How Social Media Factors Into Gen Z’s Recipe and Restaurant Discovery

All generations have their stereotypes: Millennials are anxious. Gen Xers are overlooked. Gen Zers? They’re chronically online. So it’s logical that social media has an influence on the way that Gen Z interacts with the food and beverage category. Whether it’s discovering a new recipe from an influencer or learning about a restaurant that’s been mentioned on TikTok by someone they know personally, Gen Zers are discovering everything from new types of food to new approaches to healthy eating from — where else — the internet.

Gen Zers (especially women) are most tuned to social media to find recipes

For Gen Zers, the influence of social media is strongest when it comes to recipes and cooking. Nearly half (45%) of Gen Zers say they were influenced by social media the last time they tried a new recipe. And despite their comparative youth, the generation is cooking often. Roughly one-fifth (21%) say they had tried five or more new recipes in the past month, some of which can be attributed to the fact that they’re newer to cooking at home than older generations so recipes are new by nature, but is also reflective of their general exploratory approach to food.

No matter what the reason, Gen Zers are clearly on the lookout for new dishes to cook. And, as is true for their approach to eating in general, their cooking style is international. While American cuisine is the most popular (as it is for restaurant preferences as well), Gen Zers also say they cook Mexican (45%), Italian (37%) and Chinese dishes (26%) at home, in addition to numerous other cuisines from Korean to Middle Eastern to Pan-African. This openness to and interest in various cuisines should translate to content from brands and influencers in the space, who can bring in global inspiration to engage Gen Z chefs.

There is a strong gender divide in cooking, with 50% of Gen Z women saying they are inspired by social media when it comes to finding recipes compared with only 39% of men. However, this may be rooted in the fact that Gen Z women are simply more likely to think of cooking as a means of exploration and challenge than men, who see it more functionally. As such, the gender gap dissipates when it comes to influence on new restaurants and cuisines.

Gen Zers use search as a key way to discover new food and beverage establishments

When they do explore new restaurants, cafés or bars, Gen Zers are most frequently learning about them via recommendations from friends or family. Note that social media can still play a role here — just because a recommendation isn’t coming from an influencer, doesn’t mean it’s happening offline, as Gen Zers do learn about restaurants via content their personal connections are sharing on social platforms.However, the important role of search in Gen Z’s discovery is also closely intertwined with social media. To a larger extent than other generations, Gen Zers prefer social media over traditional search engines, meaning “searching nearby when I’m hungry or thirsty” — the second most common way Gen Zers discover dine-in restaurants — may mean swiping through TikTok or Instagram.

On that note, brands should consider the nuances by different eating occasions. For example, while simply searching nearby while hungry is a primary source of discovery for dine-in experiences, Gen Zers are more likely to be searching for a specific dish, food or drink when they look for cafés or places to get non-alcoholic beverages. Specific cuisines drive more searches when it comes to takeout or delivery, and ratings and reviews matter more when seeking out a bar or a place to get an adult beverage.

These differences can inform establishments’ approach to search and location-centric presence on social platforms. 

To capture Gen Z attention, brands and influencers must be authentic and entertaining

For brands and entities that want to capture Gen Z attention, the key is to act more like a friend or a family member than an influencer. Not only do Gen Zers prefer to get recommendations for food and beverage from people they know, the traits that are most important to them when deciding to follow influencers are ones that apply to genuine personal connections. 

To wit, the top two traits that Gen Zers consider to be the most important in influencers are a funny or engaging personality and authenticity or general interest in the content they share. At the bottom of the consideration set, on the other hand, are more aesthetic considerations like how beautiful the images are that are shared by influencers, and how attractive the influencer is him or herself.

This represents an important shift from the preferences of young millennial consumers in the early days of social media. No longer do young people seek the perfect top-down table shot of latte art and a beautifully arranged plate — rather, to connect with Gen Zers, influencers should be honest, open and engaging, acting more like a friend or companion than a paragon of food styling.

Brands in the category have many ways to connect with Gen Z foodies, but this makes it clear that if an authentic voice on social media is not part of the plan, they’re missing out.

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