Not Just Food: How We Experience Restaurants Today

There was a time when restaurants were just places where someone cooked food, and you found out about them in a few simple ways:

1. - You walked by, caught a delicious smell, and thought, "Hmm, I should try that."

2. - A friend told you, "You have to eat there."

3. You saw the building and thought it looked cool enough to check out.

Back then, it was all about your senses and maybe a bit of curiosity. Or trusting someone’s recommendation.

But that’s not how we do it anymore.

Now, restaurants are ideas.

99 out of 100 times, our first connection with a restaurant isn’t through taste or smell—it’s through communication:

• - A friend sends you a link: "Hey, check out these 10 new hipster spots in Soho!"

• You’re scrolling through Instagram and a tempting ad for donut burgers pops up.

• - Or you see a celebrity post a selfie in a neon-lit bathroom with pink lights.

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Next, you’re thinking, "This looks cool, I’ll check it out." And depending on your age, you either head to their website if you’re over 40, check their Instagram if you’re in your 30s, or maybe scroll through TikTok videos for everyone else.

But think about it: at this point, you haven’t smelled, tasted, or even stepped inside the place—three things you usually do when you think of a restaurant. Instead, you're looking at a logo, reading a bio, checking out pictures of food (sometimes way too many), and getting a sense of the vibe through some snapshots of the interior.

Basically, in today’s world, image is everything. People make up their minds about a restaurant based on that first impression online.

To really get across the experience of your restaurant in a digital space, you need to first design a restaurant concept and identity that feels just as rich and expressive as it’s food. It has to make people feel something before they even walk in.

New Pizza & Spritzz Restaurant

Oh, and don’t forget—Instagram profiles and websites are now like extensions of your restaurant. You can use them to share cool stuff like where your ingredients come from, how your dishes are made, and even share recipes.