The Top 5 Up-and-Coming Food Influencers in Seattle
Seattle food influencers who punch above their follower count: 5 up-and-coming creators with up to 4 times the typical engagement of their size, and how to book a visit.
Most Seattle-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers get about 9 likes and comments per 1,000 followers on a typical Reel.
- 1.
Nana, @seattlefoodi37.2 - 2.
Joyce, @coffeewithjoyce34.5 - 3.
Arthur, @arthursappetite28.5 - 4.
Audrey, @audsyun20.7 - 5.
Makena, @seattle.grub15.6
1. Nana, @seattlefoodi: korean, japanese and new restaurants
korean, japanese and new restaurants
- Engagement Strength
- 37.24x the typical Seattle food account
- Followers
- 8,057
- Avg. views per Reel
- 19,440
- Reels, last 30 days
- 7+
Nana covers what is new and worth trying around Seattle, from Capitol Hill and the U-District to Kirkland, Edmonds and Bellevue. Recent posts include dry aged seafood at Sea'd In, which reached 57,768 views, Korean fried chicken and $36 somaek towers at CM Chicken in the U-District, which reached 42,814 views, and $5.95 tacos at Tacos Cometa on Capitol Hill, which reached 26,384 views.
The strongest fit is a Korean or Japanese restaurant, a new opening or a spot with a happy hour worth talking about. The bio lists an email address.
2. Joyce, @coffeewithjoyce: cafes, matcha and dessert shops
cafes, matcha and dessert shops
- Engagement Strength
- 34.54x the typical Seattle food account
- Followers
- 21,040
- Avg. views per Reel
- 28,087
- Reels, last 30 days
- 6+
Joyce hops between cafes, tea shops and dessert spots around Seattle, Bellevue, Renton and Mill Creek. Recent posts include soufflé pancakes at Coche Valley, which reached 109,874 views, the grand opening of the dessert cafe Cilo Lab in Downtown Bellevue, which reached 105,095 views, and croffles and bingsu at the new Mill Creek location of Our Place Dessert Cafe, which reached 47,222 views.
The strongest fit is a cafe, tea shop or dessert spot with a new location, a seasonal drink or a grand opening offer. The bio lists an email address.
3. Arthur, @arthursappetite: asian openings, deals and eastside spots
asian openings, deals and eastside spots
- Engagement Strength
- 28.53x the typical Seattle food account
- Followers
- 22,080
- Avg. views per Reel
- 3,376
- Reels, last 30 days
- 7+
Arthur covers new Asian restaurants and food deals around Seattle and the Eastside, and recently posted from a trip to Hong Kong. Recent posts include all-you-can-eat wagyu shabu shabu at the new Mikiya near UW, $9.99 Korean food at the new Bon Korean Cuisine in Redmond, and char siu and roast duck at a Vietnamese restaurant in South Lake Union.
The strongest fit is a new Asian restaurant, especially one with a value price or an opening promotion. The bio invites DMs for collaborations and invites.
4. Audrey, @audsyun: omakase, tasting menus and new dinners
omakase, tasting menus and new dinners
- Engagement Strength
- 20.72x the typical Seattle food account
- Followers
- 5,498
- Avg. views per Reel
- 23,988
- Reels, last 30 days
- 6+
Audrey is a Seattle UGC creator who posts special-occasion dinners, especially omakase, mixed with personal and lifestyle posts. Recent posts include the $120 omakase at Taz + Kohta, which reached 31,193 views, dry aged crudo and mackerel toast at Sea'd In, which reached 67,763 views, and dinner at Atoma, which reached 42,302 views.
The strongest fit is a tasting menu, an omakase counter or a restaurant built for celebrations. The profile lists UGC work, so it is worth asking about video you can use on your own account.
5. Makena, @seattle.grub: renton spots, roundups and wings
renton spots, roundups and wings
- Engagement Strength
- 15.62x the typical Seattle food account
- Followers
- 66,948
- Avg. views per Reel
- 54,707
- Reels, last 30 days
- 3+
Makena is Seattle born and raised and posts restaurant roundups plus long-time favorites, with regular trips south to Renton. Recent posts include lemongrass pork chops and crispy chicken hot pot rice at Renton Bistro, Soul Food Sundays at Rain City Market in Renton, which reached 47,786 views, and fish sauce wings at Burnett's Pub, which reached 24,168 views.
The strongest fit is a long-running neighborhood spot or a new opening that could earn a place in a roundup. The bio lists an email address.
How to reach Seattle 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 112 Seattle-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers and checked each finalist for real Seattle restaurant coverage. The typical account we screened scored 9. Data collected 2026-09-24.