Four in ten Brits (41%) think the best way to decide whether or not to visit a restaurant – is based on its social media presence, according to a study.
Before booking a table at a restaurant, the average adult will spend 40 minutes researching it on social media – with Instagram (41%) and Facebook (43%) the most popular platforms for doing so.
The top content they are looking for includes close-up shots of the food (49%), restaurant décor (29%), and behind-the-scenes footage (28%) – with 18-26-year-olds the most likely age group to use social media for this purpose (58%).
And when dining out themselves, a third, of the 2,000 adults polled, said they are most likely to share content to social media showcasing the presentation of their food.
This was followed by “jazzy” cocktails (17%), and the views from the restaurant (28%).
Of those who use social media to help them decide on a restaurant, they say that typically one in five of the posts they view (21%) are related to food and eating out.
And 17% have even created a social media account, specifically to find out more about certain restaurants.
Kirsty Morris, MD at Barclaycard Payments, which commissioned the research, said: “Our research shows that a quarter of diners look at the menu on social media before ordering.
“This is just one way the experience is improved for diners – so they can concentrate on getting that perfect, meal-side shot when they’re dining out.
“More and more venues allow you to book, review menus, and even pre-pay via their social media channels – so it’s a sensible move for those in the hospitality industry to keep sharing content and engaging potential visitors.”
The study, carried out via OnePoll, comes ahead of Father’s Day, which was identified as one of the most popular occasions for going out for a meal – with adults willing to spend almost £30 more at a restaurant which looks “good” on social media.
However, the traditional consumer review sites also remain popular among 37% of those polled.
Kirsty Morris added: “Social media channels provide a “shop window” for restaurants to market their food, and after a turbulent few years for hospitality, it’s a valuable way of attracting new customers to a venue.”
It also emerged 20% of consumers are dining out less frequently – instead opting to “go big” when they do venture out, by visiting higher value “special” eateries.
Following these findings, a further poll of 200 restaurant owners, also by Barclaycard Payments, found 66% have joined platforms like Instagram and TikTok to make their venue more appealing.
To ensure their content is top-notch, many have even upgraded their smartphone (32%) – and in shifting to social, restaurateurs have seen an increase in bookings through these platforms by 80%.
