Short answer
A restaurant's X policy should name who may post for the business, set a reply time and tone, list what never gets posted (guest details, private complaints, politics, anything about coworkers), explain how complaints move to direct messages, and spell out what staff may and may not say about work on their own accounts. Keep it to one page and review it twice a year.
Key takeaways
- Name one owner of the account and one backup. Everyone else suggests posts instead of publishing them.
- Treat X as a way to look after guests you already have, not a billboard.
- Write down a reply time, a tone and a short list of topics that never get posted.
- Move complaints to direct messages quickly and log what was promised.
- Tell staff plainly what they can say about work on personal accounts, and keep it lawful and fair.
Restaurant Coaching Solutions isn't affiliated with X Corp. This page explains general practice, not legal advice; check employee-facing rules with a qualified professional in your state.
When restaurants first piled onto Twitter, most of them had no rules at all. Whoever had the password posted whatever came to mind, followed anyone back, and argued with critics late at night. The platform is called X now and the features have changed, but the problems you get without a policy are the same ones. A short written policy fixes most of them before they happen.
Below is a policy you can adapt. It fits on one page, and every manager should read it once.
What is X for, for a restaurant?
It's a way to look after the guests and neighbors you already have. It isn't really a way to find new ones.
Write this purpose at the top of the policy, because it settles a lot of arguments later. On X a restaurant gathers feedback, follows up after visits, announces events and specials, supports local causes and answers questions in public. Every post should fit one of those jobs. If a post is just an ad that would look the same in a newspaper, it probably doesn't belong.
Set a few goals you can actually measure: replies answered within a set time, guest questions resolved, people who mention X when they book. Follower count isn't a goal.
Who is allowed to post for the restaurant?
One named owner and one backup. Everyone else sends ideas, not posts.
Put both names in the policy. The owner holds the login, turns on two-factor authentication and changes the password whenever someone with access leaves. Cooks and servers often have the best photos, so make it easy for them to send pictures and ideas to the owner, but keep publishing to the two people who know the rules.
How should the account follow and reply?
Follow on purpose, reply fast, and sound like a person.
- Follow local guests, food writers, neighborhood and news accounts, suppliers and nearby businesses. Check a profile before following back, and skip spam, adult content and bots.
- Reply to direct mentions within a set window, for example four hours while you're open.
- Sign replies with a first name or initials when more than one person uses the account.
- Thank people for photos, and ask before you reuse a guest's photo anywhere else.
- Stay off politics, religion and arguments about other restaurants.
What should never be posted?
Anything that exposes a guest, a coworker or the business.
Make the list short and absolute:
- No guest names, photos or reservation details without permission. Never post about a guest's bill, tip or behavior.
- Nothing about coworkers' discipline, health or personal lives.
- No private numbers: sales, food cost, payroll, supplier pricing.
- No posting while angry. Wait an hour, or hand the account to the backup.
- No promises about refunds or comps in public. Those get settled privately.
How should complaints on X be handled?
Reply in public once, move the conversation to direct messages, and write down what you promised.
The public reply should thank the person, admit the problem without arguing over details, and offer a direct message or email. The manager on duty then sorts it out. Keep a simple log of the date, the guest's handle, what happened and what you offered. It stops two people from promising different things, and it shows which problems keep coming back. Our post on documenting your interactions explains why the log pays off, and the crisis response notes cover the rare complaint that spreads.
What about staff and their personal accounts?
Ask for good judgment, ban what's actually harmful, and leave lawful speech alone.
Staff may say where they work. They shouldn't speak for the restaurant, share guest information, post from the back of house during service, or harass anyone. In the United States, employees generally have a protected right to talk about pay and working conditions, so don't write a rule that forbids criticism of the job. Have the policy checked before you enforce it.
Go over the policy with every new hire, review it twice a year, and post it next to the schedule. For the day-to-day side of running the account, see our guide to using X for a restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small restaurant really need a written social media policy?
Yes, even if it fits on one page. The day a server posts something about a guest, or a manager argues with a reviewer at midnight, you will want rules everyone already agreed to. Writing them down also makes it easier to hand the account to someone new.
Should the restaurant follow everyone who follows it?
No. Follow local guests, neighbors, food writers, suppliers and nearby businesses, and skip spam, adult and obvious bot accounts. A follow from your restaurant reads as an endorsement, so check a profile before you follow it back.
Can I stop employees from talking about work online?
Not entirely. In the United States, employees generally have a legal right to discuss pay and working conditions with each other, including online. You can still ban sharing guest information, trade secrets and harassment. Have an employment lawyer or your state labor agency look over any policy that limits what staff post.
Who should handle a complaint that starts on X?
The account owner replies in public within a few hours and invites the guest to a direct message. A manager on duty resolves the problem itself, and the account owner notes the outcome in the log so nobody promises something different later.