Three months ago, a small cafe on Cleopatra Beach had a problem. Great food, decent location, but only 40% table occupancy on weekends. Their Instagram had 800 followers. They posted photos every few days. Nothing was working.

The owner, Mehmet, was frustrated. "I see these Turkish restaurants in Istanbul with millions of views. We make better food. Why doesn't anyone care?"

I watched him post a photo of a beautifully plated pasta. Nice lighting. Good composition. It got 47 likes. Then I asked him: "When you make that crunchy kunefe at the table with the torch, do you ever film it?"

"No, why would I? Everyone knows kunefe."

We filmed it. 15 seconds. Torch hitting the cheese, the sizzle sound, the cheese pull, the customer's reaction. Posted it as a Reel at 6pm on a Thursday.

By Saturday morning it had 47,000 views. By Sunday they had a waiting list. Three months later? Fully booked every weekend. 4,200 Instagram followers.

Here's what actually works for restaurant video content in Alanya, from someone who's filmed 30+ restaurants and cafes here through my restaurant and business video production services.

Why Restaurant Videos Work (When Photos Don't)

Photos show the result. Video shows the experience.

A photo of baklava looks like... baklava. Every baklava photo looks the same. But a video of hot syrup being poured over fresh baklava, steam rising, that crispy sound? That's scroll-stopping content.

The restaurants and cafes I've worked with that see the most impact have three things in common:

The 5 Types of Restaurant Videos That Actually Convert

Forget the generic "day in the life" content. These formats drive reservations:

1. The Signature Dish Moment (15-30 seconds)

This is your money content. The one dish that makes people travel to you.

• Start with the action: pouring, flaming, cutting, pulling
• Show the reveal: the moment of beauty
• End with reaction: a customer's genuine reaction or first bite

Real example: A meze restaurant in Oba posted their cheese borek being cut open, steam escaping, cheese oozing. 83,000 views. It became their #1 ordered item.

2. Behind-the-Scenes Prep (30-60 seconds)

People love seeing effort. The handmade pasta. The marinade process. The chef perfecting a sauce.

Why it works: It justifies your prices and builds trust. When people see you making pasta from scratch, they understand why it costs more than the tourist place down the street.

• Time-lapse of prep work
• No fancy editing needed
• Text overlay explaining what's happening
• Natural kitchen sounds

Real example: A Turkish restaurant showed their morning bread baking process. "This is why we don't open before noon" caption. People started arriving early just to smell the bread.

3. The View + The Moment (15-20 seconds)

Alanya's advantage: location. You're probably near mountains or sea or castle views. Show it.

• Cocktail or coffee in foreground
• Sunset, sea, or view in background
• Gentle pan from drink to view
• Ambient sound (waves, birds, conversation)

Best time: Golden hour (sunset) content posted at 5-6pm

Real result: A rooftop cafe in Alanya posted sunset views with wine. DM requests for reservations increased 200%. They now require advance booking for sunset tables.

4. Customer Reactions (10-15 seconds)

This is powerful but you need permission. Film guests reacting to first bite of something surprising, flaming dessert arriving, huge portion reveal, or kids excited about milkshakes.

5. Daily Special Announcements (10-15 seconds)

This builds a following of locals, not just tourists.

Format: "Today's fresh catch: Levrek from Alanya harbor, grilled with lemon and thyme. Available until 9pm." Show the fish, show it being grilled, quick shot of the final plate, price in caption.

Post at: 11am for lunch, 4pm for dinner

A fish restaurant in Alanya harbor does this daily. Their regulars check Instagram every morning to see the catch. It's become a routine. This kind of consistent content ties directly into your social media content calendar strategy.

What to Film With (You Don't Need Expensive Gear)

90% of the restaurant content I create for clients is shot on my phone. Here's what actually matters:

The Posting Strategy That Works for Alanya Restaurants

Here's the schedule I recommend to every restaurant client:

Weekly Content Plan

Best Posting Times for Alanya Restaurants

Common Mistakes Alanya Restaurants Make

1. Posting food after the rush

   If you post your dinner special video at 9pm, people have already eaten. Post at 5-6pm when they're deciding where to go.

2. Over-editing

   I see restaurants adding filters, effects, transitions, music... it looks like an ad. People scroll past ads. Raw, quick, real content performs better.

3. Only posting pretty plates

   Your plating is beautiful. But it looks like every other restaurant's plating. Show the sizzle, the pour, the flame, the cut. That's what stops the scroll.

4. Forgetting captions

   70% of people watch Instagram with sound off. Add text overlay: "Homemade pasta, fresh daily" or "Catch of the day: €15"

5. Not showing prices

   Tourists are scared of surprise bills. When you show your daily special and include "€12" in the caption, you remove that fear. More people walk in.

Real Numbers: What Video Content Actually Does

Let me share results from three restaurants I work with in Alanya:

The One Video Every Restaurant Needs (But Most Don't Have)

Beyond daily social content, you need ONE professional restaurant promo video. This is different from daily Reels.

What it should include (60-90 seconds):

• Exterior and entrance
• Atmosphere and seating areas
• Kitchen in action
• 3-4 signature dishes being prepared and served
• Happy customers (with permission)
• View/location if you have one

Where to use it:

Should You Do It Yourself or Hire Someone?

What's Next?

If you're running a restaurant, cafe, or bar in Alanya and you're still only posting photos, you're leaving customers on the table.

Start this week:

1. Film your most popular dish

   15-30 seconds of the preparation or serving moment

2. Post it 2 hours before your busy period

   Not at 9pm when everyone has already eaten

3. Watch what happens

   Track views, DMs, and table bookings

Related Resources

Planning your content in advance saves time. For a complete posting system, check out my 30-day content calendar for restaurants.

Google visibility also matters. Learn how to rank higher with my guide on Google My Business video for local SEO.

For professional restaurant photography tips, check out our complete guide on making food look irresistible.