Short answer
Yes. Instagram is excellent for discovery and personality, but you do not own it, it is hard to book or order through, and Google and AI search tools rely on websites rather than Instagram grids to decide who to recommend. The strongest venues use Instagram to attract and their website to convert.
What Instagram does well
Showing off the room, the plates and the vibe, building a following, and the day-to-day "here's tonight's special" chatter. Every venue should use it well.
Where it falls short
You do not own it
An algorithm change or a locked account can wipe out years of work. A website is an asset in your name.
Booking is clunky
One link in bio, a PDF menu and a DM is a lot of friction for someone ready to book.
Search and AI cannot see it properly
When someone asks Google or ChatGPT where to eat, the answers lean on websites, Business Profiles and trusted guides. Our AI search guide explains how those recommendations are made.
Use both, on purpose
Let Instagram and Meta Ads create the desire, then send people to a fast website that books them in two taps. Track it end to end so you know which posts and ads actually filled tables. That is the system we build: see websites and Meta Ads, or request a free audit.