Two Chicago food and restaurant marketing pros joined us for our first-ever Social Media Workshop! We were very fortunate to have such incredible and passionate speakers on our panel. We heard from Erin Byrne, founder of @312 Food and @friendofamom on Instagram, who has over 260k+ followers across social media, and Kim Kovacik, founder of Kim Kovacik Creative & Photography, who has worked with many large-scale clients such as Panera and Kellogg.
The conversation of the day centered on what restaurant owners should focus on in today’s digital landscape, cutting through inconsistent advice and distractions to create content that resonates with guests and supports business growth. Social media has become a secondary menu, giving operators a chance to showcase their personality and energy behind the food.
One major takeaway was that localized content and authentic storytelling remain some of the most effective ways to drive engagement, reservations, and guest loyalty. Instead of chasing every platform or trend, operators should focus on showing up meaningfully where their audience is most active.
As technology and AI become more common in marketing, the consensus was clear: people still want to connect with people. That same thinking extends to influencer and creator partnerships, where the most successful collaborations are built intentionally through shared audiences, aligned values, and a genuine reason to work together. At the end of the day, hospitality is a relationship-driven industry, and the most effective marketing showcases those connections.
Two Chicago food and restaurant marketing pros joined us for our first-ever Social Media Workshop! We were very fortunate to have such incredible and passionate speakers on our panel. We heard from Erin Byrne, founder of @312 Food and @friendofamom on Instagram, who has over 260k+ followers across social media, and Kim Kovacik, founder of Kim Kovacik Creative & Photography, who has worked with many large-scale clients such as Panera and Kellogg.
The conversation of the day centered on what restaurant owners should focus on in today’s digital landscape, cutting through inconsistent advice and distractions to create content that resonates with guests and supports business growth. Social media has become a secondary menu, giving operators a chance to showcase their personality and energy behind the food.
One major takeaway was that localized content and authentic storytelling remain some of the most effective ways to drive engagement, reservations, and guest loyalty. Instead of chasing every platform or trend, operators should focus on showing up meaningfully where their audience is most active.
As technology and AI become more common in marketing, the consensus was clear: people still want to connect with people. That same thinking extends to influencer and creator partnerships, where the most successful collaborations are built intentionally through shared audiences, aligned values, and a genuine reason to work together. At the end of the day, hospitality is a relationship-driven industry, and the most effective marketing showcases those connections.