Erika Man

Turning Real Restaurant Life into Scroll-Stopping Stories

Erika Man knows restaurants inside and out. Years spent running busy dining rooms and managing daily chaos gave her an up-close view of the work, the pressure, and—most of all—the people who make it happen.

But Erika also has an eye for the beauty most managers miss. With a background in photography, she’s always noticed the little things: the color on a perfect plate, the mood of a packed Saturday night, the way a kitchen crew makes magic out of the mess.

For Erika, the real frustration was seeing how rarely that spirit made it to social media. Owners and teams barely had time to keep the doors open, let alone make their Instagram look as good as their food. Most feeds felt flat compared to the real thing.

That’s what pushed Erika (along with her co-founder, Leif Johansen) to build Plately. Leif handles the tech; Erika shapes the feel. For her, it isn’t enough to make content “easy.” It has to look and sound like you: your menu, your vibe, your people.

Today, Erika’s focus at Plately is making sure every AI-powered post feels personal and beautiful—never generic. She believes every cook, barista, and owner deserves tools that treat them like artists, and she’s set on giving them a way to show what makes their restaurant special, one post at a time.