# Restaurant social media marketing that fills tables > Source: https://prontx.com/social-media-marketing/restaurants/ | Publisher: ProntX | Last updated: 2026-10-11 ## Summary ProntX provides restaurant social media marketing for UK restaurants, pubs, cafés and bars. We plan monthly content, edit your team's footage into reels, manage posting and replies, brief local food creators with proper ad disclosure and run paid local campaigns. Plans start from £650 a month on rolling contracts, with ad spend paid direct to the platforms. We plan, film, edit and post your food, team and atmosphere on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, then run local campaigns that turn views into bookings. Restaurant social media marketing works when someone scrolling at 6pm sees a dish, a room or a person behind the bar and thinks “let’s go there”. It fails when the feed is a handful of overhead photos posted whenever the owner remembers. ProntX runs social media for restaurants, pubs, cafés and bars across the UK: planning, filming, editing, posting, replying and paid local campaigns, with bookings and footfall as the measure rather than follower counts. ### Why food is made for social, and why it is still hard Few industries have content as naturally appealing as hospitality. Sizzling pans, a pint being poured, a chef plating a special: people stop scrolling for it. The difficulty is time. Kitchens are busy, front-of-house is stretched and nobody has an hour to edit a reel at the end of a double shift. So accounts go quiet for weeks, then post five times in a day, and the algorithm stops showing them to anyone. ### What we take off your plate We plan the month, tell your team exactly what to film and when, collect footage through a shared folder, edit it into reels and stories, write captions and publish on a steady schedule. For launches, new menus and big occasions we arrange a shoot day. Your team spends minutes, not hours, and the feed never goes silent. Content ## What should restaurants post on social media? Short vertical video first, featuring real dishes and real people. Polished adverts tend to perform worse than personality-led clips filmed on a phone in the kitchen. The food ### Dish moments Plating, the cheese pull, the first pour, the new special. Named clearly so viewers know what to order. The people ### Team on camera Chefs explaining a dish, bartenders making the house cocktail, the owner’s story. People return to places with faces they recognise. The room ### Atmosphere A full Friday, the garden in sunshine, the fire in winter, the private dining room set for a party. This answers “what is it like?” The reason ### Events and offers Quiz night, live music, set lunch, bottomless brunch, the Christmas menu. Clear dates and a link to book. Guest content counts too. When diners tag you, we reshare with credit and permission, and reply to comments so the account feels alive. Accuracy matters on food posts: if a caption says a dish is vegan or gluten free, it must be true for the version you actually serve, and allergen questions in comments are pointed to staff rather than answered casually. Platforms ## Is TikTok or Instagram better for restaurants? Use both, from the same footage. TikTok is better at showing videos to people who do not follow you yet; Instagram is better at keeping regulars engaged and turning interest into bookings. | Platform | Strength for hospitality | How we use it | | TikTok | Discovery by people nearby who have never heard of you | Behind-the-scenes, chef personality, trends adapted to your venue | | Instagram | Reels, stories and a feed people check before booking | Reels from the same footage, stories for daily specials, booking link in profile | | Facebook | Local community, events, older diners, pub regulars | Event listings, group posts, paid local campaigns | | Google profile | Posts and photos seen at the moment of choice | Weekly updates mirrored from social content | A small independent rarely needs more than two platforms done consistently. A multi-site group may want one brand account plus venue accounts for local events. We recommend the setup after looking at who your guests are and where you are getting traction now, and we review it every quarter as habits shift. Creators and paid ## Should restaurants work with food influencers? Local creators with a real local audience can work well. Large accounts with followers spread across the country rarely fill tables in your town, and every partnership must be disclosed as an ad. ### Creators, done properly We shortlist local food creators whose followers live within reach of your venue, check their engagement looks genuine, agree what they will post and make sure it is clearly labelled, for example with #ad, whether they are paid in money or a free meal. The ASA treats a hosted meal as payment. If drinks feature, CAP Code alcohol rules apply: nobody shown drinking may be or seem under 25, and posts must not suggest excessive drinking. Brands have been held responsible for creator content, so we brief creators in writing and review before posting where possible. ### Paid social for local venues Small, well-targeted budgets go a long way in hospitality. We run ads to people within a short radius of your venue, promote events and seasonal menus, and retarget people who watched your videos or visited your booking page. Alcohol ads must target over-18 audiences, and we avoid placements where younger viewers are likely. Ad spend is paid directly to Meta or TikTok from your account, managed through our [paid social](/social-media-marketing/paid-social/) team. **Sign-off stays with you** We write offers, captions and creator briefs with advertising rules in mind, but you or your operations lead approve prices, allergen and dietary claims and alcohol promotions before they go live. Measuring it ## How do you know restaurant social media is bringing in