FohBoh, a new social network for the restaurant industry, has kicked open its virtual doors.

Santa Clara, California-based FohBoh on Wednesday launched its social network and industry information site that targets everyone from wait staff to meat vendors.

“When you go to general social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, it’s really all about you,” CEO and co-founder Michael Atkinson said. “FohBoh is for you and by you …Our focus is on the industry rather than the consumer.”

The site features forums, blogs, and videos on topics ranging from fast food to artisan cheese making. And even though the site is focused on industry insiders, it also includes a restaurant review section. “We can’t help it,” said Mr. Atkinson.

According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry employs an estimated 13.1 million people, making it the nation’s largest employer outside of government. FohBoh hopes to tap into this $500 billion-plus U.S. market.

“It’s a big industry and it’s interesting that it’s been overlooked,” Mr. Atkinson said.

Since its very quiet beta launch back in November, the site has attracted 344 members worldwide. The startup is focused on an intermediate goal of 50,000 members, Mr. Atkinson said. “Any niche or vertical network will never be as large as a generic site.”     

So far, Mr. Atkinson and his partner, Ted Cohn, have funded the company out of their own pockets. And while they have no immediate plans to seek venture capital, they are seeking $1 million in seed funding from friends and family.

The startup is among a growing number of social networks seeking to stand out from giants such as  Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and LinkedIn by appealing to a narrow demographic.

“This is representative of a larger future trend—vertical sites, loaded with social network features,” Sterling Market Intelligence analyst Greg Sterling said.

Given the dominance of established sites, it would be very hard for a startup to come in and launch a broad social network. “Everyone would roll their eyes,” Mr. Sterling said.

Although going after a narrower market may translate into a smaller financial opportunity, it may be easier to gain adoption. “The niche aspect will draw word of mouth. There’s less noise in this segment,” he said.

Most of the online action in the restaurant industry focuses on the consumer, said Mr. Sterling. Type in “restaurant” and any city name into a search field and Yelp, Citysearch, Yahoo, and Zagat all pop up.

While sites such as CNET’s Chow attract both a casual consumer and professional audience, Mr. Sterling said that he was not aware of another social-networking site aimed specifically at folks within the food industry.

The business-to-business aspect “offers a range of opportunities that consumer sites don’t have,” Mr. Sterling said.

FohBoh, which targets ad revenue, plans to develop a marketplace for buying and selling equipment, a job board, virtual gifts, and premium membership options for restaurants, vendors, and service providers.

“Restaurant people are naturally social,” Mr. Atkinson said. “Our ultimate mission is to provide an opportunity for everyone in the industry to have an interactive voice.”