Opening a restaurant is increasingly becoming a story audiences can follow in real time. Across digital platforms, chefs, bartenders and hospitality founders are turning the journey from empty space to opening day into engaging episodic content.
Behind the scenes becomes part of the experience
Brooklyn bar Susu's, founded by bartender Michael Bishop-Myers, has shared details ranging from menu planning to interior construction ahead of its launch. The approach has drawn significant early interest, showing how operational decisions can become compelling content for future guests.
In Chicago, chef Jacob Potashnick documented the creation of Feld from its earliest stages. The restaurant later earned a Michelin star and a James Beard Award, illustrating how long-term storytelling can build a community around a food concept before diners take their first seat.
Coffee shops, grocery stores and event kitchens are adopting similar formats. The Nitro Bar has expanded its personality-led storytelling while preparing a new New York location, while food creator Jake Cohen is sharing the transformation of a Brooklyn warehouse into a test kitchen and event venue. These series combine food culture, design decisions, entrepreneurship and everyday creative problem-solving.
A new relationship between venues and guests
The format gives hospitality businesses a chance to introduce their values, teams and creative process before opening their doors. Owners become hosts, staff members become part of the narrative, and the evolving venue becomes a familiar setting for viewers.
For audiences, the appeal lies in seeing how a concept takes shape: selecting materials, refining menus, planning sound and defining a venue's atmosphere. For founders, it offers a direct way to test ideas, create anticipation and establish a recognizable identity in a competitive market.
As hospitality storytelling becomes more transparent and participatory, future restaurants may begin building loyal communities well before their first service.
