Restaurant content calendar: 4 weeks of posts to copy
A ready-made 4-week restaurant posting plan for Instagram, Facebook and email, with what to post each day and how to batch it in two sessions a week.
By James Olawale · · 7 min read
A good restaurant content calendar gives every day a job: one Instagram post or Reel, a lighter Facebook post, and one email a week to your regulars. Below is a complete 4-week plan you can copy, with what to post each day on Instagram, Facebook and email. It assumes about 5 Instagram posts, 4 Facebook posts and 1 email a week, which most owners can keep up with in two short sessions a week. This post is the schedule; for a bigger pool of ideas to drop into it, see our 45 Instagram post ideas for restaurants.
How this calendar works
Each week has a theme, and each day of the week has a fixed type of post. Fixed days mean you never stare at a blank screen. Monday is always a dish, Thursday is always the weekend push, Sunday is always people.
The weekly rhythm:
- Monday: a hero dish (photo or carousel)
- Tuesday: behind the scenes (Reel)
- Wednesday: a reason to come midweek (special, happy hour, family night)
- Thursday: the weekend push (what is on Friday to Sunday, how to book)
- Friday: a short, fun Reel (sizzle, pour, plating)
- Saturday: Stories only (live service, specials board, sold-out items)
- Sunday: people (a guest moment, a staff member, a regular, with permission)
Facebook gets most of the same posts, written a little longer and more practical: hours, parking, booking links, events. Your Facebook audience tends to want information. Instagram wants the food to look irresistible.
Email goes out once a week, on Wednesday or Thursday morning, so it lands before people make weekend plans. If you are new to email, start with how to build an email list and read our restaurant email ideas.
Week 1: Signature dishes
The goal this week is simple: remind people what you are known for.
| Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Carousel of your 3 best sellers, one slide each, price in caption | Same carousel, add "Available lunch and dinner" | |
| Tue | Reel: your most popular dish from raw ingredients to plate, 15 seconds | Share the Reel | |
| Wed | Photo: midweek special with the exact price and days it runs | Same post plus a link to the menu | "Our three most-ordered dishes, and the story behind one of them" |
| Thu | Photo of the dining room set for service, caption with weekend hours and booking link | Weekend hours, parking tip, booking link | |
| Fri | Reel: close-up of the dish that sizzles, pours or pulls | Share the Reel | |
| Sat | Stories: specials board, a poll ("Which should we bring back?") | ||
| Sun | Photo of your head chef or cook with one line about them | Same post, a slightly longer story |
Caption example for Monday
Three dishes that keep people coming back.
1. Short rib, slow-braised for 8 hours ($24)
2. Charred corn with lime butter ($9)
3. Brown butter cake ($10)
Which one is your order? Tell us below.
Week 2: Behind the kitchen door
People love seeing how things get made. This week shows the work, the sourcing and the team.
| Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Photo: a dish next to its raw ingredients | Same, name your local suppliers | |
| Tue | Reel: 6am prep, sped up, ending on the finished dish | Share the Reel | |
| Wed | Photo: midweek deal (for example "Tuesday to Thursday, 2 entrees and a bottle for $55") | Same, with the fine print | "What happens in our kitchen before you arrive" with 3 photos and a booking button |
| Thu | Carousel: "Meet the team" with 4 staff, first names and their favorite dish | Same carousel | |
| Fri | Reel: a staff member answers "What should I order first time?" in 10 seconds | Share the Reel | |
| Sat | Stories: the pass during Friday or Saturday rush, a quiz sticker on an ingredient | ||
| Sun | Photo: a supplier delivery or market haul | Supplier story, tag them if they have a page |
Week 3: Your neighborhood
Local restaurants win on being local. This week ties you to the street, the town and the people around you.
| Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Photo: your best dish, caption names your neighborhood | Same post, add "Find us at" plus address | |
| Tue | Reel: walk from the street into your front door and to a table, 8 seconds | Share the Reel | |
| Wed | Photo: a deal for a local group (for example "Show your gym tag for 10% off lunch") | Same, with dates | "Local favorites: 3 things we love near the restaurant, and one dish to try after" |
| Thu | Event post: trivia, live music, game night, or a guest chef | Create a Facebook event for it | |
| Fri | Reel: your bartender making the drink of the week | Share the Reel | |
| Sat | Stories: repost guest tags (with permission), a "where are you from?" question box | ||
| Sun | Photo of a regular or a family table (ask first, get a yes in writing) | Same, with a thank you to the neighborhood |
A neighborhood week also helps with search. When you name your area in captions, people searching for food nearby have a better chance of finding you. Our Instagram hashtags guide covers which local tags and keywords to use.
Week 4: Reasons to come back
End the month by pulling people in again: loyalty, new items, reviews and the next month's plans.
| Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Photo: a new or seasonal dish, "this week only" | Same | |
| Tue | Reel: the new dish being made, with the hook "We have never put this on the menu before" | Share the Reel | |
| Wed | Photo: loyalty or birthday offer, how to claim it | Same, with full rules | "Something new on the menu, and a thank you for being a regular" with a small offer |
| Thu | Screenshot-style post of a real Google review (with the reviewer's first name only) | Same, ask happy guests to leave a review | |
| Fri | Reel: "3 things to order if you only come once" | Share the Reel | |
| Sat | Stories: a poll on next month's special | ||
| Sun | Photo: the team at close, "See you next week" | Next month's dates and events |
Asking for reviews in a post works best when you link straight to your Google review form. See how to get more Google reviews for the exact steps.
How to fill the calendar in two sessions a week
You do not need to film every day. Batch it.
- Monday afternoon, 45 minutes: shoot 6 to 8 photos and 3 short clips between lunch and dinner service, when the light is good and the kitchen is calm. Our phone photography tips cover light, angles and a shot list.
- Monday evening, 30 minutes: write the week's captions in your notes app using the tables above. Schedule the posts in Meta Business Suite, which can publish to both Instagram and Facebook.
- Thursday, 15 minutes: check comments, update the weekend post if anything changed, and send the weekly email.
- Saturday, during service: post 3 to 5 Stories from your phone. These do not need to be polished.
Keep a running list of ideas on your phone. When a guest says something nice, a dish sells out, or a delivery looks great, write it down. That list fills week 5.
What to change based on results
After 4 weeks, look at what worked. In Instagram, go to your profile, tap Professional dashboard, then Insights. Sort your posts and Reels by reach and by saves. On Facebook, check reach and link clicks in Meta Business Suite. For email, look at clicks, not just opens.
- If Reels reached far more people than photos, swap one photo day for a Reel.
- If the deal posts got saves and shares, run one every week.
- If the team posts got the most comments, give people a regular slot.
- If almost nobody clicked the email, shorten it to one dish, one photo and one button.
Do not change everything at once. Change one day of the week, run it for 2 weeks, then compare. For more ideas to rotate in, see our list of Instagram post ideas for restaurants.
If you would rather not plan it yourself
A calendar only works if someone keeps it going on busy weeks. If that is the hard part, Scala reads your website and plans a week of posts for Instagram, Facebook and X, designs them in your own look from your photos, and sends email campaigns to your own customer list. You approve every post before it goes out. Plans start at $19 a month, and you can see how it works first.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a restaurant post on Instagram?
Aim for 4 to 5 feed posts or Reels a week, plus Stories on your busiest days. Three a week is a realistic minimum if you post consistently. Consistency matters more than volume, so pick a number you can keep for months.
What should a restaurant post on social media?
Rotate signature dishes, behind-the-scenes prep, midweek deals, weekend plans, your team, your neighborhood and happy guests. Give each type a fixed day of the week so planning takes minutes instead of hours.
When should a restaurant send its weekly email?
Wednesday or Thursday morning works well for most restaurants, because it lands before people decide where to eat at the weekend. Test both days for a month and keep the one with more clicks.
Do I need different content for Instagram and Facebook?
You can use the same photo or Reel on both. On Facebook, add practical details like hours, parking and booking links, and use Facebook events for anything with a date.
