30-Day Social Media Content Calendar

You generate a complete 30-day social media content calendar tailored to a specific restaurant — with daily content ideas, captions, hashtag sets, and platform-specific formatting for Instagram (feed + stories + reels), TikTok, and Facebook.

DISCLAIMER: AI-generated content calendar. Owner should personalize captions and customize to actual events.

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When to use

• /restaurant social <name> — full 30-day calendar
• "content ideas for [name]"
• "Instagram posts for my restaurant"

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The 7-Theme Weekly Framework

Every restaurant content calendar should rotate through these themes:

Day	Theme	Why It Works
Monday	Menu Spotlight / New Dish	Drives orders, helps new menu items
Tuesday	Behind the Scenes	Builds connection — kitchen, prep, ingredient sourcing
Wednesday	Staff Feature	Humanizes brand — server stories, chef intros
Thursday	Customer Feature / UGC	Social proof — repost guest photos
Friday	Weekend Push	Drive Friday/Saturday reservations & specials
Saturday	High-Energy Atmosphere	Live music, packed crowd, weekend vibe
Sunday	Family / Slow / Story	Brunch, history, owner story, traditions

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Platform-Specific Rules

Instagram

• Feed posts: 4-7 per week
• Stories: Daily (3-5 per day)
• Reels: 2-3 per week (Reels = #1 reach driver in 2026)
• Carousels: 1-2 per week (highest engagement)
• Best post times: 11am-1pm (lunch decision time), 4-6pm (dinner decision time), 8-10pm (next-day planning)
• Caption length: First 125 chars are everything (the "hook" before "more")
• Hashtags: 5-10 mixed (local + cuisine + niche), placed at end of caption

TikTok

• Posts: 3-5 per week (more is better — algorithm rewards frequency)
• Format: 15-60 seconds, vertical 9:16
• Hooks: First 1.5 seconds determines watch-through
• Best content types: Recipes / techniques, "POV" guest experience, kitchen reveals, staff personality
• Music: Trending sounds (check For You Page weekly)
• Best post times: 6-10am, 7-11pm

Facebook

• Posts: 3-5 per week
• Best content types: Events, longer-form stories, photo albums
• Audience skew: Older / family-focused — content should match
• Best post times: 9am, 1pm, 7pm

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Execution Pipeline

Step 1: Restaurant Context Discovery

WebSearch("[name] [city] instagram")
WebSearch("[name] [city] menu signature dishes")
WebSearch("[name] [city] events specials")

Gather:

• Existing handles + follower counts
• Signature dishes (the items to feature most)
• Owner story / history hooks
• Staff names (chef, owner, notable servers)
• Recurring events (live music night, taco Tuesday, etc.)
• Local hashtags that work in this city

Step 2: Generate 30-Day Calendar

For each day, provide:

• Date (Day 1 = Monday of next week)
• Theme (from weekly framework)
• Platform (IG / TT / FB or "all")
• Content type (photo / carousel / Reel / Story)
• Visual idea (what to capture)
• Caption draft
• Hashtag set
• Call to action

Step 3: Bonus Content Library

10 evergreen ideas that can fill any gap in the calendar.

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Hashtag Strategy

Type	Example (Italian in Austin)	Reach
Local broad	#AustinFood #AustinEats #ATX	High
Local niche	#AustinItalian #AustinPasta	Med
Cuisine	#PastaLover #ItalianFood	High
Specific dish	#Carbonara #Lasagna	Med
Restaurant niche	#FamilyOwnedRestaurant #ChefLife	Med
Branded	#BellaItalia #BellaItaliaATX	Low (but builds)

Rule: 8 hashtags per post. Mix: 2 local broad, 2 local niche, 2 cuisine, 1 dish, 1 branded.

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Output Template

Save to RESTAURANT-SOCIAL-[Name].md:

# 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar: [NAME]

> **Generated:** [DATE] | **Platforms:** Instagram, TikTok, Facebook | **Total Posts:** [N]

**DISCLAIMER: AI-generated content calendar. Owner should personalize and approve.**

## Cadence Summary

| Platform | Posts/Week | Total in 30 Days |
|----------|------------|-------------------|
| Instagram feed | 5 | 22 |
| Instagram Reels | 3 | 13 |
| Instagram Stories | 3-5/day | 90-150 |
| TikTok | 4 | 17 |
| Facebook | 4 | 17 |

## Standard Hashtag Set
**Use on every IG feed post:**
#[City]Food #[City]Eats #[Cuisine] #[CuisineCity] #[SignatureItem] #ChefLife #FamilyOwnedRestaurant #[BrandedHashtag]

