20 viral short videos made by restaurants
These short videos show how quick clips (done right) can get attention and bring people into your world in seconds.
They're fun, to the point, and built for watch time, whether it's on Reels or TikTok.
Please also know that, if you want to level up your short-form game, we can guide you.
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Getting More Customers Literally, 2.8M+ views
Red Lion Hollington takes "get more customers" way too literally by having staff physically drag people inside.
The setup hooks viewers with a common request, then delivers unexpected physical comedy.
It works because it's absurd yet relatable … everyone knows this management phrase. The commitment to the gag creates a complete story that viewers share for its ridiculous take on workplace demands.
It's one of the classic viral formats we see being repeated again and again on social media.
@redlionhollington Hospitality life. When the boss says we need to get more customers in. @evebill @Evann #theplace4pies #pie #redlionhollington #derbyshire #fyp #foryoupagе #hospitalitylife #comdey #roadto10kfollowers #hospitality ♬ original sound - VanguardVWAustin
Who's Paying?, 22M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
UtterWaffle's video works by flipping expectations … what looks like a couple arguing turns out to be strangers. This schema violation hooks viewers by presenting something familiar, then surprising them.
The twist creates emotional impact and increases watch time, making people share and rewatch. For restaurants, the lesson is simple: take everyday situations and add unexpected endings.
Drama at Work, 1M+ views
Boston Pizza Charlottetown captures workplace voyeurism perfectly.
The video shows employees pretending to work while clearly eavesdropping on off-screen drama. Quick cuts between different staff members trying to look busy while listening creates humor.
It works because everyone's done this … pretended not to care while secretly listening to workplace gossip. Comments fill with "This is so me" because it's universally relatable.
@boston.pizza.char Customer drama is our connection to the outsude world 🤝 #restauranttiktok #restaurant #restaurantlife #bostonpizzacanada ♬ I MADE A REALLY POPULAR SOUND follow me aha - will haskett
Another “Who's Paying” joke, 9M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
Mikuni Sushi uses the same fake couple fight format but executes it differently. "He's paying" immediately creates conflict and curiosity. Viewers wonder: Are they dating? Is it a prank?
The normal sushi restaurant setting makes the twist hit harder. The confusion keeps people watching until the reveal that they're strangers.
It's simple misdirection that maximizes engagement through curiosity.
Training Without Training, 1M+ views
Ipperwash Beach Club shows what happens when someone untrained tries to train someone else.
The hesitant trainer makes a wrap while rambling "like... you know..." perfectly synced with confused audio. The trainee watches passively, adding to the awkwardness.
It's the perfect representation of workplace failure: everyone's been asked to do something they don't know how to do. Comments become group therapy for similar experiences.
We very often see this kind of pattern when we study and decrypt all the viral content pieces in our library.
@ipperwash.beach.c Practice makes perfect, right? #backofhouse #restaurant #workinginhospitality #restaurantlife #linecooklife #trainee #newhires #complimentstothechef #canada ♬ original sound - Hernandez Injury Law
Kitchen Chaos, 6M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
Monarch Kitchen's low-production video of loud rock music from the kitchen got 6M+ views by telling a story through environmental impact.
The contrast between kitchen chaos and dining room calm works because it's relatable: everyone recognizes how kitchen energy affects the entire space. The video succeeds through simple storytelling about the behind-the-scenes spillover effect.
The Restaurant Owner's Hope and Heartbreak, 13.8M+ views
Nico's Restaurant Utah creates emotional whiplash by showing a dad's excitement about opening his restaurant, then cutting to him sitting alone in an empty dining room.
The contrast between hope and reality hits hard. This raw vulnerability about small business dreams and fears drives massive engagement.
Comments become support groups, sometimes leading to real-world visits when TikTok rallies around struggling businesses.
@nicosrestaurantut he looks so stressed😭😭 if you live in utah, make sure to check out my dad's restaurant sometime! It's called Nico's Restaurant 😁😁 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #viral #sad #restaurant #smallbusiness #relatable #mexican #mexicantiktok #mexicanrestaurant #utah ♬ sonido original - felicidad 24/7
New Hires Struggles, 14M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
Monarch's video shows new hires trying to pour sauce into a tiny hole instead of removing the lid.
The silly mistake combined with Titanic music creates fake drama for something low-stakes. The unimpressed manager's reaction adds the punchline.
It works by turning a minor error into an epic moment, building unnecessary tension that makes viewers laugh.
The Effortless Trainee, 7M+ views
Moran's Restaurant captures when a trainee surprises their trainer.
She casually carries three plates with perfect server technique while he watches, surprised. The "Someone cooked here" audio suggests unexpected mastery.
It satisfies viewers watching competence displayed, especially when the new person exceeds expectations.
Comments debate proper three-plate technique, engaging the service industry community.
@moransrestaurant Someone has cooked here! #hospitality #relatable ♬ Stream Breaking Bad now on Netflix - Sony Pictures Television
Eat Little Pisces, 2.8M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
EatLittlePisces uses a pot lid as a shield against business problems, creating a visual metaphor for small business struggles.
The creative visualization of "running a business is hard" makes viewers connect emotionally. The upbeat music contrasts with the struggle, adding humor to honesty.
It works because it shows vulnerability in a clever way people want to share.
Sushi/Napkin Mistake, 5.4M+ views
Hiro Japanese Restaurant shows a customer nearly eating a compressed napkin thinking it's food.
