If you’re in the restaurant industry, staying current on the best restaurant hashtags is a must. Food is one of the most photographed subjects on Instagram. That makes cuisine-related hashtags among the most widely used.
“Foodstagramming” is wildly popular. So much so that most people can’t resist snapping a pic of their dish before they dig in at restaurants. Whether they make a grid Instagram post or keep foodie photography to their Story, they’ll use hashtags alongside the post.
So why not take advantage of this organic user-generated content and learn all you can about Instagram hashtags for restaurants? Today, we’re sharing why understanding and using trending hashtags in your online posts is essential to modern business promotion. Plus, we’ll give you some of the best and most popular hashtags you should use.
Restaurant Hashtags: Instagram and Food Culture
Why is it important to be well-versed in restaurant hashtags? Because “food is really OG Instagram,” according to CJ Hernandez, Partner Solutions Manager, Publisher & Lifestyle Partnerships, at Instagram.
There used to be a time when beautiful food photography was only available in food magazines and recipe books. However, thanks to the rise of social media, everyone can get in on the photo fun. Furthermore, now that more people know about culinary photography, more people are experts in plating, table setting, and food preparation. All for the sake of Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.
In his interview with Forbes for Instagram’s 10th anniversary last 2020, Hernandez also said, “When we think back to the early days of Instagram, food was one of the original popular interest areas on the platform. In those early days, all the food content was beautiful photos of food. Now we see people putting themselves and their personality at the forefront.”
These days, Instagram’s impact on food culture includes community building, particularly around niche trends in the food space. For restaurants, tapping into of foodie communities can give them an advantage for growth on the platform and IRL.
Staying up-to-date on the latest restaurant hashtags allows restaurateurs to:
- Explore various opportunities to improve their audience targeting on the platform.
- Improve their overall restaurant social media marketing strategy.
- Innovate their food prep and menu ideas. They’ll consider making their products photo-ready, Instagram-worthy, and perfect for pairing with the hottest trending hashtags.
- Increases your exposure. Hashtags are how apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Facebook categorize their content. If you have the right hashtags, you make your posts more discoverable.
Best Hashtags for Restaurants
According to various surveys, Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but the ideal number is about 11. How do you know which ones to use? We recommend a mixture. Use general restaurant hashtags popular with a high volume of people and ultra-specialized ones relevant to your niche. This way, you’ll target a broad enough audience and users with more distinguished tastes, pun intended.
Here are 50 of the best hashtags for restaurants, focusing on restaurant hashtags popular in the US. (Notice that not every entry on this list is purely about restaurants. Some are related hashtags that are just as important to boosting your visibility.)
- #food
- #foodporn
- #foodie
- #instafood
- #yummy
- #party
- #healthy
- #coffee
- #delicious
- #vegan
- #dinner
- #foodstagram
- #breakfast
- #foodstagram
- #lunch
- #foodphotography
- #yum
- #cafe
- #foodblogger
- #dessert
- #wine
- #foodlover
- #foodgasm
- #pizza
- #cooking
- #restaurant
- #eat
- #drinks
- #foodpics
- #cleaneating
- #delivery
- #bar
- #hotel
- #chef
- #hungry
- #cocktails
- #brunch
- #vegetarian
- #pasta
- #burger
- #foodblog
- #delish+
- #nomnom
- #gourmet
- #foodlovers
- #gastronomia
- #happyhour
- #recipe
- #foodstyling
- #foodart
Restaurant Hashtags: Lunch Hashtags and Dinner Hashtags
Whether or not you have lunch or dinner specials, posting about these specific mealtimes targets a whole new demographic for your restaurant. Use some of these lunch hashtags and dinner hashtags to reach the right audience.
- #dinner
- #lunch
- #healthyfood
- #beer
- #dessert
- #wine
- #pizza
- #lunchbreak
- #healthyeating
- #hungry+
- #sushi
- #pasta
- #burger
- #seafood
- #nomnom
- #datenight
- #lunchtime
- #dinnertime
- #timetoeat
Note that when it comes to tags about specific dishes, you should only use those hashtags if you serve them. For example, writing about pizza and pasta makes sense if you own an Italian eatery. However, it wouldn’t make sense if you’re only a beer and burger spot. One of the best ways to build customer loyalty is through honesty, including Instagram hashtags.