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## Week 1

### Day 1 — Monday — Menu Spotlight: Signature Pasta

| | |
|---|---|
| **Platform** | Instagram Feed + Reel |
| **Type** | Reel (15s) |
| **Visual** | Hands-only POV of carbonara being twirled with steam rising; close-up of pancetta hitting hot pan |
| **Hook (0-1.5s)** | "POV: You ordered the carbonara." |
| **Caption** | "Spaghetti Carbonara — made the way Nonna Maria taught us in Rome, 1962. No cream, ever. Just guanciale, pecorino, eggs, and pepper. Order online or come find us. #BellaItalia" |
| **Hashtags** | #AustinFood #AustinEats #Carbonara #AustinItalian #ChefLife #ItalianFood #FamilyOwnedRestaurant #BellaItalia |
| **CTA** | "Link in bio to order online" |
| **Best time** | 12pm |

### Day 2 — Tuesday — Behind the Scenes: Pasta Making

| | |
|---|---|
| **Platform** | Instagram Carousel + TikTok |
| **Type** | Carousel (5 slides) |
| **Visual** | Slide 1: flour on table; Slide 2: hands forming pasta; Slide 3: pasta on drying rack; Slide 4: pasta in boiling water; Slide 5: finished dish |
| **Caption** | "Every strand, by hand. Six days a week, Antonio makes pasta from scratch before we open. We could buy dry. We don't. ❤️" |
| **Hashtags** | #PastaFromScratch #AustinChef #BehindTheScenes #ItalianFood #AustinEats #ChefLife #HandmadePasta #BellaItalia |
| **CTA** | "Taste the difference — book a table" |

### Day 3 — Wednesday — Staff Feature: Server Maria

| | |
|---|---|
| **Platform** | Instagram Feed + Stories |
| **Type** | Photo + Story sequence |
| **Visual** | Portrait of Maria with a glass of wine, against the wine wall |
| **Caption** | "Meet Maria. She's been with us for 7 years and remembers your favorite wine before you do. Ask her about the Barolo. ❤️" |
| **CTA** | "Come say hi this weekend" |
| **Stories** | 3-card "Get to know Maria" with poll: 'Coffee or espresso?' |

[Continue for Days 4-7 with same level of detail]

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## Week 2

[Days 8-14 with same structure]

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## Week 3

[Days 15-21]

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## Week 4

[Days 22-30]

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## Reels Idea Bank (Use Anywhere)

1. **"3 Things You Didn't Know About [Dish]"** — Quick text-overlay reel
2. **Order, Open, Taste** — POV of takeout being received
3. **"Make This at Home"** — Quick recipe with brand mention at end
4. **Day in the Life of [Chef]** — 60s montage
5. **Plating Speed-Run** — 15s of plating signature dish
6. **Customer Reaction** — Captured (with permission) first bite reactions
7. **Behind the Apron** — Chef talks about ingredient sourcing
8. **Friday Night Energy** — 15s montage of packed dining room
9. **Wine Pairing Tips** — Sommelier or owner talks pairings
10. **Family Recipe Story** — Owner tells the recipe's origin

## TikTok Idea Bank

1. **"Things I'd Order If I Were You"** — Trending POV format
2. **"Why I Quit My 9-5 to Open This Restaurant"** — Owner story (high view potential)
3. **"Rating Italian Dishes (As an Italian)"** — Chef rates iconic dishes
4. **"Restaurants Hate When You Order This"** — Provocative hook + the actual cheapest-most-delicious order
5. **"What $20 Gets You at My Restaurant"** — Price-value content
6. **"How We Actually Make [Signature]"** — Process video
7. **Trending Sound + Restaurant** — Match trending audio to relevant content
8. **"Customer Asked Me What's Good — Here's the Honest Answer"** — Server POV
9. **"Stitch Reply" to a food critic** — Engagement strategy
10. **"Day Before Service Starts"** — Empty restaurant being prepped

## Stories Daily Framework

| Slot | Content | Time |
|------|---------|------|
| Morning (8-10am) | "Open today at 11am" + signature dish | 9am |
| Lunch (11am-1pm) | Today's special / Quote of the day | 11:30am |
| Afternoon (3-5pm) | Behind the scenes / staff sighting | 4pm |
| Pre-dinner (5-7pm) | Tonight's reservation status / walk-in availability | 6pm |
| Evening (9-11pm) | Recap of the night / customer feature | 9:30pm |

## Engagement Game Plan

- **Respond to ALL comments within 4 hours** during business days
- **Like + comment on every tag** within 1 hour
- **Send DM to first 5 commenters** on Reels (boosts algorithm)
- **Save 15 minutes per day** for engagement (not posting)
- **Follow + engage with local food bloggers + influencers** — 5 per week

## Monthly Goals

| Metric | Baseline | 30-Day Target |
|--------|----------|---------------|
| IG followers | X | +200-500 |
| IG reach | X | 2x |
| Saves per post | X | 1.5x |
| Story replies/DMs | X | +50% |
| Reservations attributed to social | X | +20% |

**DISCLAIMER: AI-generated calendar. Owner should personalize captions, verify events, and substitute actual staff names.**

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Quality Standards

• Every day has a complete post brief
• Visual ideas are concrete and specific
• Captions sound like a human owner, not corporate
• Hashtags are local-aware
• Reels and TikTok ideas reference current platform trends

DISCLAIMER: For educational/research purposes only.