12 restaurant social media accounts to follow

Whether you’re taking a quick break at work and scrolling through your news feed or hunkering down for some serious online networking, it’s helpful to have a bundle of high quality social media accounts bookmarked for your perusal.

Personally, I like Facebook for my quick breaks, LinkedIn for professional networking, and anything in between for information and inspiration.

So I thought I’d collect some of the best social media accounts I’ve seen for restaurant owners, marketers, and employees — no matter what you’re looking for. Take a look, and add to the list in the comments, eh?

For Networking and Opportunities

First up, the dreaded networking. But since you can do this kind of networking in your pajamas, it’s way less painful and awkward.

FohBoh – This is a great professional online community for anyone in the foodservice industry. You can check out their site, or interact on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Bar & Restaurant Industry Members – This is an open group with pretty active members (over 12,000 total), with conversations that run the gamut from tech, to operations, to promotions.
Shiftgig – This free networking site hosts job postings for the hospitality industry. You can check out their site, Twitter account, or LinkedIn page.
Independent Restaurant Owners – This very active LinkedIn group is a great place to get advice from fellow restauranteurs based on personal experience.

For Information and Inspiration

Check these out when you need that kick in the pants on why you’re in this industry in the first place.

Food Republic – If you want a Facebook page that’ll make you drool over food and bevvies again, this one’s a great place to start.
Wine Harlots – Care a little bit more about the bevvies than the food? Check out the Wine Harlots blog and Twitter account for amazing recipes that’ll reinvigorate your wine list and cocktail menu.
the food dept. – If drool-worthy photography is what gets you pumped up, check out the recipes featured over at the food dept. blog. You’ll come away with a couple things to pump up your menu in no time.
Your favorite chefs and restaurants – You won’t be hard-pressed to find social media accounts (Facebook pages, in particular) for restaurants and even individual chefs these days. Subscribe to updates from your absolute favorites for their tips and tricks, and reminders of the brilliant people you work alongside.

Note: It was really, really hard to keep this section down to just four recommendations. There are a lot of inspirational industry blogs and social accounts out there! Can’t wait to see what other ones you come up with.

For Fun

Actually, most of these are more like catharsis. These accounts are great for those days you’re just not feelin’ the biz, or you could use a little pick-me-up.

Server Not Servant – Check out Patrick Maguire’s “Server Not Servant” blog or Twitter account for some real-life stories of ridiculous encounters between servers and patrons.
Angry Line Cooks United – This Facebook page is “for the worn out, over worked, constantly chef’d brothers of the line.” If you’re having a rough one, tune in here — you won’t feel alone.
The Angry Chef – Not to be outdone, chefs are getting in on the Facebook fun, too. Though I think anyone can enjoy the content they’re putting up — chef or not.
Ask the Bartender – I didn’t forget about everyone’s best friend, the bartender. This page is actually a nice mix of funny memes, stories, and advice for bartenders. It’s a nice glimpse into a bartender’s thought process, so I recommend it for owners and managers, in particular.