customers? By tracking actions that lead to visits: booking link clicks, offer codes redeemed, event sign-ups, direction requests and what guests tell your team. Followers and likes are only early signs. - Tagged booking links in every profile and post so reservation sources show social - Unique codes for social-only offers, redeemed at the till or online - Event pages with ticket or RSVP counts tied to each campaign - Front-of-house asking “how did you hear about us?” during campaign weeks - Monthly report: reach in your local area, video views, profile visits and booking clicks - Comparison with the same month last year, so seasonal swings are not mistaken for results Social also feeds the rest of your marketing. Strong clips become Google profile posts, website hero video and email content, and the engagement helps the people searching for you on Maps see a venue that is clearly open and busy. See how social fits into a full plan on our [hospitality digital marketing](/digital-marketing/restaurants/) page. Pricing ## How much does restaurant social media marketing cost? ProntX social media management for restaurants starts from £650 a month on a rolling contract. Ad budgets and creator fees are separate. | Plan | Typical scope | Monthly fee | | Single venue | Two platforms, monthly plan, editing your footage, scheduling, comment replies | From £650 | | Venue plus paid | As above plus local ad campaigns, creator outreach and a quarterly shoot day | Typically £950 to £1,600 | | Groups | Brand and venue accounts, more filming, site-level events and launches | Scoped on request | Final pricing depends on platforms, posting volume and filming. ProntX publishes prices so you can compare honestly, and you own every account and file we create. Want Maps visibility too? See [restaurant SEO](/seo/restaurants/), or compare all plans on the [pricing page](/pricing/). Most requested Social media marketing from £650/month Organic content plus paid social management [What is included ](https://prontx.com/social-media-marketing/) SEO and AI search from £595/month Local and small business SEO, GEO and AEO included [What is included ](https://prontx.com/seo/) Email marketing from £450/month Flows, campaigns and list growth [What is included ](https://prontx.com/email-marketing/) Free review ## Is your feed filling tables or just filling time? We review your accounts against busy venues near you and send a personal video with clear next steps, within two working days. ProntX has worked with more than 200 clients over six years. Book a [free audit](/free-audit/) and we will tell you what to film, what to stop posting and whether paid campaigns make sense yet. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does social media actually bring customers into restaurants? It can, particularly for new venues, events and dishes that look good on video. Social works by putting your food and atmosphere in front of people nearby before they decide where to eat. The effect is hard to measure perfectly, so we use booking links, offer codes and front-of-house questions to see how many visits it drives, and adjust from there. ### How often should a restaurant post on social media? Three to five posts a week on your main platform, plus stories for daily specials and busy nights, is a good rhythm for most venues. Consistency matters more than volume. Accounts that post steadily usually reach more people than ones that post in bursts. We plan the month in advance so the feed keeps going through busy periods. ### Is TikTok worth it for a small restaurant? Often, yes. TikTok shows videos to people beyond your followers, so a small venue can reach many local viewers with the right clip. It suits behind-the-scenes, chef personality and honest food content. It needs regular posting to work, which is why we film once and use the same footage for TikTok and Instagram Reels. ### Do food influencers need to label posts as ads? Yes. If a creator receives payment, a free meal or any other benefit and you have some control over the content, the ASA expects the post to be clearly labelled, for example with #ad at the start. Vague tags like 'gifted' or 'thanks to' may not be enough. Businesses share responsibility, so we brief creators in writing. ### Are there rules about promoting alcohol on social media? Yes. Under the CAP Code, anyone shown drinking or playing a significant role in alcohol marketing must not be or seem under 25, and posts must not encourage excessive drinking or link alcohol with social or sexual success. Ads should target over-18s. These rules cover venue posts as well as drinks brands, so we check every drinks promotion. ### Should our chef or staff appear in videos? If they are comfortable, yes. Videos with real people explaining a dish or making a drink tend to outperform silent food shots, and guests like recognising the team when they visit. We give simple prompts so nobody needs to perform. If staff prefer not to appear, hands-on cooking and room footage still work well. ### Can you film content for us or do we need to? Both options work. Most clients film quick clips on a phone using our shot lists, and we handle the editing, captions and posting. For launches, new menus and seasonal campaigns we arrange shoot days with professional photography or video, priced separately. A mix keeps content authentic and affordable. ### How much does a restaurant social media agency cost? ProntX restaurant social media starts from £650 a month for one venue on two platforms, on a rolling contract. Adding paid local campaigns, creator outreach and a quarterly shoot typically brings the fee to £950 to £1,600 a month, with ad spend paid directly to Meta or TikTok. Groups are scoped individually. ## Price From £650 per month plus VAT. Full pricing: https://prontx.com/pricing/ ## Contact Free growth audit: https://prontx.com/free-audit/ | Phone: 020 3048 4022 | Email: info@prontx.com