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast, hosted by marketing expert and author Chip Close, analyzes ten restaurant brands excelling at social media. Close provides these examples to inspire restaurant operators and marketers seeking fresh ideas for their own social media content. He revisits his philosophy that a balanced strategy requires both paid efforts and a thoughtfully curated organic presence. Close begins by outlining his core content principles for 2024, stating that four out of five posts should be video, preferably vertical reels. He argues the remaining post should be a photo carousel to better tell a story, and he recommends posting four to five times per week. He defines key content pillars for restaurants as food, beverage, space, people, and community or neighborhood. The host emphasizes that social media primarily functions as a "lookbook" for consumers to confirm recommendations, not as a primary discovery tool with direct purchase intent. He suggests the non-restaurant brand Scrub Daddy on TikTok as a bonus example of a brand using humor and trending content effectively. The first highlighted restaurant is Noma in Copenhagen, praised for using its Instagram to convey its three-Michelin-star ethos through room ambiance, menu development, and global pop-ups. Fry the Coop, a Chicago-area chicken restaurant, is noted for its rapid adoption of memes, songs, and viral video trends. Close points to Wendy's for its distinct, chippy, and humorous Instagram persona that playfully targets competitors. Bad Roman in New York City is highlighted for its sleek, visually focused content showcasing food plating and drink preparation, often shot simply with an iPhone. The Hard Rock Cafe feed effectively leverages its global brand by featuring celebrities, influencers, and its diverse city locations. Handcraft Burgers and Brew in New York, co-owned by marketer Rev Ciancio, is commended for promoting its burger of the month and national food holidays while putting its owner front and center as a spokesperson. Osho Moko, a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn, receives attention for frequently highlighting both its employees and customers in its posts. Shake Shack's social media is analyzed for successfully projecting a specific, energetic brand identity within the competitive "better burger" market. Crumble Cookies takes a high-fashion, almost parody-like approach to its content, styling its cookie shoots similarly to luxury perfume or fashion campaigns. The final example, Speedboat Bar in London, is celebrated for its vibrant "food porn" content that emphasizes color and flavor through dynamic video. A surprising insight is Close's prediction that Wendy's traditional TV and print marketing will eventually bend to match its bold and humorous social media persona. He also observes that iconic brands like Noma or Wendy's have the cover to use social media in unconventional ways because their core identity is already well-established. The host repeatedly stresses that effective content does not require professional production, citing Bad Roman's use of an iPhone and good lighting. He suggests operators can directly copy the formats and styles used by these successful accounts for their own inspiration. The tone is educational and direct, offering clear, actionable advice drawn from real-world examples. The style is conversational, as if the host is coaching a colleague, with frequent calls to action for listeners to visit the featured accounts. This episode is ideal for restaurant owners, marketers, or managers feeling stuck with their social media strategy and seeking concrete examples to emulate. Listeners who prefer highly theoretical or platform-deep-dive discussions about social media algorithms might find the practical, example-driven approach too basic.

As heard by us

Practical social media inspiration for restaurants that want concrete examples, not theory.

The episode treats restaurant social media as both paid and organic work, and it keeps returning to the idea that the two belong together. It also points to ten accounts that are doing the work well, using them as concrete reference points rather than leaving the advice at the…

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