On TikTok, if I see a post about a restaurant near me with beautiful interiors or great-looking food, I’ll favourite it or share it with a friend. When I’m at a restaurant and unsure what to order, I’ll try to find photos of the dishes on Instagram. And like a true millennial, I almost always post a flat lay of my restaurant meal on Instagram Stories.
But is all this capturing and looking at what’s been captured ruining my dining experiences? Was I missing the surprise and delight of my meals? Social media detracting from experiences isn’t a new topic but I’ve noticed it being talked about more — most notably earlier this year when The Row’s Autumn/Winter 2024 presentation in Paris banned phones.
On the podcast After Work Drinks, co-host Grace O’Neill said she loved the rule as she’d often witnessed show guests act like animals trying to get content. “As editors you want to just sit and take it in and experience it,” she said. “You want to unpack what the designer’s trying to say and see the nuances in the clothes and narrative. I think a lot of that analysis has been lost because you can’t just sit and consume it anymore.”
Sydney restaurants Bistecca, opened in 2018, and The Gidley, in 2019, have never allowed phones in their dining rooms. The decision was made after founders Warren Burns and James Bradley shared a meal without their phones on a trip to Florence in 2017. They found that being disconnected allowed for more meaningful conversation.
“Since opening, we’ve found the absence of phones creates a vibrant atmosphere in the restaurant, encouraging more conversation spilling out into the room,” says Burns. I ask if they worry about potentially missing out on organic marketing without people posting photos and videos of the restaurant. The answer? Not at all.
“Guest advocacy is our biggest weapon when it comes to marketing and the best kind is from spoken word, not a picture,” says Bradley. “It’s one thing posting an image of a steak on a table for friends to see but another telling the story of how they felt when dropping their phone into a locker. This sparks more intrigue than an Instagram post.”
Not every restaurant owner has this mentality though. Guilia Treneur, founder of venues Guils and Harry’s By Guils says social media has been a great tool in boosting restaurant reservations. Thanks to TikTok and Instagram posts by guests, the venue has become known for its vodka pasta.
“I love it when I see customers taking photos of their meal,” says Treneur. “It warms me that they want to share my food with their friends and family online. Many customers tell us they found our restaurant from social media, so I see it in a positive light.”
Billy Daniels, founder of PR and content marketing Billy Etc, which represents both Treneur’s venues, feels similarly. Daniels says social media has revolutionised restaurant marketing. It provides instant visual appeal and direct customer engagement.
“Guils and I recently recreated a pretty simple video where a bucket of water was thrown at my face,” he says. “It received more than 17,000 views and was shared 57 times. The video took us 15 seconds to create and generated over 17,000 potential new customers.”
In addition to social media detracting from diners’ experience, Daniels says another drawback is that restaurants feel pressure to prioritise presentation over flavour. “It’s so important to ensure your dishes live up to the hype you create online,” he says.
TikTok creators Amy and Matt (@foodsfortwo) say documenting their meals adds to the fun of the experience. The only times they aren’t filming or taking photos of their meals are when they’re grabbing a regular takeaway — though even then they usually still post an Instagram story. They noted a drawback of restaurant postings that I hadn’t thought about.
“The sheer volume of food influencers and creators means people need to be extra vigilant and follow creators whose recommendations they trust,” they say. “Our credibility is super important to us, so when we accept a collaboration or partnership, it’s because it’s somewhere we can vouch for or have been wanting to dine at.”
One of the duo’s best organic reach videos was a paid collaboration with a small restaurant to promote its set menu offering. When they returned to the restaurant six months later, the owner and staff members told them about the incredible impact the TikTok had on the business and the sheer number of diners referencing it.
@foodsfortwo PSA: Will’s in the Coogee Pav are doing free burgers the entire month of August🍔🌟 If you buy a drink over $10 (which tbh is pretty much every drink on their menu), you get one of their signature cheeseburgers for free!🫶 Highly recommend booking ahead for this one as spots were limited🤍 📍Will’s, Coogee Pavilion #willscoogee #coogeepavilion #coogeepav #bonditocoogeewalk #bonditocoogee #coogeerestaurants #sydneyfooddeals #sydneyfreebies #foodsfortwo #sydneyburgers #sydneyburgerscene #whatsonsydney #merivale #merivalesydney ♬ Mona lisa – MIHARU KOSHI
“For us, that’s a really cool feeling, knowing we can help support local businesses by making content,” they say. “Larger restaurants have big marketing budgets but for smaller venues, working with creators can be a cost-effective way to get the word out.”
It’s clear the line between authentic dining experiences and curated content continues to blur. While social media has undoubtedly revolutionised the way we discover and share culinary adventures, like with many experiences, it’s crucial we strike a balance between capturing the moment and truly savouring it.
Ultimately, the impact of social media on it is subjective and depends on individual preferences and priorities. If you’re questioning whether social media is bleeding too much into your dining experience, like I am, it might be time to adopt a more mindful approach. Should we dare to disconnect? Sometimes.
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