At Empellón Cocina, a restaurant in New York City, diners see a not-so-gentle reminder at the top of the menu. “Empellón strongly discourages the use of cellphones, unless you’re posting food porn on Instagram. #Empellon,” it says in bold letters.
The aim is to get diners comfortable posting photos, says co-owner of the nouveau Mexican restaurant David Rodolitz, who came up with the tagline five months ago. “It’s almost like they are becoming a brand ambassador on behalf of the restaurant,” says Mr. Rodolitz. It also helps to bring followers to the restaurant’s own Instagram feed, which informs users about specials or offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of the kitchen, he adds.
Establishments accustomed to viewing snap-happy smartphone users with annoyance are now realizing the potential of social networks to boost business. Some are trying to encourage restaurant-goers to post pictures of the food by promoting their social-media presence and courting Instagram users with off-menu freebies. Some restaurants, even those that frown on cellphone use in the dining room, are publicizing their social-media hashtags – words or phrases used to identify topics – at the table and encouraging diners to snap a photo before they dig in.