Top 8 Social Media Marketing Tips for Ethnic Restaurants
- Hookle
- Oct 1
- 5 min read
Running an ethnic restaurant isn’t just about serving delicious food - it’s about sharing a story. From your grandmother’s treasured recipes to the spices brought in from back home, there’s always something unique that makes your restaurant special. Social media is the perfect stage to tell that story and invite hungry customers to experience it.
In this post, we’ll walk through practical social media tips to help your ethnic restaurant stand out, connect with the right audience, and keep your tables full. And as a bonus, we’ll also show how tools like Hookle can make scheduling and managing content across all your social platforms quick and stress-free.
Table of Contents
Bonus Tip: Easy Workload by Utilise Scheduling Tools
1. Tell Your Story & Opening Hours
Every restaurant has a story worth sharing - whether it’s family traditions, recipes passed down through generations, or the journey of opening your first place. Pairing this story with clear information like your opening hours makes the post both personal and practical.
A great example is Maiya Nepali Kitchen from Denmark, which shared a short clip walking viewers through their cozy dining area while adding their weekly opening hours in the caption. It felt welcoming, authentic, and gave new customers all the details they needed to plan a visit.
2. Use Google Business Profile
This is huge for local discovery. A complete Google Business Profile helps locals find and trust your ethnic restaurant quickly - it’s often the first thing they see when searching for places to eat nearby. So make it count!
Add your opening hours, location, and contact details. Upload mouthwatering photos of your dishes, your dining space, or happy customers enjoying their meals. Link your socials and encourage reviews - those stars build trust faster than any ad.
Keep your profile active with regular updates
Don’t just set it and forget it. Share updates about new menu items, seasonal specials, or behind-the-scenes moments from your kitchen. You can post directly to Google, or save time by using tools like Hookle, which lets you schedule posts to Google and all your other socials from one simple app.
Haven’t set up your profile yet? It’s free, quick, and one of the most effective ways to grow your restaurant locally. Get started today!
3. Create Behind-the-Scenes Kitchen Moments
People love getting a peek behind the kitchen doors. Show your chefs chopping fresh herbs, preparing dough, or stirring sauces. These moments create transparency, showcase authenticity, and double as entertainment.
It doesn’t need to be polished or staged. Even short clips of food sizzling in a pan with the natural sounds of the kitchen can attract thousands of views. A great example is Sitar Mauritius Indian Restaurant - authentic and instantly mouthwatering.
4. Educate with Fun Food Facts
A great example is Yaar Spice, an Indian restaurant in Rockville, which posts simple food facts that spark curiosity and encourage shares.
Many people don’t know the difference between naan and roti, or why kimchi is fermented. That’s where your restaurant can step in. Share these little nuggets of knowledge in quick, snackable posts that both educate and entertain.
For instance:
“Did you know? Traditional hummus only has four ingredients - chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic.”
Educational posts make your content more memorable
These short educational posts make your content more memorable and give followers something they’ll want to pass along to friends.
5. Post Consistently
Consistency matters - just like perfecting every recipe. Posting regularly keeps your ethnic restaurant visible, builds trust, and reminds locals that you’re open and ready to serve.
Set a simple plan. Even 30 minutes a week to schedule a few posts can make a big difference — share a signature dish, a happy customer enjoying their meal, or a quick behind-the-scenes glimpse from the kitchen.
Keep showing up for your community by posting often
Extra tip: Tools like Hookle shown above make it easy to plan, schedule, and publish across all your socials (including Google) from one simple app. That way, you can stay consistent without the stress.
6. Showcase Your Restaurant Premises
A great TikTok-style quick clip from a Seoul Good Ravintola, a Korean restaurant in Helsinki, Finland, showcases their premises with energetic Finnish rap music. What a brilliant idea - and the engagement speaks for itself.
Give your followers a sense of what it feels like to step into your restaurant
Give your followers a sense of what it feels like to step into your restaurant before they even visit. A short video tour of your interior, colorful décor, or even the cozy outdoor seating area can spark curiosity and set the mood. Pair it with local music or trending sounds to make it more relatable and fun.
These clips don’t need to be long - 10-15 seconds is often enough to capture attention and highlight the vibe. By showing off your space in a creative way, you help potential customers picture themselves dining there.
7. Use Local Hashtags and Location Tags
Social media thrives on discoverability. A great example is how Dusmesh Indian Restaurant used local hashtags on Instagram to boost visibility in their community.
Always tag your location when posting - whether it’s your city, neighborhood, or even the street festival you’re part of. Then layer on hashtags like #NYCeats, #LondonFoodies, or #TorontoRestaurants to catch the eye of local food lovers.
Always tag your location when posting
For ethnic restaurants, combining both cultural and local hashtags works best. For instance: #AuthenticThai #ChicagoEats. This way, you’ll connect with people who are not only nearby but also excited about your type of cuisine.
8. Highlight Dietary Options and Inclusivity
Malai, an Indian restaurant in Helsinki, Finland, shared a beautiful clip highlighting their cuisine - including the vegetarian options. It’s a smart move, because many people today actively look for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or halal dishes. If your restaurant offers these, make sure to showcase them clearly on social media.
For example: “Yes, we have vegan versions of our dumplings - stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and fresh spinach!”
Being inclusive with your menu doesn’t just meet dietary needs; it also widens your audience and makes everyone feel welcome at your table.
Easy Workload by Utilise Scheduling Tools
Running an ethnic restaurant is already a full-time job - managing social media shouldn’t feel like another shift. The good news? You don’t have to do it all manually.
Scheduling tools (like Hookle and others) let you plan posts in advance across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and even Google Business Profile. That means you can spend a few hours each week preparing your content, then let the tool publish automatically at the best times.
This frees you up to focus on what you do best: cooking incredible food and delighting customers.
So, start small, apply these tips, and simplify your workload with scheduling. Your social media can become as consistent, flavorful, and memorable as the dishes you serve. Download Hookle now free and get started today!
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