Staying up to date with industry trends can be pretty… tiresome. 😴 But you need to know what’s happening in the industry to keep up with the latest trends. This means following industry updates and monitoring what your peers are doing for inspiration.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to keep up with what’s going on thanks to the internet. You can be inspired by restaurants, chefs, and interiors from anywhere in the world. What a world we live in!
To save you the hassle of trawling through the internet to find the best sites to follow, we’ve compiled a list to help you keep on top of the latest trends
Here’s what we cover:
- 5 of the best restaurant blogs to read in 2024
- Top 3 restaurant websites to keep an eye on in 2024
- 3 of the best Instagram pages for restaurants to follow in 2024
Plus, we’ll show you how to use these resources in your restaurant business to get results.
Now, let’s get started.
5 of the best restaurant blogs to read in 2024
Keeping an eye on restaurant blogs is a great way to see what’s happening in the industry as a whole. You can track events, reports, and anything else that might inform your own restaurant operation.
So let’s take a look at five of the best restaurant blogs to read in 2024.
1. Restaurant Online
Restaurant Online is a key source for the latest news, trends, and updates in the industry. Their website covers a variety of topics, including:
- News stories from UK restaurants, like this article about Subway embracing kiosks as it ‘delivers integrated digital experience’.
- Industry updates, like this article about delivery and takeaway sales grow ahead of inflation in April.
- A monthly roundup of the most important stories — check out the June 2024 update.
You can pretty much head to the website and find all the latest intel about the industry in one location. It’s a one-stop-shop for all your hospitality industry updates.
Hot tip 🔥 Sign up for their newsletter to get the latest headlines straight to your inbox.
2. World of Mouth
World of Mouth is an independent restaurant guide curated by top chefs, food writers, and other industry experts. Their articles tend to be reviews of the best restaurants in different locations around the world.
Check out these examples:
- The Best Affordable Restaurants in London
- The Best Local Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur
- The Best Street Food in New York
So why has World of Mouth made our list?
Because you can use their articles as competitor research. 😲
Think about it — you can see which restaurants are making the lists that you want to be on. What are these restaurants doing that you’re not? Reading these articles can help you answer this question, finding ways to improve your restaurant and keep up with the latest trends.
Hot tip 🔥 Download the World of Mouth app to access articles on the go.
3. The Sustainable Restaurant Association
As you might have guessed, the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) publishes articles specifically about sustainability in the industry. It’s a great source to find out how the industry is trying to be more environmentally friendly.
Plus, it can help you identify ways to minimise your impact on the environment while still increasing your bottom line. Have a look at this article as an example: How embracing sustainability can boost your restaurant’s bottom line
Hot tip 🔥 Check out the SRA’s Food Made Good Standards to find out more about the practical actions you can take to be more sustainable.
4. UK Hospitality
UK Hospitality is a solid source for facts and figures about the industry. Their blog has articles about spending trends, the economic contribution of hospitality, and more.
But the most valuable element on the UK Hospitality blog? Their own industry research:
- The value of hospitality: exploring consumer insights with Zonal
- Q4 2023 – Yearly sales tracker shows challenge of inflation
Keep tabs on these reports and studies, and you’ll be clued up on the ins and outs of the industry.
Hot tip 🔥 Catch up on UK Hospitality webinars, which they publish in the articles on their blog! Busting the myth of the 16-hour rule webinar with DWP and capital allowances, finance and debt structuring are a couple of examples.
5. The Infatuation
The Infatuation is another restaurant guide that helps diners find recommended F&B venues in their local area. Like World of Mouth, The Infatuation is a great place to go to see what diners are looking for and what restaurants are making the top lists.
Some of the lists include:
- London’s Standout LGBTQIA+-Owned Restaurants & Bars
- The 19 Best Vegan Restaurants In London
- London’s New Restaurant Openings
Each article features a live map, showing readers exactly where their recommended restaurants are located. If you can get on the list, readers can find you pretty easily!
Hot tip 🔥 Add yourself to their email list to get the latest updates straight to your inbox.
