If you’re trying to get people hungry for your food, chances are you’re thinking about two platforms: Instagram and TikTok.
Both are visual. Both are wildly popular. And both can help turn food content into fully booked tables. 🍽️
But if you're a restaurant, café, or food brand, which one actually works better for your marketing in 2025?
Let’s break it down—by audience, content style, growth potential, and what’s converting in the real world. 👇
Audience & Demographics 👥
- Still dominant among 25–40-year-olds
- Stronger with urban professionals and foodies
- Users tend to have more spending power
- Great for lifestyle content, brunch, cocktails, aesthetic vibes
🎥 TikTok
- Most popular with 18–30-year-olds
- Massive reach among Gen Z and trend-loving millennials
- Strong presence in college towns and cultural hotspots
- Users are highly engaged and impulsive—especially with food trends
👀 Stat to know: TikTok is now the #1 search platform for Gen Z when looking for where to eat. (Google, 2023)
Content Style & Performance 🎬
Instagram strengths:
- Beautiful photos still shine (hello, latte art ☕ and moody interiors 🌿)
- Reels have strong engagement if optimized well
- More polish = better performance
- Great for building a cohesive brand presence over time
TikTok strengths:
- Raw, fast, in-the-moment videos go viral
- Behind-the-scenes, kitchen action, and reactions work best 🍳
- Music, trends, and storytelling are key 🔥
- Best for making people say “I HAVE to go there” immediately
🍣 Real talk: TikTok is better for viral exposure. Instagram is better for long-term brand building.
Growth & Discoverability 📈
- TikTok’s algorithm favors content from any creator—not just those with big followings.
→ Even small restaurants can go viral overnight with one strong video. - Instagram favors creators with a history of good engagement.
→ It’s a bit harder to break through unless you already have a following or run ads.
⚡ TikTok wins for fast reach.
🧱 Instagram wins for consistency and credibility.
Conversion Power 💵
Let’s talk what matters: getting people in the door.
TikTok drives:
- Spontaneous visits (“Saw this place on TikTok and had to try it!”)
- Trend-based traffic (“The internet-famous donut shop”)
- Viral buzz that spikes visits, especially in the short term
Instagram drives:
- Planned visits (“Saved this place to my foodie list”)
- More event bookings, reservations, and private dining interest
- Better retargeting and ad-friendly UX
🧠 Best strategy? Use TikTok to spark discovery, and Instagram to nurture loyalty.
What About Influencers? 🤳
In 2025, smart restaurants are working with creators who specialize in each platform.
- Instagram influencers tend to be better at storytelling, captions, and visual curation
- TikTok creators bring energy, personality, and trend-savvy content
The key is to match the creator’s strength with your campaign goals. Or better yet—work with both.
Mustard helps you find and book creators by platform, location, and content style—all in one place.
Final Thoughts 🥂
So… Instagram or TikTok?
The real answer is: both, if you use them strategically.
- Use TikTok to introduce your restaurant to new people, fast
- Use Instagram to stay top-of-mind and turn curiosity into loyalty
- Use Mustard to find the right creators, track the results, and scale without stress
Let’s get you in more feeds—and more mouths.
👉 Launch a campaign on Mustard
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