Post what makes someone hungry, then tell them what to do next: what is on, when you are open, and how to book or order. For most cafés and restaurants, three to five good feed posts a week plus Stories on busy days is plenty.
What to post: 5 content pillars
- The plate. Your signature dishes and drinks, shot close and in daylight. One dish per post, named exactly as it is on your menu.
- What is new or limited. A seasonal drink, a weekend special, a new set lunch. Always say when it starts and when it ends.
- The people. The barista pulling a shot, the cook at the wok, the morning prep. Ask your team first.
- Practical information. Hours, closures, parking, delivery apps, how to reserve. Often the post people actually need.
- What regulars order. The dish most tables order, or the drink people come back for. Ask before you feature a customer.
How often to post
Three to five feed posts a week is realistic for an owner who also runs a kitchen. Consistency beats volume: in our own Restaurant Index sample of 1,355 restaurants and cafés, accounts that posted more often got fewer likes per post. A pattern, not proof of cause, but a good reason not to post for the sake of it.
Use Stories for things that only matter today, like a sold-out notice. Save the feed for posts that still make sense next week.
An example week
Swap the days to fit your own quiet and busy days.
- Mon
Practical. This week's hours and any closures, over a photo of your shopfront so people recognise it.
- Tue
The plate. Your best seller, close up, with one line on what is in it.
- Wed
The people. A short clip of the morning prep, with the name of whoever is cooking.
- Thu
What is new. The weekend special, the days it runs and the price you charge.
- Fri
Regulars' pick. "What most of our tables order on a Friday night", as a carousel.
- Sat
Stories only. Tables filling up, today's cake, a reminder to book for Sunday.
- Sun
Looking ahead. One dish from the week and next week's set lunch.
Photo tips with a phone
- Shoot by a window and turn the flash off. Warm ceiling lights make food look orange and flat.
- Shoot bowls and drinks from about 45 degrees, flat plates and big spreads from straight overhead.
- Wipe the plate rim and the table first.
- Take the photo within a minute of plating, before the foam drops and the sauce sets.
- Photograph the dish exactly as you serve it. Never post a photo of another restaurant's food or a stock photo.
Captions, hashtags and being found locally
Lead with the dish and the one detail that makes it yours, such as "bread baked here every morning", then the practical line: hours, how to order, where you are. Write in the language your customers speak, or mix two, as many cafés in Montreal, Dubai or Kuala Lumpur do.
Use a handful of specific hashtags rather than broad ones like #food: your neighbourhood (#leslievilleeats, #shoreditchfood, #bangsareats), the dish (#flatwhite, #shakshuka, #nasilemak) and your own name. Put your area in your Instagram bio, and keep your Google Business Profile hours and photos matching your posts: many people check Google Maps before they visit.
Seasons and holidays to plan for
Dates from our holiday posting guide, which has calendars for Canada, Malaysia, the UAE, the UK and the US. Lunar, Hindu and Islamic calendar dates move every year, and Eid depends on the moon sighting.
- Christmas and year end (25 Dec 2026): festive menus, party bookings, holiday hours. Start three weeks ahead.
- Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November in the US, second Monday of October in Canada): set menus, pies to order, holiday hours, two to three weeks ahead.
- Lunar New Year (6 Feb 2027): reunion dinner sets and table bookings. Start two to three weeks ahead. In 2027 it lands just before Ramadan: plan both together.
- Ramadan and Eid (Ramadan from about 8 Feb 2027, Eid about 10 Mar 2027, confirm locally): iftar sets, suhoor hours if you open, changed opening times, Eid closures. Start a week before.
- Mother's Day and Father's Day (second Sunday of May in the US, Canada and Malaysia; Mothering Sunday usually falls in March in the UK; Father's Day is the third Sunday of June in all four): set menus and table bookings, two weeks ahead.
- National days and Diwali (4 Jul in the US, 1 Jul in Canada, 2 Dec in the UAE, 31 Aug in Malaysia; Diwali 8 Nov 2026): local flavours, festive sweets and holiday hours.
Rules worth keeping in food and drink
- Halal honesty. Only use the word halal or a halal logo if you hold current halal certification (from a recognised certifier in your country, such as JAKIM or a state religious authority in Malaysia). Muslim-owned, pork-free or "no pork, no lard" are not the same as certified halal: say exactly which is true.
- Real prices and dates. State the price you charge and when an offer ends. No invented "selling out fast".
- No health claims. Avoid "detox", "boosts immunity" or "guilt-free". Describe the ingredients instead.
- Permission for people. Ask before posting a recognisable customer, and never post a child without a parent's yes.
How Suara does this for you
Suara starts from your real photos and your menu, and makes a week of posts every week in your look and voice, with Stories made from them. You approve or change each one in a chat with your own assistant, and nothing is posted until you say yes. Once approved, we post it for you on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, with captions in whatever language your customers speak. Never-say rules like "don't call us halal" are kept as brand memory.
Questions
Should a café put prices in its posts?
Yes, for specials and set menus: a price answers the first question most people have. For the full menu, pin a menu post or link to it rather than repeating it every week.
We are pork-free but not halal certified. What can we write?
Write exactly that: "pork-free" or "no pork, no lard". Do not use the word halal or any logo that looks like a halal mark until you are certified, and keep the wording the same on Instagram, Google and delivery apps.
What do we post on a week with nothing new?
Your best seller from a new angle, the people who make it, or practical information like parking. Regulars do not mind seeing a favourite again.