Top 3 restaurant websites to keep an eye on in 2024
For a lot of diners, your website is the first interaction they have with your restaurant.
What does this mean for you?
It means that it’s vital you have a website that creates a good first impression. From visuals and graphics to branding and layout — it all plays a part in how a diner feels about your restaurant.
For some inspiration, we’ve outlined five websites that are delivering a top-quality first impression.
1. Roasting Plant Coffee
Moving graphics can be risky, making a website too busy and hard to follow — but Roasting Plant Coffee has got it right.
The graphic shows a cartoon version of the coffee roasting process, including where people buy freshly ground coffee in Roasting Coffee Plant shops. The visual is clean, simple, and not too in-your-face. It doesn’t distract you from the text, but it’s an engaging graphic to have in the background.
Plus, a moving arrow that encourages people to keep moving down the page. Hats off to the Roasting Coffee Plant team. 👏
Nory success story 🥳 Find out how Roasting Plant Coffee cut labour costs by 18% in just two months with Nory!
“I can see where our general managers are saving a huge amount of time making their rotas. It frees up their time to focus on other crucial aspects of their role.” – Kallie Kocourek, Vice President of the UK Market at Roasting Plant Coffee.
2. Wahaca
Wahaca’s website is a great example of how to showcase the style and personality of your restaurant. Their food is all about sharing, with people ordering small delicious Mexican-inspired plates for the table.
Their website captures this experience perfectly.
They have images of small plates on tables, people sharing dishes, and laughing while eating their food. It definitely creates a fun and welcoming atmosphere, and that’s before you’ve even been to the restaurant.
3. I Am Doner
As soon as you land on the I Am Doner website, you can instantly watch a video that tells you everything you need to know about the restaurant. It walks you through their backstory, the type of food they sell, and how they make it — all in 60 seconds.
Plus, the ‘order now’ button makes it easy to quickly order food from the restaurant. There’s no wondering how to place an order because it’s right in front of you! Way to make the customer experience as seamless as possible, guys. 👊
The rest of the site has clear visuals and branding, solidifying the brand and building credibility with its audience.
Now, what do we mean when we say “building credibility”?
Essentially, we’re talking about building trust with potential diners. When you have clear branding and a well-designed website, it shows people that you take yourself seriously. As a result, they start to trust your brand and are more likely to dine in your restaurant.
Nory success story 🥳 Find out how I Am Doner increased in sales per labour hour by 7% in 3 months with Nory!
“Thanks to Nory, we can now closely monitor our labour costs on a daily basis, enabling us to adjust and positively impact our monthly P&L reports.” – Bridie Fox, Ops Manager at I Am Doner
5 of the best social media accounts for restaurants to follow
Your social media presence plays a big part in driving customers through your door. In fact, studies show that 35% of US diners choose to eat at a restaurant because they saw it on social media.
Need some inspiration for your own channels? Take a look at these accounts that are smashing the social media game.
1. Griolladh
Griolladh’s Instagram is fun, engaging, and on-brand. The bold yellow comes shines through their IG feed, and they have a good mix of food and people in their posts (too much of one thing can make things pretty repetitive).
But one of the things they do best is posting user-generated content (UGC).
UGC is any type of content that’s created by real users and shared by companies. Here’s an example:
In this post, Griolladh is working with hospitality influencers, the @irelandfoodlovers. They post a video talking about Griolladh’s delicious toasties on their channel, Griolladh reposts it, and voila!
It builds trust and credibility with their followers, as well as the people who follow @irelandfoodlovers. Talk about two birds with one stone. 🙌
2. Topjaw
Topjaw is undoubtedly an account worth following.
Run by Will Warr and Jesse Burgess, the duo post food and travel content of recommendations for restaurants, cafes, bars — you name it. They have an impressive online following, with 541,000 followers on Instagram and 116,000 followers on TikTok.
Following their channel gives you some insight into which restaurants are on the public radar. Plus, it gives you a glimpse into your peer’s food styles, plating techniques, interiors, and price ranges.
Hot tip 🔥 Topjaw also has a YouTube page worth checking out, with longer and more detailed videos.
