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When Instagram exploded in popularity, so did posting photos of food. Restaurants took note of the free marketing possibilities and invented eye-catching concoctions like rainbow bagels and Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino. But now the Instagram trend has evolved to include more expensive investments — from customized tiles to handmade tables. "I feel like Instagram is basically the new version of word of mouth," Jen Pelka, the owner of San Francisco champagne bar The Riddler, said in an interview. On any given night, about half of her customers will post photos of their experience at the champagne bar. She estimates that nearly all of her out-of-town customers heard about The Riddler through Instagram. The Riddler's champagne bottle mural on its exterior draws bystanders to take photos. But its personalized enamel tables are the photogenic feature that attract customers inside, along with its extensive champagne collection and photo-ready champagne bongs.

Source: Kassie Borreson

Pelka found the tables through Instagram photos of Clown Bar, a bistro in Paris. She ordered her own personalized white versions for The Riddler. "We definitely know that people like to shoot from overhead and that things photograph really beautifully on white," she said. The Riddler's tables have the added bonus of carrying both the bar's name and a tagline that also appears on its menu – "Hello, old friend." When customers post their photos to Instagram, their followers will be able to tell where they went for drinks and dinner without checking the location tag. But Pelka also tries to keep Instagram from taking over The Riddler. As day turns to night, the lights are dimmed rather than staying on at full brightness for optimal photos. Joseph Szala, a principal at Vigor Branding, said lighting is another area of interest for his clients — even when it comes to women's bathrooms. Restaurants want lighting that sets the mood and results in flattering photos. Like The Riddler, the most photographed design element at Media Noche, a San Francisco sandwich joint, was originally inspired by another restaurant. Madelyn Markoe and Jessie Barker, the owners of Media Noche, found inspiration for their eatery's decor during a trip to Cuba. On their return, they worked with Hannah Collins Designs — now known as ROY — to recreate the feeling of being in Havana. The design that they came up with includes banana wallpaper for the bathroom and custom-made tiles based on some that they saw on their trip. "This was three, three-ish years ago, and even in that time period I think that being Instagrammable — I don't even know if that was a word that people really used," Barker said. They weren't expecting their restaurant to become an Instagram hotspot. "We wanted it to be photogenic, but more so we wanted it to match the food that we were presenting and to really transport people in Havana," Markoe said. But once they opened their doors in 2017, it took on a life of its own, Barker said. Now the two women estimate that roughly half of their customers will post their visit on Instagram, whether it's a photo of their Cuban sandwich or just their shoes on the brightly colored tile.