The restaurant owner had a very funny and harsh response to an influencer who wanted to collaborate
You might assume that getting promoted by an influencer in exchange for a complimentary meal sounds like a win-win for restaurant owners.
In fact, his response might just make influencers think twice before approaching restaurants for a free dining experience in return for some online exposure.
Elle Groves and her friend Annie Knight, who run the Two Teaspoons social media account, reached out to an unnamed restaurant hoping to arrange a free meal.
However, it’s worth noting that Groves and Knight have a relatively modest following of 7,000, while the restaurant they aimed to ‘promote’ boasts a substantial 23,500 followers on Instagram.
The exchange, which was captured in screenshots and uploaded by Australian food writer John Lethlean in 2022, shows how the conversation unfolded.
“Hey guys! My friend and I have a food page together – @twoteaspooons – and saw your restaurant and thought it looked amazing!” Groves wrote.
“Would you guys be interested in doing this collab? If not, we completely understand. We can’t wait to hear from you XXX”
“Hey, Elle apologies for the delay…I’ve been grappling with how much rage to demonstrate/throw in your direction,” he began.
“But it’s even worse when COVID is still very much a thing, affecting small businesses like us devastatingly for two years now.”
This response could certainly be considered a mic drop moment.
Following the backlash, Groves defended herself in an interview with Mail Online.
Regardless of how it’s framed, influencers might need to reconsider their approach. Maybe just pay for the meal you’re interested in reviewing, right?
