Telegram Ads works for restaurants and food delivery services that want channel subscribers, orders on a website or app, or even new staff: ads appear in city channels, food channels and competitors’ channels. The main limitations are the alcohol ad ban, imprecise geotargeting and a relatively high CPM in this niche. Below is how to choose channels, where to send traffic and what published case studies show. Most of the cases and legal points come from the Russian market, and we flag where that matters.
Can restaurants and food delivery advertise on Telegram Ads?
Yes. According to an eLama article on ppc.world (March 2024), food delivery and fast food were effectively not allowed on Telegram Ads until autumn 2023, after which the restriction was lifted. Today restaurants, cafés and delivery services run ads on standard terms.
The platform’s general rules still apply: ad text is limited to 160 characters, with no excessive caps and no absolute claims such as “the best pizza in town”. Ads are shown only in public channels with at least 1,000 subscribers. Learn more about ad review in our article on Telegram Ads moderation.
What Telegram Ads can do for a restaurant business
Restaurants rarely use Telegram Ads for just one goal. In the published case of the TOKIO-CITY chain in Saint Petersburg, the goals expanded over time:
- Channel subscribers — regular guests receive the menu, promotions and new dishes.
- Website orders — website ads are available in the euro account; in Russia they also require an erid token under local ad-labeling rules.
- App installs — if the delivery service has its own app.
- Hiring — cooks, waiters, couriers; see our article on Telegram Ads for recruitment.
How to choose channels
In the food niche, hand-picked channels tend to work best: automatically selected placements and broad interests are usually more expensive. Two public case studies used similar channel groups.
| Channel group | What the cases showed |
|---|---|
| Competing delivery services’ channels | In the TOKIO-CITY case, their subscribers were the best audience |
| City and local news channels | Local reach; good for restaurants with one delivery area |
| City dining and restaurant-life channels | Highly relevant audience, but there are few such channels |
| Food channels and restaurant critics | In the IT-Agency case, they brought the most subscriptions at a low cost |
| Food discount and promo-code channels | An audience ready to order when there is a deal |
| Food bloggers and fashion (interest targeting) | In the IT-Agency case, too expensive and switched off |
Channel catalogs and analytics services help you find city channels, but always check posting frequency and engagement. We cover how to do this in our article on Telegram Ads for local business.
Where to send traffic and how to count orders
For a restaurant with regular guests, the main asset is its own channel: it lets you stay in touch and post menus and promotions. For delivery with a clear average check, a website or app where people can order right away is usually a better fit.
Telegram Ads analytics show impressions, clicks and subscriptions, but not orders. In the TOKIO-CITY case, the author says promo codes gave a clearer picture of orders than AppMetrica data, and daily tracking in Google Sheets was more convenient than the new account’s metrics. For websites, tag your links — see our guide to UTM tags for Telegram Ads.
What you can’t advertise: alcohol and other restrictions
Alcohol is off-limits on Telegram Ads everywhere: Telegram’s ad guidelines (section 5.9) prohibit ads for alcoholic beverages in all countries. In Russia there is a second ban: the federal law “On Advertising” (Article 21, Part 2, Clause 8) prohibits alcohol advertising on the internet. This is not legal advice, but in practice it means:
- Don’t mention alcohol in the ad — no wine list, no “free glass”, no beer promotions.
- Check the landing page: moderators review it too. A channel or website whose main topic is alcohol may be rejected.
- Promote food, atmosphere and service — business lunches, delivery, banquets, kids’ menus.
For details on the ban and the fines in Russia, see our article on alcohol ads on Telegram Ads.
What published case studies show
There are few public case studies in this niche, and all of them were published by the agencies that ran the campaigns. The two most detailed examples come from Russia:
- TOKIO-CITY, Saint Petersburg (eLama, ppc.world, March 2024). Work started in September 2023. Cost per subscriber fell from 217.79 rubles in September to 97.97 rubles in October and 95.44 rubles in November, against the agency’s benchmark of 100 rubles. The channel grew from 48,934 to 62,853 subscribers by December, the app was installed 622 times in October–December, and job ads for cooks, waiters and couriers brought 555 applications in November–January. The budget was not disclosed.
- A food delivery service’s media project (IT-Agency, May 2024). The team tested 41 hypotheses in the first month. Cost per subscriber came out about twice the KPI, which the authors attribute to the exchange rate and fees when topping up through a Russian reseller. Their conclusion: hand-picked channels are cheaper than automatically selected ones.
The authors of the TOKIO-CITY case also note that custom emoji and ads showing the channel logo did not noticeably lift CTR in their test — the difference was a few hundredths of a percent.
Budget and launch
Advertisers outside Russia can open a euro account directly with Telegram or work with an agency. In Russia, campaigns usually go through resellers: the first top-up is typically 250–500 euros plus commission and VAT (as of October 2026). You can compare providers in our directory of Telegram Ads resellers. For a small café with its own channel, alternatives include the Stars account with a lower entry threshold, or paid posts in city channels.
Plan time for testing: CPM in the food niche is relatively high, and the first weeks go into finding channels and creatives that work. Automation services, such as the free TG Adviser, help manage bids and rules when you run many ads.
FAQ
Can I advertise food delivery on Telegram Ads?
Yes. According to eLama, the restriction on food delivery was lifted in autumn 2023, and such ads now pass moderation on standard terms. Follow the text rules and don’t mention alcohol.
Can I advertise a bar or a wine list?
No. Telegram’s ad guidelines prohibit ads for alcoholic beverages, and in Russia the law also bans alcohol advertising online. A bar can promote its food, events without alcohol references and table bookings.
How much does a subscriber cost for a restaurant?
There is no market-wide average. In the TOKIO-CITY case, cost per subscriber fell from 217.79 to 95.44 rubles over three months of optimization. Your numbers will depend on the city, channels and creatives.
Which channels should I start with?
In published cases, competing delivery services’ channels, food channels and restaurant critics worked best. Start with a hand-picked channel list and run a separate ad for each group.
How do I know how many orders the ads brought?
The Telegram Ads account does not show orders. Use UTM tags for your website and separate promo codes for each ad or channel group, which makes it easier to link ads to orders.
Is Telegram Ads right for a small café?
It can be, if you have your own channel and a testing budget. Through Russian resellers the entry threshold is usually from 250 euros, so with a very small budget it may be easier to start with a Stars account or paid posts in local channels.
