The Top 5 Up-and-Coming Food Influencers in Philadelphia
Philadelphia food influencers who punch above their follower count: 5 up-and-coming creators with up to 6 times the typical engagement of their size, and how to book a visit.
Most Philadelphia-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers get about 8 likes and comments per 1,000 followers on a typical Reel.
- 1.
Alexa, @alexadinesphilly46.5 - 2.
Tara, @thephillyfoodblog31.4 - 3.
Em, @emsgoodeatss25.6 - 4.
Emily, @emifoodi16.8 - 5.
Jacob, @jacobdoesphilly13.8
1. Alexa, @alexadinesphilly: delco, montco and fishtown restaurants
delco, montco and fishtown restaurants
- Engagement Strength
- 46.56x the typical Philadelphia food account
- Followers
- 5,663
- Avg. views per Reel
- 6,457
- Reels, last 30 days
- 5+
Alexa covers restaurants in and around Philly, especially Delaware County, Montgomery County and Fishtown. Recent posts include Japanese comfort food at Bao Button in Fishtown, the $50 three-course Italian dinner with wine at Spasso in Media, and pizza, cheesesteaks and chicken cutlet sandwiches at Carla's Pizzeria in Wayne, which reached 20,279 views.
The strongest fit is a suburban restaurant with a dinner deal or a neighborhood spot that wants more local regulars.
2. Tara, @thephillyfoodblog: happy hours, pizza and tasting menus
happy hours, pizza and tasting menus
- Engagement Strength
- 31.44x the typical Philadelphia food account
- Followers
- 8,149
- Avg. views per Reel
- 6,382
- Reels, last 30 days
- 4+
Tara covers Philly bars, restaurants and events, with some theme park and travel food posts. Recent posts include specialty pies at Scusi Pizza inside Piazza, the Fishtown TAPS happy hour at Mẹcha Noodle Bar, and the chef's tasting at Twisted Tail.
The strongest fit is a bar or restaurant with a happy hour, a tasting menu or a game-day offer. The bio lists an email address.
3. Em, @emsgoodeatss: burgers, cheesesteaks and south jersey
burgers, cheesesteaks and south jersey
- Engagement Strength
- 25.63x the typical Philadelphia food account
- Followers
- 10,566
- Avg. views per Reel
- 6,908
- Reels, last 30 days
- 2+
Em covers Philly and South Jersey restaurants, from Fishtown and Chinatown to Merchantville and the Jersey Shore. Recent posts include the burgers on Japanese milk buns at Huda Burger in Fishtown, Szechuan and Hunan dishes at Bai Wei in Chinatown, and the buffalo chicken cheesesteak at Liguria in Fishtown.
The strongest fit is a burger, pizza or cheesesteak spot, or a South Jersey restaurant with a seasonal menu. The bio invites collaboration requests by DM or email.
4. Emily, @emifoodi: new cafes, gelato and fried chicken
new cafes, gelato and fried chicken
- Engagement Strength
- 16.82x the typical Philadelphia food account
- Followers
- 11,228
- Avg. views per Reel
- 2,284
- Reels, last 30 days
- 9+
Emily covers new cafes and casual restaurants across Philly and the suburbs, from Rittenhouse and Chinatown to Ambler and Northeast Philly. Recent posts include the new Kyo Matcha in Chinatown, Korean fried chicken at the new Vons Chicken in South Philly, and coffee, affogatos and gelato at La Bella inside Ridge Hall in Ambler.
The strongest fit is a newly opened cafe, dessert shop or quick-service restaurant. A few recent posts cover Orlando theme parks. The bio lists an email address.
5. Jacob, @jacobdoesphilly: sandwich shops and neighborhood spots
sandwich shops and neighborhood spots
- Engagement Strength
- 13.82x the typical Philadelphia food account
- Followers
- 89,521
- Avg. views per Reel
- 66,244
- Reels, last 30 days
- 16+
Jacob runs a Philly restaurant fan page and calls the account a cheerleader, not a reviewer. Recent posts include Chinese Cuban sandwiches at the new Chibanos, which reached 127,402 views, the OmaCafe omakase pairing sushi and coffee at 637 Philly Sushi Club, which reached 31,454 views, and the neighborhood hoagie shop Sandwich Corner Market.
The strongest fit is an independent sandwich shop, a neighborhood restaurant or a food charity event. Some posts cover travel, such as a recent trip to the Azores. The bio lists an email address.
How to reach Philadelphia food influencers and get a visit booked
Finding someone you want to work with is the start. You still need a reply, agreed terms, a visit on the calendar and the content afterward.
Find their business email, follow them and reach out
Look for the email button on their Instagram profile, a business-inquiries address in their bio or a contact page on their linked website. If they list a manager for collaborations, use that contact.
Follow the account and watch a few recent restaurant videos. Then email a specific invitation: which restaurant you run, where it is, what you would like them to try and what you are proposing in return. Mention a relevant post of theirs so they can see why you chose them.
Send a short DM pointing them to your email. If their profile asks businesses to DM rather than email, start there. The goal is to get the invitation seen through the channels they use for work.
Follow up and get your terms in writing
If you do not hear back, follow up after a few business days. If there is still no response, move on to another good fit. Stop if they decline.
Once they are interested, agree on the food credit, any cash fee, guest count, content they will produce and posting deadline. Include raw footage and commercial usage rights if you need them. Permission to advertise from the influencer's account is separate from permission to run their video from your restaurant's account.
Get those terms in writing before you book. A friendly yes does not tell you whether you are getting a Reel, a few Stories or any files you can use afterward.
Schedule the visit and tell your team what was agreed
Offer specific dates and service windows. Confirm the influencer's name, party size, arrival time, dining credit and who they should ask for when they arrive. Give your team the same information.
Send a reminder before the visit. If the date changes, update the booking and your team so the new plan is not buried in a DM.
Follow up until you have the content
After the visit, check the posting deadline, review anything that requires approval and collect the files you agreed on. Follow up if the content is late. Save the finished video, raw clips and written permissions together so you can actually use them later.
Keep track of the influencers whose content, attitude and follow-through you liked. Those are the people to invite back. You do not need to start a new search every month when you have relationships worth continuing.
Want local influencers without managing all that back-and-forth?
You can do this yourself. The work is keeping a dozen different conversations moving: who replied, who agreed to your terms, who needs a date, who rescheduled and who still owes you content.
Remy gets interested local influencers to apply to work with your restaurant on your terms. You approve the influencers and their content. Remy handles scheduling, reminders, rescheduling and content follow-up, and you keep the relationships so you can invite good people back.
Instead of chasing every person on a list, you can choose from influencers who have already applied to work with you.
Looking for another city? See our food influencer lists by city, including New York City, Boston and Las Vegas.
About the numbers
Engagement Strength is the likes and comments a typical recent Reel gets per 1,000 followers, using each account's newest Reels from the past 90 days. We screened 102 Philadelphia-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers and checked each finalist for real Philadelphia restaurant coverage. The typical account we screened scored 8. Data collected 2026-09-24.