Why Your Instagram Isn't Filling Tables (And How to Fix It)

Your Instagram Looks Great, But Where Are the Customers?

I was sitting down with a cafe owner in Bulimba a few weeks ago. She was frustrated. She’d spent three hours that morning taking photos of avocado toast and lattes, her grid looked like a professional magazine, and she had over 5,000 followers.

But when I asked her how many people actually walked through the door because of those photos, she went quiet.

"I don't know," she admitted. "We get plenty of likes, but Tuesday mornings are still dead."

This is the trap most Brisbane restaurant owners fall into. You’ve been told you need to be on Instagram. You’ve been told you need to post every day. So you do. You spend your precious time—time you should be spending in the kitchen or managing your team—chasing 'likes' from people who might not even live in Queensland, let alone visit your shop.

Here is the cold, hard truth: Likes don’t pay the rent. Bookings do.

If your Instagram is a gallery of pretty pictures that doesn't result in more bums on seats, you aren't marketing; you’re just running a free photography hobby for the internet.

Let’s look at why your Instagram is failing to drive revenue and how we can turn it into a tool that actually makes you money.

The "Pretty Picture" Fallacy

Most business owners think that if they post a photo of a burger, people will see it and want the burger. In 2015, that worked. In 2024, it doesn’t.

People are scrolling through thousands of images a day. A photo of a burger is just another burger. To get someone to put down their phone, get in their car, find a park in Fortitude Valley, and pay you $25, you need to do more than look 'nice'.

The Problem: You’re Targeting 'Fans', Not 'Diners'

The Fix: You need to talk to locals. Mention your suburb. Mention the weather in Brisbane today. Talk about the local footy game. Make it clear that this food is available right now just down the road from them.

Trend 1: From "Aesthetic" to "Authentic"

The era of the perfectly polished, filtered-to-death Instagram feed is over. People are bored of it. They know that a professional photographer can make a shoe look delicious with the right lighting.

What people want now is the 'behind the scenes'. They want to see the owner’s face. They want to see the chef prepping the morning catch. They want to see the staff having a laugh.

I worked with a steakhouse in Milton that was struggling. They had these dark, moody photos of steaks that looked like they cost $100. People were intimidated. We changed the strategy to show the head chef talking about where he buys his meat and showing off the Sunday roast special.

The result? Bookings went up by 30% in a month. Why? Because people felt a connection to the humans behind the business. They weren't just buying a steak; they were visiting 'Dave the Chef'.

Trend 2: The Death of the Link in Bio

If I see a delicious photo of a seafood platter and I want to book a table for Friday night, how many clicks does it take me?

If I have to go to your profile, click a link, wait for a slow website to load, and then hunt for a 'Book Now' button, you’ve lost me. I’ve already been distracted by a notification from my mum or a funny cat video.

The Prediction: In the next 12 months, the restaurants that win will be the ones that make booking invisible. You need to use the 'Reserve' button that integrates directly with your booking software. If people can’t book while they are still feeling hungry looking at your photo, they won't book at all.

While social media is great for discovery, you shouldn't rely on it as your only way to reach people. One of the best ways to bypass the noise of social media is to fill your tables using a direct line to your customers, like an email list. Instagram is the handshake; email is the invitation.

Are You Wasting Money on the Wrong People?

Many restaurant owners get excited when a post 'goes viral'. They get 10,000 views and think they’ve made it.

But who saw it? If 9,000 of those people are in America, that video earned you exactly $0.

I’ve seen pubs spend hundreds of dollars on 'influencers' who have 50k followers. These influencers come in, eat for free, take a photo, and leave. The pub gets a spike in followers, but a week later, the tap beer sales haven't moved an inch.

The Reality: Most influencers are a waste of money for local businesses. You are better off having 500 followers who live within a 10-minute drive of your shop than 50,000 followers spread across the globe.

If you’re running a pub or a high-end bistro, you don't need 'likes' from teenagers. You need to attract a better spending crowd who will actually order a bottle of wine and dessert. Instagram should be filtered for quality of customer, not quantity of followers.

The 3-Step Plan to Make Instagram Drive Bookings

If you want to stop wasting time and start seeing more people in your restaurant, do these three things today:

1. The "Friday Night Test"

If your posts are just "Happy Tuesday!" with a photo of a coffee cup, you are failing the test.

2. Talk About the Problems You Solve

Start writing captions that speak to these needs. "Don't do the dishes tonight—let us handle the mess while you enjoy our $20 Pasta Tuesday." That is a message that drives action.

3. Use Video (But Keep It Real)

What’s a Total Waste of Your Time?

- Buying followers: It’s 2024. Everyone knows when your followers are fake, and Google/Instagram will penalise you for it. It makes you look desperate. - Posting for the sake of posting: If you have nothing to say, don't post. One high-quality post that makes someone hungry is better than seven posts of your morning latte. - Ignoring comments: If someone asks "Do you have gluten-free options?" and you don't reply for three days, you’ve just lost a customer. Treat your comments section like your front desk.

How Long Until You See Results?

Marketing isn't a microwave; it’s a slow cooker.

If you change your strategy today to be more local, more authentic, and more focused on bookings, you won't be booked out tomorrow. But within 3 to 4 weeks, you should start hearing people say, "I saw that video of the chef making the gnocchi and had to come in."

By the 3-month mark, your Instagram should be a predictable source of customers. If it’s not, you’re either in the wrong location, your food isn't up to scratch, or you're still talking to the wrong people.

The Bigger Picture: Reputation Matters

You can have the best Instagram in Brisbane, but if your service is poor, social media will only help you go out of business faster by spreading the word.

I remember a bistro in Paddington that had an incredible social media presence. They were the 'it' spot. But they ignored their online feedback. They let one-star reviews pile up without responding. Eventually, the 'pretty' photos couldn't hide the fact that the service was going downhill. People checked the photos, then checked the reviews, and decided to go elsewhere.

Summary: What to do first

1. Fix your 'Bio': Make sure your address, opening hours, and a direct 'Book Now' button are front and centre. 2. Stop being a ghost: Get your face (or your staff's faces) on your Stories. People buy from people. 3. Focus on the 'Why': Every post should answer the question: "Why should I come here tonight instead of staying home?"

Running a restaurant in Brisbane is hard enough with rising food costs and power bills. Don't make it harder by wasting hours on social media that doesn't pay you back.

At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about 'viral' posts. We care about how many people are walking through your front door. We help local businesses stop guessing and start growing with practical, no-nonsense marketing that actually works.

If you’re tired of playing photographer and want to get back to being a business owner, let’s have a chat. We’ll look at your current setup and tell you exactly where you’re leaving money on the table.

Ready to turn your social media into a booking machine? Contact Local Marketing Group today