To run a high-selling restaurant, you need three secret ingredients: good food, outstanding customer service, and above all, a strong social media presence. With 5.17 billion worldwide users, social media has become second nature for most people.

After all, who doesn’t check a restaurant’s Instagram to see daily specials and the dining ambiance before making a reservation? In fact, 72% of customers state that they trust social media to decide where to dine. But social media is more than just aesthetic food pics.

It’s a reliable avenue for building brand loyalty, especially when combined with a menu QR code. Here are the hottest restaurant social media statistics for 2024 to help you make smarter marketing moves.

Restaurant Marketing Insights: Key Social Media Restaurant Statistics

Gone are the days when word-of-mouth alone could fill tables. These days, digital platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter) provide a direct line to potential customers.

This helps restaurant owners display their food offerings, ambiance, and discount deals in real-time.

Here are four restaurant social media statistics that reflect why digital platforms should be included in your marketing mix:

1. 82% of Restaurants Use Social Media for Marketing

According to TripAdvisor, 82% of restaurant owners now invest in social media marketing for restaurants. It’s where your target customers hang out, share their dining reviews, and search for new places to eat.

To build a loyal following on digital platforms, restaurants can share their social media links or integrate profiles to a menu QR code, post happy hour deals and weekend specials, and interact with customers.

2. 88% of Consumers Are Influenced by Reviews on Social Media

The days of trusting personal recommendations are way past us. According to SearchEngineLand, 88% of consumers use online reviews to determine where to eat, which shows the power of social media. Therefore, restaurant managers should regularly engage with customer feedback, whether positive or negative, to show that they value their customers.

3. 72% of Restaurant Customers Use Facebook to Make Dining Decisions

To bring customers through your doors, you need to be visible where your audience is — on social media. According to statistics, nearly 3 in 4 customers (72%) have used Facebook to decide their next lunch spot. This means that everything you post online influences foot traffic, from signature dishes to food preparation reels.

4. 71% of Consumers Recommend Brands That Engage on Social Media

The better you engage with your customers, the stronger your connection becomes — leading to a word-of-mouth buzz that’s hard to beat. According to an NM Incite survey, 71% of consumers who receive a quick response from a brand on social media are likely to recommend it to others. Remember, a happy customer is an unpaid advocate for your brand.

Restaurant Social Media Statistics on User-Generated Content

If you’re looking to make your restaurant the go-to in town, user-generated content (UGC) is what you need. Produced by diners in the form of photos, reviews, or tagged posts, UGC speaks louder than any advertisement. In other words, this organic marketing tool turns your satisfied customers into your brand ambassadors.

1. 79% of People Say UGC Highly Impacts Their Purchasing Decisions

When potential diners see other customers enjoying their meals and posting about a lively atmosphere, it feels genuine. They’re not looking at a staged influencer post — they’re seeing real feedback from people like them. According to Stackla, this authentic UGC influences the purchasing decisions of 79% of consumers. So, as a restaurant manager, your job is to encourage UGC through branded hashtags and social media contests.

2. 26% of Consumers Find UGC the Most Engaging on Social Media

UGC triggers the “follow the herd” tendency that humans have. If everyone’s visiting this restaurant, it must be great, right? A Sprout Social report found that 26% of consumers don’t just scroll past UGC — they pause and interact with it. For restaurants, this engagement can lead to more followers (and eventually more diners).

3. UGC Can Increase Conversions by 10% in an Online Purchase Path

Statistics suggest that websites that use UGC, like photos or reviews from diners, see a 10% increase in conversions. This presents a golden opportunity for eateries to attract potential customers by featuring a live social media feed or customer testimonials on their website. The result is reliability and customer validation, which translates into brand loyalty.

4. 85% of Consumers Find UGC More Influential Than Brand Content

In 2024, restaurants must reinvest their marketing budgets from paid ads and influencer reels to UGC. This is because 85% of consumers are more influenced by UGC than content created directly by brands. As a restaurant owner, you can capitalize on this trend by setting up Instagram-worthy spots or offering discount coupons for tagged posts.

Restaurant Industry Statistics Related to Foodstagramming

Foodstagramming, or the practice of sharing food pictures on social media, is one of the most popular restaurant industry statistics in 2024. Here are the numbers behind this trend:

1. 69% of Millennials Take Photos of Their Food Before Eating

Millennials are the generation that grew up with smartphones and social media. For them, the dining experience isn’t complete without documenting and sharing it online. In fact, according to a recent study, 69% of millennials admit to snapping a picture of their meal before digging in. For restaurateurs, this emphasizes the importance of making your dishes Instagram-worthy with creative plating and thoughtful garnishes.

2. 30% of U.S. Diners Say They Would Avoid a Restaurant If Its Instagram Presence Is Poor

No list of social media statistics for restaurants would be complete without mentioning Instagram, the fourth most popular networking site. Remember, Instagram is like the digital front door for restaurants. If your social media feed isn’t full of aesthetic food and scrumptious behind-the-scenes reels, potential diners might move on to another restaurant. In fact, 30% of millennial diners avoid visiting an eatery with a below-average Instagram presence.

3. #Food Has 531 Million Posts on Instagram

One of the most popular social media restaurant statistics is #food, which has 531 million posts on Instagram. That’s more than half a billion people sharing their love for food, from buffet food stations to a la carte entrees. In addition, statistics state that 38% of Instagrammers view food content, and 27% of users also share it.

With this many potential diners on Instagram, now is the right time for restaurant owners to revamp their digital presence and engage with their audiences. The platform also has a higher per-follower interaction rate of 2.2% compared to Facebook, which stands at 0.22%. Plus, 90% of users say that they follow at least one business on Instagram, presenting a promising chance for your restaurant to connect with potential diners.

Use a Menu QR Code to Enhance Your Restaurant’s Social Media Strategy

Time is of the essence in the restaurant industry. If you have a long order queue or busy waiters, it gives your customers the perfect reason to shift their dining spot. A menu QR code helps you avoid instances like these, letting customers view the menu, order, and pay — all through a quick scan. You can also integrate your restaurant’s social media links into the digital menu, which encourages them to follow you and share their experience online.

As we’ve seen through different restaurant social media statistics, the more you engage with your audience online, the more likely they are to become loyal advocates for your brand. So, use a QR code menu to make it easy for diners to share food pictures, follow your updates, and promote your restaurant!

The photo in the article is provided by the company(s) mentioned in the article and is used with permission. 

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