How Diners Choose Where to Eat
Understand how food photos, social platforms, and recommendations influence restaurant decisions.
Free PDF for independent restaurant owners.
- Learn what surveyed diners say influences their choices.
- See how social discovery differs across generations.
- Connect your food, people, and menu to your online presence.
See your restaurant through a future guest’s eyes.
A photograph of a dish, a recommendation, or a quick look at the atmosphere can all play a part in choosing where to eat. This free PDF helps independent restaurant owners understand the research behind those decisions.
Read findings about food photography, social media research, and generational differences in restaurant choice. The guide places each study in its own survey context, so a number about discovery is not presented as a promise of reservations or sales.
Toast’s 2024 study asked 850 U.S. respondents who used social media at least weekly about their preferences and influences. The guide combines that research with platform comparisons and practical content ideas. Use it to think through what a first-time guest can learn from your profiles: what the food is like, what to expect, and how to find the menu or take the next step.
Research sources and dates
- Toast: How Are Diners Using Social Media? (opens in a new tab)
2024 study of 850 U.S. respondents who use social media at least weekly.