3. Chili’s
Chili’s is an American restaurant, but it’s on the list. Why? Because they know how to run a funny Instagram account. This is just one example from a whole page of comedy gold:
Funny content is a great way to boost engagement. People are more likely to like, share, and comment on posts if it makes them laugh. Not to mention, it makes your content feel more authentic and relatable.
And studies show that people want funny content. In fact, 75% of people would follow a brand if it’s funny on social media. Something to think about when posting on your own channels, that’s for sure!
4. Cassie Stokes
Cassie Stokes is a food influencer and content creator worth watching. Her social media channels highlight the best pubs, cafes, and restaurants in Ireland.
One of the great things about her channel is that it’s focused solely on Ireland, This means that Cassie often goes a little off the beaten track to find places that you might not usually come across. And it’s in these places that you often find the best-hidden gems!
Watching her visit smaller and less mainstream eateries is a great way to broaden your horizons. You might see a different style of food or an unusual restaurant interior that sparks some inspiration for your own restaurant.
Hot tip 🔥 Check out Cassie’s YouTube channel, which is just getting started.
5. Pasta Cosa
Pasta Cosa’s Instagram made the cut because of its high-quality, mouth-watering images. 🤤 We dare you to try scrolling through their IG feed and not want a bowl of pasta in front of you right now.
First-rate images are key to social media success — but especially for hospitality businesses. Studies show that high-quality food photos can improve menu conversion rates by 25%, and increase total food orders by more than 35% on restaurant delivery apps.
It also shows diners what they can expect if they eat at your restaurant. The more enticing your food looks, the higher chance you have of getting customers through the door.
How to use these resources in your restaurant business
All of these websites and social channels provide valuable insights for your own marketing activity.
menu development. How? Take a look:
- Read reports and research from UK Hospitality and Restaurant Online to find out more about customer preferences and industry trends.
- Review lists from World of Mouth and The Infatuation to identify trends between the ‘top’ restaurants.
- Take a look at peer social channels to see whether they’re offering any new deals or menu items that are getting a good response.
All of these insights can help you create unique and tailored marketing activities, allowing you to find gaps in the market and differentiate yourself from your peers.
For example, let’s say that new research shows that the majority of diners will enter giveaways to win free or discounted meals. None of your peers are posting about this on social media, so you can get ahead of the curve and host a giveaway on your IG.
Hot tip 🔥 You can also use what you find to inspire creative menu ideas that align with market trends and help you stand out from your peers.
If the top restaurants are serving a meal combo (like a burger, fries, and a drink), you might create something similar but with a unique twist. For example, giving customers a discount code for 10% off their next combo meal after they buy the first one.
Help your restaurant thrive — stay up to date with industry trends
If you want your restaurant to succeed, keeping up to date with industry trends is non-negotiable. Hopefully, this article has given you a solid starting point. And if you want more advice or insights into how you can help your restaurant grow, get in touch with the team at Nory.
Our AI-powered operating system helps you track and manage your sales and operations in real-time. Identify ways to cut costs, improve labour scheduling, and boost margins — all in the same platform.
FAQs about restaurant blogs, websites, and social media
What is a restaurant blog?
A restaurant blog can be a few different things:
- A blog on a restaurant website, written by the restaurant itself. This is probably the least common definition
- A publication that writes articles and publishes research about restaurants
- A food influencer or review site that writes articles comparing restaurants and announcing new openings in specific areas
What is the aim of a restaurant website?
A restaurant website shows people what your restaurant is all about. It displays your menu, images of your food, your branding, and even customer reviews. All of this tells potential diners what to expect and why they should dine in your restaurant.
It can also allow people to make reservations, order food for delivery or collection, and contact you for more information.
Which social media platform is best for a restaurant?
It’s hard to say without knowing the specific audience you want to target. But generally speaking, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are the big hitters.
How often should restaurants post on social media?
It varies depending on the platform. TikTok recommends posting one to four times per day, while it’s usual for Instagram accounts to post between two to five times per week.
We know it’s not totally realistic for restaurants to post that frequently. The most important thing is consistency. If you’re posting once a week to Instagram, stick with it.
