- Netflix cooking shows are driving real-world food delivery trends as viewers crave what they see on screen.
- Restaurants and delivery apps are adapting to capitalize on the “stream-and-order” effect.
How Netflix Cooking Shows Are Influencing Takeout Orders
You’ve probably been there: halfway through a Netflix binge, someone on screen bites into steaming ramen or plates a perfect taco and suddenly your phone is in hand, scrolling through delivery apps. This isn’t coincidence. The popularity of food-focused shows is influencing what people order for dinner, and restaurants are noticing.
According to a report from Grubhub, spikes in delivery orders often align with trending food shows. After episodes of Street Food Asia aired, noodle and dumpling orders climbed in major U.S. cities. Similarly, the release of Chef’s Table: Pizza gave pepperoni and margherita pies a noticeable bump. Streaming, it turns out, isn’t just entertainment it’s also food marketing.
Streaming as the New Menu
Netflix’s slick food cinematography makes dishes irresistible, but it’s the accessibility of delivery that seals the deal. Platforms like Uber Eats report late-night order spikes tied to popular cooking content. The shows plant the craving; the apps make it instantly fulfillable.
Some restaurants are even leaning into this trend. Specialty ramen shops, taco trucks, and dessert cafés have used targeted ads timed around new Netflix drops, knowing that demand for those foods will surge. A taco scene in a trending series today can mean more taco orders tomorrow.
Cravings Go Global
Cooking shows also expose viewers to global flavors they may not have tried otherwise. After Salt Fat Acid Heat highlighted Persian cuisine, searches for “Persian takeout near me” spiked. This ripple effect helps local restaurants offering international menus reach new customers, thanks to a well-timed Netflix moment.
The Bottom Line
Food media has always inspired cooking, but streaming platforms are now shaping delivery habits too. Netflix cooking shows aren’t just binge-worthy they’re order-worthy, fueling late-night cravings and boosting restaurants that align with the latest food obsessions. Next time you grab your phone mid-episode, remember: the line between screen and plate has never been thinner.
Jacklyn is a San Diego–based food journalist with a background in the confectionery world. Before diving into food reporting, she worked at a startup crafting plant-based, low-sugar sweets designed to make candy a little healthier
