Local Restaurant Grows Social Following 280% and Fills Tables Through Social Strategy

We started with a brand and content audit. The restaurant had three strong assets we could build a strategy around: incredible food presentation, a compelling family story behind the business, and a vibrant interior that photographed well.

Platform Strategy — We focused on Instagram as the primary platform (visual food content) and TikTok as a growth driver for reaching new audiences. Facebook was used primarily for community engagement and event promotion.

Content Pillars — We established four consistent content themes: Food Showcase (hero dishes with professional-level phone photography), Behind the Scenes (kitchen prep, family stories), Customer Features (UGC and regulars), and Local Community (neighborhood events, partnerships).

Posting Cadence — We established a consistent schedule of 5 posts per week on Instagram (3 feed, 2 stories), 3 TikToks per week, and 3 Facebook posts per week.

Content Production System — We created a monthly content production workflow where the team captured content in two 2-hour sessions per month, batch-edited, and scheduled everything in advance.

Engagement Strategy — Consistent response to every comment and DM within 24 hours. Active engagement with local food accounts, neighborhood groups, and relevant hashtags.

Paid Social Boost — We allocated a small budget ($500/month) to boost the best-performing organic content to local audiences in a 5-mile radius.