A restaurant’s online presence often shapes the very first impression diners have. Before making a reservation, people scroll through Instagram feeds, watch TikTok reviews and check Facebook events. For restaurant owners, this means choosing the right restaurant social media agency isn’t just about marketing but a core business decision. To avoid costly mistakes, it’s important to know what to ask before signing a contract. Here are five questions every restaurant owner should consider when choosing a restaurant social media agency.

Question#1: Have You Worked with Businesses Like Mine?

A restaurant-focused social media agency brings valuable insight into the challenges of hospitality like intense competition, seasonal trends and the need for strong visual storytelling.

When evaluating an agency, ask for case studies or references. For example, did they help a café increase reservations with targeted Instagram ads? Or did they successfully drive foot traffic to a fine dining restaurant through influencer collaboration?

What you’re looking for isn’t just “experience,” but relevant results. An agency with a proven track record in the hospitality industry will know how to capture food photography that drives cravings, create campaigns that resonate with local diners and adapt strategies for delivery services or special events.

Pro tip: Focus on real and measurable results like more reservations, stronger customer engagement or better online reviews. If an agency can’t back up its claims with specific examples, take it as a warning sign.

Questions#2: Where Does Your Team Excel Most?

Not all social media platforms deliver the same results for restaurants. A restaurant social media agency should understand where your brand can shine. Instagram and TikTok are ideal for food visuals and viral trends while Facebook works well for promoting local events and offers. If you’re in B2B hospitality, LinkedIn could also be valuable.

According to WebDiner, social media isn’t just a marketing tool for restaurants but it’s the modern-day word of mouth. That is why choosing the right platforms is crucial to reaching your target audience effectively.

When speaking with an agency, ask which platforms they focus on and why. A good partner won’t waste time trying to cover every channel. Instead, they’ll focus on where your audience spends the most time and build strategies that play to your strengths.

For example, they might recommend Instagram Reels to highlight new menu items or TikTok challenges to engage younger diners and increase brand awareness.

Key insight: It’s not just about posting but it’s about platform-specific storytelling. An agency will tailor creative assets to fit the format, optimize timing for maximum reach and test different content types to see what actually drives conversions.

Question#3: Services You’ll Actually Get

When hiring a restaurant social media agency, dig into the details of what services are included. Some agencies focus only on posting social media contents while others offer full-scale services like community management, influencer outreach, paid advertising and monthly performance reporting.

For hospitality brands, it’s important to know if photography, videography or copywriting is included. Restaurants often rely on mouthwatering visuals to attract customers, so an agency that can’t deliver high-quality creative might leave you outsourcing extra services.

Strategic Takeaway: A clear package should align with your business goals. If you want to increase reservations, the agency should include strategies like geo-targeted ads or partnerships with local food bloggers. If you’re focused on reputation management, ask whether they monitor and respond to reviews.

Question#4: How Your Content Is Planned and Produced

The best campaigns don’t happen by chance but they’re the result of a clear process. When evaluating a restaurant social media agency, ask how they handle content planning. Do they follow a monthly content calendar? How do they incorporate seasonal menus, events or holidays into their strategy?

A reliable agency should walk you through their workflow from ideation to final approvals. This often includes brainstorming sessions, competitive analysis and audience insights. They should also show how they collaborate with your in-house team for brand consistency.

Real-world example: A hotel restaurant launching a holiday brunch might need a series of teaser posts, influencer invites and short-form video content from the event. Without a structured process, opportunities like these get missed.

Question#5: How Do You Define and Track Success?

A reliable restaurant social media agency will measure success based on business outcomes like bookings, online orders and guest retention.  Ask the agency what measurements they use to track success.  Do they track engagement, click-throughs, cost-per-reservation and client lifetime value?

The right agency will interpret data into actionable insights rather than simply reporting it.  For example, if a sponsored ad campaign isn’t converting, they should understand how to improve targeting and design.

Key strategy: Request a sample report. Clear, easy-to-understand dashboards indicate that the agency supports transparency. Success should be measured in terms of return on investment rather than social vanity.

Final Thoughts: Making the Right Choice for Your Business

Choosing the right restaurant social media agency is about more than checking boxes it’s about finding a partner that understands your brand’s identity, adapts to trends, delivers measurable impact and values transparency.

By asking these 5 questions, you’ll move beyond surface-level promises and uncover whether an agency can truly drive growth for your restaurant, hotel or hospitality group.

If you’re ready to elevate your brand’s digital presence, don’t leave it to chance. Work with MAVRK Studio to turn strategy into results.