Trending Restaurant Hashtag Ideas
Here are more Instagram hashtags to complete your hashtag targeting strategy. The two most important types of restaurant hashtags are location and branded hashtags. After those two, remember to add promotional or event-related hashtags when applicable in your caption.
Location Hashtags for Your Restaurant
You can add your restaurant’s location to any popular restaurant hashtag. Doing this targets people in your area/those looking to visit. All you have to do is use your location and your type of cuisine, establishment’s name, or dish.
Use the generic hashtag as it is and the same hashtag with your location attached. For example, if you’re a wine and beer bar, use #winebar and #beerbar along with the location version. You can also use a general location, like a country, and a more specific one, such as your city. Here are some examples.
- #Italiancuisine
- #Frenchcooking
- #Phillycafe
- #NYrestaurant
- #LAeats
- #Chicagopizza
- #Brooklyndelivery
- #Japanesefood
Don’t forget to add your business to Google Maps to make it easier to follow and find you!
Branded Restaurant Hashtags
Want to strengthen brand awareness on Instagram and other social media platforms? Then branded restaurant hashtags are a must. Your branded hashtag should be included in all your posts to familiarize your followers with it and popularize its use.
You should also encourage your customers to use your branded hashtag and tag your business and location. Whenever they share a photo featuring your restaurant and food on social media, that’s free advertising. Remember that since diners can easily tag your establishment using your IG handle, your branded hashtag can be something other than your actual business name. For example, you can create a hashtag for your restaurant’s loyalty program or your establishment’s slogan/catch phrase.
Check out these brand hashtags of popular food establishments.
- #Randys
- Out Back Steakhouse’s #australiasgoldenoutback
- #StarbucksReserve
- #SubwaySeriesMenu
- #MyRedLobsterRewards
- Denny’s #EndlessBreakfast
- KFC’s #FLG
- Burger King’s #BKFingerMeals
Contest, Promotion, and Event Hashtags
Did you know that one of the most popular ways folks use social media is to find events and deals? Apps like IG have replaced the old newspaper events section or the coupon page.
With that in mind, make specific hashtags for the occasion if you have an upcoming event, contest, or promotion. That way, when someone uses it, other users will have an easier time finding and learning about your restaurant.
For contests, always ask participants to use your branded hashtag and contest hashtags in their posts and entries. For holidays and various awareness celebrations ( #CincoDeMayo, #breastcancerawarenessmonth, #NationalChickenWingDay, etc.), don’t just use the holiday/occasion’s hashtag. Be sure to create a post or contest that’s part of the trend. Check out the examples below.
- #[YourRestaurant] contest
- #[YourRestaurant]win
- #[YourRestaurant]giveaway
- #[YourRestaurant]sweepstakes
- #win
- #contest
- #competition
- #giveaway
- #contestentry
- #sweepstakes
- #PrideMonth
- #Mothersday
- #thanksgiving
- #halloweencontest
- #NationalDonutDay
Boost Your Restaurant Hashtag Use With an Enhanced Guest WiFi Experience
“Where do you want to eat?” is a question people worldwide ask several times a day, every day. That’s why you want your customers to always have top-of-mind awareness of your establishment when this question pops up. You can achieve this by using the right combination of the best restaurant hashtags and other related hashtags.
The endless stream of food-related posts on Instagram means the platform is super-saturated with food-related hashtags. How can you stand out? Combine a well-crafted hashtag strategy and delectable food photography with a more enjoyable dining experience for your guests.
A sure way to improve your guest’s dining experience and boost your reputation is by offering enhanced guest WiFi access. Choose a fully customizable WiFi system like Beambox that works to your advantage and gives you end-to-end control.
You’ll connect, capture, and keep more customers if you use Beambox to promote your businesses. Here are a few ways to integrate WiFi and WiFi marketing into your success story:
- Make them feel appreciated with WiFi that remembers and welcomes them each time they visit.
- Display targeted information to your guests or direct traffic to your social media via a customized captive portal login.
- Harness relevant customer data and better understand the people patronizing your business with innovative marketing tools. (That way, you know which restaurant hashtags to use too.)
- Establish a perfect online reputation with customer reviews.
Beambox is an all-in-one WiFi solution that accomplishes the above and more. Our client base of over 3,000 venues uses our customizable WiFi marketing solutions in remarkable and rewarding ways.
You can drive sales with time-sensitive deals and promos for your restaurant, boost social engagement through Instagram or Facebook contests, and climb up online ranking platforms via real-time customer reviews. Start your Beambox free trial today!
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