Dish spotlight
The photo fills the top of the post edge to edge, with the dish name in heavy type and the full menu description underneath. It lets the food and the ingredients do the talking.
Design template · No credits
Chef's special poster template
Give one dish the whole post, with the menu description that makes people order it.
$49/month600 credits includedCancel anytime
- Formats
- 4:5 feed
- Cost
- No credits
- Best for
- The dish the kitchen is proudest of, posted on a regular day · A chef's special that's on for the week · Answering "what should I get?" before a first-time guest walks in · A signature plate that deserves more than a spot in a menu board
- Made in
- Instagram post maker
A chef's special post is a recommendation. It says: if you only try one thing here, try this. That makes it one of the most useful posts a restaurant can make, and one of the most wasted when it's a blurry photo captioned "Special today!!".
Studio has two designs for it. Dish Spotlight gives the photo most of the post and prints the full menu description beneath the name. Chef's Pick frames the dish in a circle with a quieter layout that reads like a personal pick. Both pull the dish name and description from your menu, so the words are the ones your kitchen already signed off on.
Sunnyside Cafe made both for the same dish, its Signature Steak Skillet, which is a good way to see how the two differ. Both are template designs and use no credits. For a moving version, pair them with a dish story video of the same plate.
Looks
Pick the look that sounds like you
Chef's pick
The dish sits in a round frame on a light background, with a short line about the restaurant, a serif name and the description below. Quieter, a little more formal, and it looks like a recommendation.
Real examples
Dish spotlight design examples
Rendered in Studio for real Servestack restaurants, from their own photos and menus.
Shown with permission: Sunnyside Cafe (Randolph, MA) and Boston Pizza (Norwell, MA).
How it works
How to use the Dish spotlight design template
Pick the dish and check its description
Choose the one dish you'd tell a friend to order. Read its menu description in Studio and make sure it names what's actually on the plate.
Choose Dish Spotlight or Chef's Pick
Dish Spotlight for a full, edge-to-edge photo, Chef's Pick for a framed, calmer look. Adjust the words if the description is too long for the layout.
Post it, then add the video
Post the design to your feed, and schedule a dish story video of the same dish a day or two later so the pick shows up twice.
Dish Spotlight or Chef's Pick: how to choose
Look at your photo first. If it's a great close shot that fills the frame, use Dish Spotlight. The layout runs the photo edge to edge, and a strong photo carries it. If your photo is decent but has a messy background or table edges, use Chef's Pick. The round frame crops to the dish and hides everything around it.
Tone matters too. Dish Spotlight is louder and suits a diner, a pizzeria or a sandwich shop. Chef's Pick is quieter and suits a dish with a story, a higher price, or a restaurant where the chef is part of the draw.
The description is the pitch
Both designs print the menu description under the name, so it has to earn its space. Sunnyside's reads like a list of reasons to order: scrambled eggs over seared steak, melted provolone, roasted peppers. That's the model. Name the main ingredients and how they're cooked, and leave out words like "delicious" or "mouthwatering" that every menu uses.
If your description runs long, trim it in Studio before you make the post. The same shorter version then reads better on your price cards and in dish videos too.
Make it a regular slot
- Pick one day a week for the chef's pick, so regulars start looking for it.
- Rotate through dishes people overlook, not only the best seller.
- Post it before lunch if it's a lunch dish, and by mid-afternoon if it's a dinner plate.
- Download it and print it for the counter or the host stand, where guests are deciding what to order.
FAQsFrequently asked
Frequently asked
questions
What goes on a chef's special poster?
One dish, its name and a short description of what's in it. A line about your restaurant is optional; the dish should be the biggest thing on it.
What's the difference between Dish Spotlight and Chef's Pick?
Dish Spotlight runs the photo edge to edge with bold type. Chef's Pick puts the dish in a round frame with a quieter layout.
Are the chef's special designs free?
Yes. Dish Spotlight and Chef's Pick are template designs, so they use no credits.
Can I use it as a dish of the day poster?
Yes. Pick the day's dish, make the design, and post or print it that morning. For a dated daily special, Studio's daily special designs are built for that.
Where does the description on the poster come from?
From the dish's entry on your menu in Studio. You can shorten or adjust it before the design goes out.
Can I turn the chef's pick into a video?
Yes. Make a dish story video of the same dish. It uses the same photo and menu words, and it's also free.
Keep exploring
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Light Reveal AI videoThe light moves across the plate the way it does in a food commercial. The plate is yours.By type of restaurant See all
Use the Dish spotlight design template with your own dish.
$49/month with 600 credits included. Already on Servestack Starter or Scale? Studio is included.