'We Don't Pay for Post' NYC Restaurant Owners Get Wise to Wannabe Food Influencers

Several wannabe food influencers demanding free meals in exchange for a social media post have swarmed New York City. However, restaurant owners in the Big Apple have learned their lessons following the recent controversies involving social media influencers and some eateries in the area. A number of them are now ready to say 'no' despite the pressure of the promised exposure.

The industry is wising up to what many describe as a new form of digital panhandling that drains resources without guaranteeing returns. So, the consensus is clear with a number of them saying they 'do not pay for post.'

NYC Owners Are Saying 'No' to Food Influencers

Restaurant owners in New York have realised that the exposure they get from social media influencers is not enough to cover the actual cost of goods and labour of their complimentary meals. That is because most of the wannabe food influencers who approach them are 'micro influencers' with up to 50,000 followers only.

Restaurateur Stratis Morfogen, owner of Diner 24, said they were among the victims of fake food influencers. He has learned his lesson and even established a solution to keep the wannabe food critics at bay.

'When I can identify 80% of their followers, likes and comments are fake, or bought [we won't engage with them],' he told New York Post. 'That's the fraud we experience, these 'influencers,' who demand free meals for this one big lie.'

He also remembered being approached by influencers with up to four guests for a complimentary meal. Morfogen did not hesitate to turn them down.

'I say no. We don't pay for posts,' Morgogen said.

Rupsi Shrestha, the owner of No Nazar Cafe in the East Village, has learned the same approach. According to her, she gets frequent requests for collaboration. Some of the encounters didn't turn out well, including her experience with food influencer Fahmida Sultana, who claimed to be 'a big foodie,' but failed to do her part of the bargain.

According to Shrestha, they 'have been very careful' after that because their restaurant doesn't have the budget to pay for posts. She explained that they also need to pay for their rent, bills, and employees.

Also, some influencers are reportedly taking advantage of their generosity, citing an incident in which they promised two complimentary drinks, but the influencer insisted on having one more.

Demanding Food Influencers

The demands made by some influencers are shockingly brazen, demonstrating a sense of entitlement rather than professionalism. James Mallios, owner of the seasonal restaurant Calissa Hamptons in Water Mill, remembered offering a $60 bottle of Veuve Clicquot as a courtesy, but the digital taster asked for a $300 bottle of Champagne instead.

'They demanded a vintage Krug magnum claiming, "You said a bottle of Champagne,"' Malios said.

He complied because the vlogger 'had lots of followers.'

Professional Critics vs Food Influencers

There's a thin line between an aspiring influencer and a genuine food critic, according to New York-based restaurant consultant Jason Kaplan. He acknowledged the rise of wannabe food critics, driven by easy access to phones and the Internet.

'It's the same situation we had in the early days of Yelp. Everybody became a food critic,' Kaplan explained.

Kaplan, however, pointed out the lack of expertise and consistency among social media influencers. According to him, if they review steakhouses, then they should 'order the same thing at every steakhouse.'

He also reminded the public that creating a video does not qualify one as a food critic. He stressed, 'Anyone that reviews food needs to have an expertise.'

The Chef Papa and Fahmida Sultana Controversy

John Truong, owner of Chef Papa, a Vietnamese restaurant in Long Island City, Queens, previously shared the risks of working with micro-influencers. He detailed how Fahmida approached them about a complimentary meal in exchange for a social media review. She reportedly left the eatery satisfied.

However, they hadn't heard from her for weeks, so they reached out to her for the promised review multiple times. She kept ignoring Truong until he posted the incident on Instagram, because he felt she had scammed them.

Fahmida replied that she wasn't happy with the dining experience or the food, so she didn't leave a review, as it might affect the restaurant. She eventually deleted her reply because many were not convinced by her explanation, considering the timing.

Fahmida later apologized and admitted that it was a case of 'miscommunication and a lack of urgency' on her part.

NYC Dine-and-Dasher

Perhaps the most dramatic manifestation of this entitlement culture is the case of Pei Chung, who dines at multiple high-end restaurants in Williamsburg without paying her bills. She had been arrested multiple times since October for her ploy and was eventually jailed in late November after her ninth arrest.

Chung would dine and avoid her bill. At one point, she reportedly offered sexual favours to settle her check after she was found hiding for 45 minutes in the comfort room. Chung is scheduled for a mental health evaluation on 17 December after her attorney requested it because she reportedly doesn't understand the charges against her.