Many restaurant accounts post photos of plates and the odd special. Short video works differently: people decide in the first second whether to keep watching. Here’s what worked in the films we made for restaurants, from one Toronto shawarma shop to franchises with more than a hundred locations.
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Start with the food, not the logo
The film that travelled furthest for Da.Si.Mar Shawarma had no joke and no words on screen: one beef wrap, start to finish, in twenty-four seconds. The bread warmed against the spit, the sauce, the beef, the pickles and fries, rolled and pressed on the grill. It went viral, and in under four weeks our films for the shop had 3.88 million views, for an account with fewer than 2,000 followers.
Food that’s made in front of the camera does the selling. Keep the camera close, keep the sound, and let it happen in order.
Give people a reason to answer
For Adobo Mexican Grill, a member of the team built her favourite bowl and named every step, then set a dare: comment your favourite bowl, and if your comment has zero likes, you get a free bowl. Every comment is someone’s order.
Let your team be the cast
Another Adobo film is seven seconds behind the counter: the boss says “Great job today, you’re killing it!”, and the answer is the tip screen, held up to the camera. Jokes from your own kitchen land because everyone who has worked a shift recognises them.
Film the big moments too
For Shah’s Halal Food we filmed a new sandwich in a whisper, a platter challenge in the crowd at a Ramadan festival, and the line on a new location’s opening day. A new item, a busy night and an opening are each a reason to post. There are more in “Video ideas for restaurants”.
Filming during service
The kitchen looks best when it’s working, which is also when nobody has time. Film the food in the hour before service, when the line is set and the light is good, and keep the busy-night shots short: the room filling, the pass, the first plate out. Ask before a guest is the focus of a shot, and leave out anyone who says no. A shot list written the day before keeps a shoot to minutes.
Drinks on camera: Ontario’s liquor advertising rules
A cocktail being made is good video, and when a licensed restaurant in Ontario posts it to promote its drinks, it is liquor advertising. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission’s guidelines for liquor sales licensees begin: “no one may advertise or promote liquor or the availability of liquor unless the advertising is conducted in accordance with the guidelines related to advertising issued by the Registrar”. Licensees “are responsible for all advertising (including merchandise) bearing their identification … that is displayed or distributed by any person”, though not where a licensee “has not authorized advertising and has been diligent in its efforts at stopping the advertising once it has become aware of it” (AGCO, Registrar’s guidelines for advertising and promotion). So read the guidelines before drinks go on your feed, show drinks served and enjoyed responsibly, and know that a video an agency posts for you is still yours under them.
Your Google profile
People who see a video often check the restaurant on a map before they come. Google’s guidelines ask a business to “Represent your business as it’s consistently represented and recognized in the real world across signage, stationery, and other branding”, and warn that “Including unnecessary information in your business name isn’t permitted, and could result in the suspension of your Business Profile” (Google Business Profile guidelines). Use the name on your sign, keep the hours right, and add your best films and photos there too.
Reviews
Ask every table for an honest review, not only the ones that seemed pleased, with a link or a QR code on the bill, and reply to every review, briefly. Never reward anyone for one. Google’s policy forbids a business to “selectively solicit positive reviews from customers”, and forbids content “posted due to an incentive offered by a business - such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services” (Google Maps, prohibited and restricted content). A dare in the comments of your own video, like Adobo’s, is a different thing from a review.
A first month for a restaurant
- Week one: your signature dish, made start to finish, close enough to hear it.
- Week two: the team: a skit from your own kitchen, and the person behind the grill.
- Week three: a question or a dare that gets people commenting their order.
- Week four: a busy night, a new item or a regular’s usual order.
How often to post
Often enough that a new post is always on the way. Our plans post 5 posts a week on Base, 7 or 8 posts a week on Growth and 14 to 16 posts a week on Premium, on all four platforms. Read “How often should a business post?” for why the rhythm matters.
Do it yourself, or hire help?
If someone on your team enjoys filming and has the hours, start there, with a plan for the month. If the kitchen is too busy, hire it out. “Agency, freelancer or in-house?” walks through both.
What it costs
With us, a month of short video for a restaurant is $3,599.99 for 20 posts, up to $9,999.99 for 60, with 250,000 to 1 million views guaranteed. See what goes into the cost.
Questions owners ask
Should a restaurant be on TikTok or Instagram?
Both, and on Facebook and YouTube Shorts too. The same video can go on all four, which is what we do on every plan.
What should a restaurant post on TikTok?
The food being made, your team, and the moments that make a night: a new item, a busy weekend, an opening. Short and close up.
How long should a restaurant video be?
Short. Many of our restaurant films run under twenty seconds, and the one that went viral for Da.Si.Mar Shawarma was twenty-four.
Can a restaurant post cocktails on Instagram in Ontario?
Yes, within the AGCO’s liquor advertising guidelines. A licensee is responsible for advertising that carries its name, whoever posts it, unless it didn’t authorize it and acted diligently to stop it. Show drinks served and enjoyed responsibly.
Do restaurant videos need to be funny?
No. Da.Si.Mar Shawarma’s viral film had no joke and no words at all. Mix food films with the odd skit from your own team.
How do I start?
Apply to work with us: a few quick questions about your business. We read every application, and if we can help, we write back to set up a free thirty-minute video call. Apply to work with us
Keep reading
- RestaurantsRestaurant video ideas for TikTok and Reels
- RestaurantsHow to market a new restaurant with short video
- PlanningHow often should a business post on TikTok?
- CafésCafé marketing ideas for TikTok and Reels
Sources
Updates
- : Lengthened: filming during service, drinks under the AGCO’s liquor advertising guidelines (read), your Google Business Profile (Google’s guidelines read), reviews (Google’s review policy read), and a first month of posts.