A restaurant owner recently delivered a scathing yet humorous reply to two influencers looking for a complimentary meal, making sure they got the message loud and clear.
You might think that partnering with an influencer for a free meal in exchange for promotion would be a win-win for a restaurant owner. However, judging by this Australian restaurateur’s response, that’s not always the case.
His fiery reply could make influencers think twice before asking restaurants for free dining experiences in return for social media exposure.
The Australian restaurant owner decided to take a stand against the collaboration request.
Elle Groves and her friend Annie Knight, who manage the Two Teaspoons social media account, reached out to an unnamed restaurant with hopes of securing a free meal. In return, Groves promised to provide a glowing review on their social media channels.
However, it’s important to note that Groves and Knight have a relatively small following of 7,000, while the restaurant they were trying to “promote” boasts a much larger audience of 23,500 followers on Instagram. The dynamics of who would gain more from this arrangement seem decidedly imbalanced.
The exchange, which was documented in screenshots and shared by Australian food writer John Lethlean in 2022, showcases how the conversation unfolded. Groves wrote, “Hey guys! My friend and I have a food page together – @twoteaspoons – and we came across your restaurant and thought it looked amazing!”
“We would love to come and try it out in exchange for some stories on our personal accounts and a post and stories on our food page accounts. Would you guys be interested in doing this collab? If not, we completely understand. Looking forward to hearing from you! “
The restaurant owner didn’t just decline the offer; he opted to deliver a striking response.
“Hey, Elle, apologies for the delay… I’ve been wrestling with how much anger to direct your way,” he began. “But it’s even more frustrating considering that COVID has severely impacted small businesses like ours for two years.”
He continued, “Maybe give it a year or so to see how the business landscape evolves and try to build enough of a following for your ‘collabs’ to actually benefit the venues you naively approach, rather than just you.”
This reply could definitely be considered a mic drop moment.
In the aftermath, Groves defended her actions in an interview with Mail Online, stating that she never explicitly requested free food and that it was always up to the restaurant to decide what they wanted to offer.
Regardless of how they present it, influencers may want to rethink their strategy. Perhaps it’s better to just pay for the meal they’re interested in reviewing, right?