Most restaurant videos I get sent look the same: drone of the storefront, a slow pan of the dining room, a plated dish spinning on a lazy susan.

Pretty. Doesn't book tables.

People don't pick a restaurant from a pretty room. They pick it because they can already taste the food. That happens in close-ups, sound, and one honest moment of service — not a 4K flyover.

If you're shooting your own promo this month, do this instead:

• Open on a close-up of the dish that actually sells. Steam, sauce, the cut. 2 seconds.

• Cut to hands. Cooking is the proof. A chef plating beats a wide of empty chairs.

• One line of real audio. A ticket called, a door, a laugh. Silence is what makes it feel like an ad.

• End on the thing they can do tonight: the dish, the hours, the reservation link.

Skip the drone unless the building is the product. For most restaurants, it isn't.

That's the shoot I run. Half-day, one location, 60–90 seconds, built for Instagram and Google.