Have you ever stumbled upon a shaky reel showing off a cheese pull so dramatic that you literally book a table at the restaurant immediately? That’s the power of social media. Within 15 seconds, a restaurant in Bandra, Pune, or Indiranagar goes from zero to a two-hour waitlist overnight. Crowds from all around the city travel just to get a taste of the viral dish that appears oh-so mouth-watering on our screens. A single piece of content by an influencer, whose name we may not recollect, does something that years of word-of-mouth could never. But after the views stop climbing and the comment section moves on to the next big thing, what happens to these viral restaurants?
Picture this: You always visit your cosy neighbourhood cafe that’s lowkey serving the best coffee in town, but nobody really bothers to try it. So you enjoy slow sips with calm and serenity all morning. And then suddenly, an influencer decides to mount their camera and blabber off to the internet about how they’ve found a ‘local gem’ that everyone in the world must try. And the next day, you find a queue snaking out of your favourite cafe that didn’t exist to the world eight months ago.
But virality, as it turns out, is a wildly unpredictable business partner. Vedant Malik, Director and Founder of the celebrity-favourite Mizu Izakaya, states, “Social media often captures a single moment, a dish, a cocktail, a vibe shot. Sometimes online feedback is incredibly insightful, and sometimes it magnifies one moment out of context. The real truth is always on the floor, in repeat guests, in conversations at the table, and in the atmosphere we create night after night.”
We spoke to restaurateurs, founders and the people building India’s most-talked-about or viral restaurants and eateries to find out what really happens after the reel stops rolling.
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People often fail to gauge the actual power of virality on business in today’s world. One short-form reel with over a million views, and the new spot around the corner turns into a sensation in town. Over the last couple of years, many restaurants, bars and cafes have incorporated the magic of virality in their business plan. It’s not a happy accident anymore. It’s engineered to show up on your feed and practically force you to visit. But do these viral F&B businesses prefer virality over traditional word-of-mouth marketing?
Divya Aggarwal, Chef Growth Officer of Impresario Handmade Restaurants, believes, “Virality definitely speeds up discovery, but it doesn’t build reputation on its own. For a brand like SOCIAL, which has been around for over a decade, people don’t come because of a reel; they come because they already trust the experience.”
On the other hand, Chef Rahul Punjabi, Founder of the extremely viral Bang Bang! Noodle begs to differ. He states, “I think virality has sort of become a bit out of fashion now, to be honest, because it seems like every new restaurant is becoming viral and I think the industry is going to go back towards word of mouth, for sure we are.” He also warns of a “big change in the industry” where restaurants are chasing virality without actually preparing for its consequences. But what are these consequences?
Is that viral dish really worth it?
Those slo-mo scenes, the dramatic expressions and the close-up shots that can make any food delectable can be deceiving. As guests, there’s nothing more upsetting than patiently waiting in line to try a probably overpriced viral dish only to feel like you’ve been scammed. In this oversaturated market of influencers claiming everything to be “good”, discovering something online, and it actually turning out to be delicious feels nothing less than winning a lottery.
So how do restaurants deal with the high expectations? Karrena Bulchandani, founder of Mokai, states, “We acknowledge it, not fight it. If someone walks in expecting a viral moment, we make sure they leave with a real experience. The goal is to convert hype into something more meaningful and lasting.”
Meanwhile, Ewa Valia, Assistant Marketing Manager of Tipsy Tiger, takes a more hospitable approach. She states, “For us, it always comes down to good systems, sincere hospitality, and a team that truly cares. Even if there is the occasional delay, guests often remember how they were made to feel.”
Exploring the virality hangover
While guests are left at the mercy of influencers exaggerating everything, restaurants are compelled to evolve their system to face the virality hangover. What happens when your restaurant suddenly faces a spike in customers, an overwhelming line outside the venue, and even higher hopes?
Aditya Wanwari, owner and founder of Steam Room in Bandra, states, “The spike wasn’t linear — it was exponential. We had to quickly tighten systems, retrain teams, and focus heavily on consistency under pressure. The biggest shift was moving from a ‘hospitality mindset’ to a ‘high-volume hospitality mindset without losing warmth.”
The flip side of the fame
There’s always a flip to fame. And who understands this better than the viral restaurants that were given the tag of ‘overhyped’ on the internet? If there are thousands of reels asking you to visit a spot, you will always find a reel claiming it to be anything but ‘worth it’. While the internet is a pool of varied opinions, how do restaurants deal with criticism online?
Raghavendra Rao, founder of The Rameshwaram Cafe that recently went viral for landing in Mumbai, states, “We take both positively. If any feedback is given, we welcome it. If corrections are needed, we act on them. At the end of the day, we are in customer service; whatever they want, we adapt and deliver.”
However, Chef Rahul Punjabi wants owners and founders to become tougher to face this shift in the industry. He states, “You shouldn’t become a pity party — oh my god, I went viral, woe me. No, look, it’s a blessing. You went viral. It’s good. So definitely the ground reality is always better rather than worse. And it’s a learning experience. It’s a character-building experience. If you’re able to come out on the other side wiser and smarter, then that’s good for you.”
(Hero and feature images: Courtesy mokaiindia/ Instagram)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
