5 Social Media Tips for Cyprus Restaurants (To Get More Bookings)

Running a restaurant in Cyprus is tough. The competition is everywhere. It’s loud, it’s hot, it’s stressful… and a great-tasting dish is not enough to guarantee a full restaurant.

You can be the best chef in Limassol, but if no one knows you exist, you’ll be cooking for an empty room.

Your social media, especially Instagram, is your single most powerful tool for getting new customers. But you have to do it right. Here are 5 tips to turn your “followers” into “bookings.”

1. Stop Posting Blurry, Dark Food Photos

This is the biggest mistake. Your food might taste amazing, but if the photo is dark, blurry, and has bad lighting, it looks unappetizing.

• The Fix: You don’t need a €5,000 camera. Your phone is fine. But you must take photos in good light. Take photos near a window during the day. If you’re shooting at night, ask someone to hold their phone flashlight on the dish (from the side). Good content is your #1 priority.

2. Make Booking Stupidly Easy

A customer sees your amazing food photo. They’re hungry. They want to book. DO NOT make them hunt for your phone number.

• The Fix:
  • Your phone number must be in your Instagram bio.
  • Use the “Book Now” button on your profile.
  • In your “Menu” Story Highlight, put your booking link/phone number on every slide.
  • Make it so easy a customer can book a table in 10 seconds.

3. Show the Experience, Not Just the Food

People don’t just buy food. They buy an atmosphere. They buy a feeling. Your Instagram should show them what it feels like to be at your restaurant.

• The Fix: Post videos and photos of:
  • People laughing and clinking glasses.
  • Your cozy fireplace in the winter.
  • Your beautiful sea view in the summer.
  • Your friendly staff smiling.
  • A video of a cocktail being made.
  • Sell the experience, and the food will sell itself.

4. Share Your Customers’ Photos (UGC)

When a customer posts a photo from your restaurant and tags you, it is a free advertisement! It is “social proof” that real people are there and loving it.

• The Fix: Check your tagged photos every single day. Reshare the best ones to your Instagram Stories. It makes the customer feel special (so they’ll post again) and it shows all your followers that your restaurant is a popular place to be.

5. Run a “Dinner for Two” Giveaway

Want to get a fast boost of local followers who love food? Run a simple giveaway.

• The Prize: Don’t give away an iPhone. Give away a “Free Dinner for Two” (or a €50 voucher). This ensures that only people who want to eat at your restaurant will enter.
• The Rules: “To enter: 1. Follow us. 2. Like this post. 3. Tag the friend you would bring!”
• This will get you hundreds of new, local, and relevant followers.

A Full Restaurant Starts with Good Marketing

You’re a chef, a manager, a host. You’re busy running a real-world business. You don’t have time to be a full-time photographer and marketer, too.

That’s where we come in.

At socialmedia.cy, we are experts in restaurant marketing in Cyprus. We can handle everything for you.

• We’ll come to your restaurant for a professional Content Creation session (photos & videos).
• We’ll run your Social Media Management and daily posts.
• We’ll run targeted Facebook & Instagram Ads to get you more bookings on quiet nights.

You focus on the food. We’ll focus on filling your tables.

Ready to get more bookings?

Contact us today for a free, no-pressure chat.