As AI-generated food photos and promotional graphics become more common online, some restaurants are moving in the opposite direction. Instead of polished, synthetic-looking images, they are leaning into handmade visuals and DIY design to make their branding feel more personal and real.
That shift is reflected in the response to the Instagram announcement for Somssi, a new restaurant in Manhattan. The post stood out because it did not look like a typical restaurant launch graphic. Its tactile, human feel — including an image featuring a hand — gave it a more unexpected presence in a feed increasingly filled with generic AI-style content.
For restaurants, this handmade approach can do more than look different. Imperfect photos, simple layouts, collage-like flyers and visibly crafted materials can suggest care, personality and a clear point of view. In a crowded digital space, those details may feel more trustworthy to diners than images that appear overly smoothed out or artificially generated.
The broader trend points to a growing backlash against what many people call AI slop: fast, cheap content that often looks interchangeable. As that frustration spreads, more restaurants may use DIY aesthetics not just as a design choice, but as a way to signal authenticity and stand apart.
