Diners willing to pay more for 'Insta-worthy' restaurants

New research from Barclaycard Payments demonstrates the growing importance of social media to the restaurant industry, revealing that four in 10 of those surveyed (41%) believe an active presence on these platforms is now the single best way to judge if a restaurant is worth visiting.

This comes as Barclays credit and debit card data reveals that consumer spending at restaurants has declined for 10 of the last 12 months, with recent figures showing it was down by 5.3% year-on-year in May, as Brits continue to cut back on eating out amidst cost-of-living pressures and increasingly prioritise a full dining experience over food alone.

Consequently, cost-conscious restaurant-goers are being more selective about the venues they visit. A fifth (20%) are dining out less frequently, but prioritising higher value ‘special’ venues, while the majority (51%) are willing to pay a deposit to reserve a table at a sought-after location. These considerations are even more important for special occasions, such as Father’s and Mother’s Day, which drive a 42% average increase in bookings.

While diners will pay up to £40 per person for a meal as a treat, they are even more willing to put their money where their mouth is if the experience is also aesthetically pleasing, forking out an additional £28 per person, or £30 for 18 to 26-year-olds, for experiences that look good on the ‘gram.  

Picture perfect

With eating out becoming a less frequent treat, diners are prepared to conduct thorough research to get the best experience. The average person now spends 40 minutes reading up on restaurants via social media before booking, with one in six (17%) revealing they’ve signed up to a social platform specifically to investigate the food and reviews. A dedicated one in 10 will spend between 60 and 90 minutes researching before booking a spot.

An active social media presence is also now the best way to judge whether a restaurant is worth visiting, according to 41% of adults – a figure that rises to 58% for those aged 18–26. The most sought-after content includes food close-ups (49%), décor (29%) and behind-the-scenes footage (28%).

Facebook (43%), which has an integrated ‘reserve’ button available to venues on its platform, comes out top for researching restaurants, closely followed by Instagram (41%). More traditional review sites also still play a vital role for over a third (37%) of respondents. Different generations favour different platforms: Instagram (57%) and TikTok (43%) are most popular with 18–26-year-olds, while review sites (47%) and Facebook (40%) are preferred by the Baby Boomer generation (aged 59–77).

Unsurprisingly, the trend of posting meal pics is most prevalent amongst younger audiences, with a quarter (24%) of 18–26-year-olds influenced by peers posting restaurant visits and food. Subsequently, food presentation (33 %), views from the restaurant (28%) and cocktails (17%) top the Insta-worthy features sought by content creators.

Restaurateurs go behind the camera

Savvy restaurant owners are capitalising on the growing prevalence of social media, with 66% joining platforms such as Instagram and TikTok in a bid to make their venue more appealing to diners. A third (33%) have provided free food to influencers with big social followings; 32% have upgraded their smartphones to capture better quality content; and a quarter (25%) have created ‘how-to’ videos to drive interest. As a result, 80% of restaurants have seen an increase in bookings through social media after putting these methods to the test.

The data also shows that one in 10 diners would be attracted to a venue if they were able to reserve and pay a booking fee easily beforehand via Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, demonstrating the importance of speed and ease when it comes to selecting where to eat.

Kirsty Morris, MD at Barclaycard Payments said: "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.

"Our research shows that a quarter of diners look at the menu on social media before ordering, which 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."

Emerging restaurants flock to Instagram

10 fastest-growing restaurants on Instagram

Barclaycard Payments has conducted research using social analysis to identify 10 fast-growing social media-savvy restaurants that are hitting the mark with their content. Joia, the first London restaurant by two-Michelin-starred Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pesso, has seen an increase of over 1,300% in its Instagram followers in the last 12 months as a result of frequent quality content showcasing glossy food shots, trendy décor, behind the scenes videos and shots of the London skyline.

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