Decide what the week has to say
The timetable should film food before or between service, at times confirmed with the kitchen. Record what to fire and when, and give each planned clip a day and place to be posted.
Start with one reason for the week. Give the week a shared purpose so the kitchen and posting team can prioritize:
- an opening or reopening;
- a new or seasonal menu;
- a new service, such as brunch, patio season, catering or private dining;
- an anniversary, or a special that runs for a limited time.
Then write down the one action you want people to take: reserve a table, order online, come in for a specific dish or ask about an event. That action shapes the last line of each post and decides which link sits in your bio and on your Google Business Profile that week.
Next, pick the date the week of posts should start, usually launch day or the day before. Book the shoot early enough for editing and review before that date, and mention the launch date on the first call.
Our Content Week has a fixed shape, so plan for it from the start. If your batch looks different, the same thinking applies:
- 2 Signature videos. Cinematic pieces that carry the week's main message: the new menu as a whole, or the story of the opening. They are also pieces you might scope for paid use later.
- 5 Everyday videos. Fast, social-first clips. Give each one a single job: one dish being built, one person on your team, one answer to a question guests ask.
- 20 photos. For the places video doesn't fit: your Google Business Profile, your website, online ordering pages and menu updates.
- A posting plan for the week. This names the sequence; confirm any written post-copy responsibility separately. Which piece goes out on which day.
Choose the dishes and plan the prep
Ask the kitchen lead which dishes can represent the week without disrupting service. List the shots each dish needs, then confirm whether one preparation can support several pieces. There is no fixed dishes-per-video formula; the menu, crew setup and kitchen capacity decide what fits.
For each dish, the kitchen needs four answers.
1. Prep lead time. What has to be made ahead: stocks, sauces, doughs, slow-cooked proteins, garnishes that need picking. Let the kitchen set the appropriate preparation day and storage plan. Record its confirmed timing rather than assuming everything can be made the day before.
2. Plating window. How long the plate looks the way it should after it leaves the pass. Ask the kitchen lead to classify each dish and confirm the practical filming window. The table is a discussion aid, not a timing promise or a food-handling instruction:
Scroll horizontally to see the full table.
| Window | What falls in it | How to film it |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance changes quickly | A dish or drink the kitchen identifies as time-sensitive | Agree when the camera is ready before the kitchen prepares the filmed portion |
| Needs a fresh plate for the final take | Items the kitchen says should be prepared after setup | Ask whether a setup plate is practical; use the kitchen's approved sequence |
| Can wait during setup | Items the kitchen confirms can keep their appearance | Place in the schedule according to that confirmed window |
3. Portions. Ask the kitchen how many portions it can prepare and whether a replacement is practical. It decides handling, storage and what happens to food after filming. Do not reserve a fixed number of remakes or assume filmed food can be served.
4. Who cooks it. The cook who makes the dish every day should plate it on camera. The plate on screen should be the plate guests receive. Ask the kitchen to confirm that the filmed presentation matches what guests can order.
Your kitchen's normal food safety and allergen practices apply to everything cooked for the shoot. Filming shouldn't change how food is handled.
Fit the shoot around service
Ask whether filming can fit around service or needs a separately agreed quiet window. Closing, partial access and service coverage are decisions for the restaurant; this guide does not promise uninterrupted operation.
Work backward from opening time and write down the fixed points of the day:
- deliveries and their usual times;
- pre-shift lineup and staff meal;
- the first seating, or the first online orders;
- the hours when daylight reaches the dining room or patio, if you want window light.
Discuss these possible blocks with the restaurant. Use only the blocks it approves, and confirm their lengths in the shoot scope:
- Before opening: plated dishes, the empty dining room, the bar, the exterior and signage. Confirm when the kitchen is available; pre-opening can also be busy.
- During prep: hands, knives, flames, sauces, the line setting up. The crew stands only where the kitchen lead says it can.
- Early service: the room filling up and the team in motion, with only guests who agreed to appear in frame.
- A quiet stretch: short interviews with the chef or owner, drink pours, anything that needs a quiet room.
Name one person to call the kitchen during the shoot, usually the chef or kitchen manager. The crew asks that person, not the line, when the next plate is coming.
Plan interviews away from hoods, ice machines, dish machines and the music system. Ask the person responsible for the building before anything is switched off.
Decide who is on camera, and where
Choose people for what they can show or explain:
Scroll horizontally to see the full table.
| Role | Good for |
|---|---|
| Chef or kitchen lead | Building a dish, the idea behind the menu |
| Owner | Why the restaurant exists, what's new this week |
| Bartender | Pours, a signature drink, what goes with the new menu |
| Server or host | Recommendations, the welcome at the door |
Being on camera should be voluntary. Everyone featured signs an on-camera release, so confirm names, spellings and job titles before the shoot.
Getting your team ready to speak on camera
Guests appear only if they agree and sign a release. Put a notice at the entrance on the day, and seat guests who'd rather not be filmed away from the shots.
The day before, walk the room and look at it through a phone screen. Clear or turn away:
- reservation screens, POS terminals and order tickets with guest names;
- staff schedules and notes taped to kitchen walls;
- clutter on the pass, the back bar and the host stand.
Choose one table near natural light as the plate table, and keep it free during the food blocks.
Put the plan into a brief.
Organize your ideas, people and locations in an editable preparation draft.
Build your shoot briefHand off the posting plan
Content Week ends with final files and a posting plan for the week, and your team posts. Before the handoff, settle who does what:
- Who posts on each account, and at what time of day. Pick times that fit when your guests make plans.
- Who writes or adjusts the post text for each piece, including the reservation or ordering link.
- Who answers comments and messages that week, and who checks them during service.
- Which photos go where: Google Business Profile, website, online ordering pages, menus.
- Which clips might become paid ads later, especially anything showing drinks. Check the ad platform's current rules for that category before you plan a clip around an ad.
If the week works and you want content every month, preparation looks a little different. How to prepare for a monthly content shoot
How we can help
Content Week is a one-off production: one shoot, 7 videos (2 Signature and 5 Everyday), 20 photos and a posting plan for the week, with no subscription. Your team posts. It starts with a 15-minute call, and the proposal follows within 24 hours of the call. See Content Week · Restaurants
FAQ
Can we film a dish that isn't on the menu yet?
Yes, as long as guests can order it during the week it's posted. Otherwise people may come in asking for a dish the kitchen can't serve yet.
What if a dish doesn't look right on camera?
Ask the kitchen whether a replacement is practical within service and the agreed shoot scope. If not, use another approved idea. Keep the presentation consistent with what a guest can order.
Can we book another Content Week later?
Yes. Each Content Week is its own project, so you can book one for the next menu or season.