Social media is making a huge impact on restaurants, and Instagram is certainly helping with this trend. People want to go to places where they can take cool photos are share them with their followers on Instagram. If your restaurant or food looks good then these customers will do your promotion for you, and encourage others to visit your restaurant.

So how can you make your restaurant more Instagrammable?

1.  You need to consider how the food looks on the plate. For example, consider how the food is laid out on the plate, and add a splash of colour with a small piece of fruit or vegetable if it is a plain looking sandwich or similar. Splash or drizzle a sauce round the outside to add to the colour and design.

2.  Then consider the plate that the meal is served on. Find a cool way to put your branding or name on the plates. Maybe have a funny message at the bottom of the bowl that can only be seen after the meal is finished. Think about having quirky shaped crockery or bold coloured plates that stand out and scream to be photographed then Instagrammed.

3.  Think about the decor in your restaurant too. We aren’t just talking about the wall paper, but what is on the table. Can you have small urns or cows for the milk for the hot drinks, cool and colourful salt and pepper pots, or cutlery with a noticeable difference? How about the centre pieces on your tables too?

4.  Stick in something a little bit random on your menu. This could be a huge dessert or pasta to share, so all the diners getting stuck in can enjoy the same meal. However, it could also be an unusual mix of foods on your menu, such as mixing sweet waffles with savoury toppings as an example. Or how about meals that are cooked in front of the diner, or cooked by the diner themselves? Such as the black rock steaks available in some restaurants. If it’s noteworthy and different, it will increase how much it is talked about online.

5.  Good lighting is really important too. While you may have beautifully plated meals, if the lighting is too poor for photos then it won’t be shared on Instagram. The likelihood of someone taking a photo of your food or restaurant is increased if you have the right lighting to make the photo easy to take.