In 2025, social media is one of the most important avenues for restaurants to boost awareness, build community, and drive foot traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
76% of adults think social media is a great place<\/a> to learn about restaurants in their area. Gen Z is especially social media savvy, with 84% of Gen Zers \u201ctrying social media food trends<\/a>\u201d and 70% turning to TikTok for restaurant recommendations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how can you take advantage of this restaurant social media craze?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check out this year\u2019s best restaurant social media campaigns, learn what they did and why it worked, and apply the same principles to your own social media campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get started! <\/p>\n\n\n\n In August 2025<\/a>, McDonald\u2019s announced they\u2019d be bringing back the \u201cworld of McDonaldland\u201d for the first time in over two decades. Customers could get to know characters like Birdie, Hamburglar, and the Fry Friends by trying the brand-new McDonaldland Meal<\/a>, collecting exclusive souvenirs, or snagging branded merch from collaborations with Pacsun<\/a> and Away<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McDonald\u2019s has hosted several social media campaigns to celebrate the (re)launch of McDonaldland, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro tip \u2192 For help writing Instagram captions as engaging as McD\u2019s are, check out our <\/em>Ultimate Guide to Writing IG Captions<\/em><\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It speaks to everyone while building community <\/strong>\u2014 <\/strong>It brings back memories for those who knew the original McDonaldland, introduces the younger generation to something new to them, and bridges the gap between both communities through a new, shared experience<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It creates endless opportunities for content <\/strong>\u2014 Bringing back a \u201cworld\u201d like McDonaldland means limitless content possibilities. Introduce the characters and lore, create skits<\/a> and follow trends, share user-generated content (UGC)… the campaigns basically create themselves! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a sense of nostalgia, community-building, and generating out-of-the-box content ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chipotle launched a Roblox gaming experience called \u201cIngredient Quest\u201d back in April 2025<\/a>. Available exclusively through Chipotle\u2019s Burrito Builder Roblox feature<\/a>, \u201cIngredient Quest\u201d teaches players about Chipotle\u2019s real ingredients through ingredient-themed collectible cards. The more cards players collect, the closer they are to getting free Chipotle in real life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chipotle launched multiple social media campaigns promoting the release of \u201cIngredient Quest,\u201d including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It combines two already-strong fanbases <\/strong>\u2014 Tons of people love Chipotle, but tons tons of people love Roblox, too. Marrying the two (very large) audiences all but guaranteed the success of the restaurant\u2019s social media campaigns on every platform they used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It bridges online and real-world experiences <\/strong>\u2014 These social media campaigns bridged the digital and physical engagement gap. Users engaged online, responding to posts or playing Roblox, and<\/em> in \u201creal life,\u201d redeeming the free Chipotle they earned in the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gamifying social media, reaching younger audiences, and encouraging engagement across platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In September 2025<\/a>, Popeyes announced a \u201cfirst-of-its-kind menu collaboration\u201d with the YouTube channel Hot Ones. The Popeyes x Hot Ones menu<\/a> has three new items in mild, medium, and hot spice levels. They also released Hot Ones\u2019 most iconic sauce, called The Last Dab, in single-serve sachets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This collab was featured in multiple different social media campaigns across Popeyes and Hot Ones\u2019 channels, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro tip \u2192 Learn how you can leverage influencer partnerships (like Hot Ones) with our blog, Restaurant Influencers Explained.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It connects diners with a normally unreachable experience <\/strong>\u2014 The Popeyes x Hot Ones campaigns peel back the curtain for lovers of the show, inviting diners to join in on a unique experience that\u2019s typically reserved for celebrities and pop culture icons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It builds camaraderie in the comments <\/strong>\u2014 The Hot Ones social media posts have done a great job at encouraging engagement in the comments, with users bonding over how much they loved each item, what spice level they got to, and whether they survived The Last Dab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Promoting a one-of-a-kind experience and building hype around a brand-new collab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In July 2025<\/a>, Wendy\u2019s shared they\u2019d be collaborating with Netflix\u2019s Wednesday on a new meal. The Wednesday-themed \u201cMeal of Misfortune\u201d included \u201cRest in 10-Piece\u201d nuggets, \u201cCursed & Crispy\u201d fries, a \u201cRaven\u2019s Blood\u201d frosty, and different \u201cDips of Dread\u201d in mystery packaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Wendy\u2019s x Wednesday collab was featured in several social media campaigns over the summer, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It leveraged a new-to-Wendy\u2019s aesthetic <\/strong>\u2014 Wendy\u2019s is known for its bright, red-and-blue branding. So, when their social media campaigns suddenly turned dark and gloomy, people were forced to watch the videos and scroll through the posts to figure out why things changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It leaned into the latest pop culture trend <\/strong>\u2014 With Wednesday\u2019s incredible success on Netflix, this collab\u2019s social media campaigns kept Wendy\u2019s relevant and alive during the online hype for the upcoming season (when the risk of getting drowned out is very <\/em>real). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Staying pop culturally relevant and getting creative with a new, eye-catching aesthetic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In September 2025<\/a>, Subway reintroduced their Fresh Fit menu, a new and improved version of the original concept from the early 2000s.<\/a> The new Fresh Fit menu features four sandwiches, each designed to be low-calorie, with at least 20g of protein in every new menu option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To promote the relaunch of the Fresh Fit menu, Subway has launched social media campaigns across multiple platforms, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It prioritizes bite-sized content <\/strong>\u2014 Every campaign in support of Fresh Fit is short, sweet, and super engaging. This makes it easy to cross-post content and find equal success across any platform that uses short-form video, whether that\u2019s Instagram, TikTok, or X. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2713 It keeps things light and fun <\/strong>\u2014 The Fresh Fit social media campaigns are all simple and fun, resulting in content that\u2019s easy to digest and share. Things can get heavy on social media, so campaigns like these help keep your customers\u2019 feeds enjoyable and memorable. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe 5 best restaurant social media campaigns of 2025 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1 \u2014 McDonald\u2019s: McDonaldland Campaign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What it is <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Why it works<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The best restaurant social media campaign for: <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2 \u2014 Chipotle: \u201cIngredient Quest\u201d Roblox Campaign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What it is <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Why it works <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The best restaurant social media campaign for: <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3 \u2014 Popeyes: Hot Ones Campaign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What it is<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Why it works <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The best restaurant social media campaign for: <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4 \u2014 Wendy\u2019s: Wednesday Addams Campaign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What it is<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Why it works <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The best restaurant social media campaign for: <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5 \u2014 Subway: Fresh Fit Menu Campaign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What it is <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Why it works <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The best restaurant social media campaign for: <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n