The server saves them just in time. The unusual white tablet creates curiosity, then the near-miss creates secondhand embarrassment we all relate to.
It's wholesome rather than mean-spirited, with the customer's good humor making it shareable. Comments fill with similar embarrassing stories.
@hirojapaneserestaurant Dine with us at Hiro Japanese Restaurant. 📍Baskerville Avenue, kololo 📞+256 742 517 521 to make your reservation today. #hirojapaneserestaurant #funny #restauranthumor #fyp #sushi ♬ Anxiety - Doechii
Training the Rude Customer, 22M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
Gordo's shows staff "training" a rude customer with a spray bottle, acting out a service worker fantasy.
The video works because it exaggerates what staff wish they could do with difficult customers. The natural banter makes it feel real while staying playful.
It's satisfying wish fulfillment that resonates with anyone who's dealt with bad customer behavior.
Dodging the Closing Shift, 7.2M+ views
Bobo's Cafe shows an employee literally running away when the closer doesn't show up and the manager approaches.
The frantic escape through the kitchen becomes a mini action movie. It works as wish fulfillment for every service worker stuck with unexpected overtime.
The chase sequence energy and relatable rebellion make it highly shareable among restaurant workers.
@boboscafe "Its just another 2 more hours" #customerservice #restaurant #closingshift #closingtime #openingshift #resteraunttiktok #resterauntlife ♬ Nobody - Mitski
Coworkers Hating Together, 12M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
Gordo's taps into workplace dynamics by showing coworkers who bond over disliking the same person.
The Star Wars music and serious expressions turn a common social bond into something epic. It works by pointing out unspoken behavior everyone recognizes but rarely discusses.
The dramatic treatment of something mundane creates viral potential through contrast and relatability.
Manager Pushing Tables Dread, 1.7M+ views
Sambrooks Tap shows the exact moment a server sees their manager pushing tables together … the universal sign of a large party coming. The instant transformation from happy to horrified triggers recognition for service staff.
This hits a specific nerve since large parties mean complicated orders, synchronized serving, and usually mediocre tips.
The shared dread creates community in the comments.
@sambrookstaproom What do you mean there's a table of 20? #hospitality #pub #restaurant #work #funny #fyp #waitress ♬ original sound - Jo Moore
Can I Give You a Tip, 5.2M+ views
🧨 Read our detailed analysis here
Bamilami's video shows a woman asking "Can I give you a tip?" then saying "Get in shape”.
It works through shock value done playfully. The setup leads viewers to expect kindness, then delivers blunt humor instead.
That surprise triggers real reactions … laughter or cringe. The authentic shop setting makes it feel more personal than staged, helping viewers connect with the slightly edgy joke.
"I Know The Owner" Reaction, 3.7M+ views
Resto Meridiana shows servers sarcastically celebrating when customers say "I know the owner”.
The over-the-top fake joy and typing "FREEEEE" in the POS reveals what servers really think about name-droppers expecting special treatment.
This cathartic content lets industry workers share their frustration about entitled customers through exaggerated reactions, making it highly shareable therapy.
@restomeridiana like no one cares lol #restaurant #waiter #restaurantlife @jackcass @Vanessa Palladini ♬ original sound - Kyle & Jackie O
The One Bill Laugh, 1M+ views
At Table 51, the restaurant owner instantly recognizes the laugh (actually based on a tiktok trend). That specific, confident, echoing laugh, the kind that only comes from people who order without looking at prices.She stops mid-task, registers the sound, and smiles to herself. No need to check the table — she already knows: they went for the oysters, the steaks, the good wine. That laugh is pure revenue.
The moment is subtle, but it says everything. It's a shared language in hospitality — knowing what kind of bill is coming just by the way a group laughs.
@table51mtl One bill for the win! 🙌 #restaurant #tiktok #fyp #foryoupage #restaurantlife #meetmeattable #justforfun #waiter #waiters #waiterslife #foryoupageofficial ♬ original sound - Table 51 Restaurant
The Haunting Ranch Request, 3.1M+ views
Inn at Harbor Shores reveals "The #1 lie in food service": a server who promises ranch but never brings it, still losing sleep over it years later.
The dramatic buildup from normal service to existential guilt creates comedy gold. Taking a minor mistake and treating it like life-altering trauma resonates with perfectionists everywhere. Comments become confessionals of similar forgotten sides.
@harborshores Can I get you anything else? Apparently not. #fyp #hospitalityindustry #serverlife #serverproblems #restaurantlife #restauranttiktok #confessional #hospitalityindustry #hospitalityconfessions ♬ original sound - Inn at Harbor Shores
Not Your Fault... It's YOUR Fault!, 1M+ views
Paint a Pot & Pizzeria FG shows a crying server being comforted, then suddenly turning the blame on the chef.
The emotional bait-and-switch from sympathy to aggressive finger-pointing and theatrical slap creates shock humor.
It captures the front vs. back of house dynamic perfectly (servers taking heat for kitchen mistakes) making the exaggerated retaliation wish fulfillment.
@paintapot.pizzeria copping the brunt of the anger for something you didnt even do 😔😔😔 #restaurantlife #serviceindustry #workhumour #comedy #hospolife #melbourne #chef #server #waiter #frontofhouse #fyp #cafe @Bianca🎧 ♬ original sound - Stitch
More blog posts
- Viral marketing trends for restaurants in 2025
- Viral Instagram Reels made by restaurants
- Viral Tiktok videos made by restaurants