Influencer Approaches Restaurant For Collab; Arrives For Free Meal With 6 Others & Orders Most Expensive Dishes

A Malaysian influencer and their collab with a restaurant has come under scrutiny — what began as a promotional invite quickly escalated into what seemed to be a case of freeloading.

Taking to a Malaysia-based Facebook group, an F&B worker anonymously recounted the day an influencer visited their restaurant, with their behaviour leaving them shocked.

According to the OP, their restaurant isn’t a trendy hotspot, but a small business built steadily through loyal returning customers. One day, they received a direct message from the influencer offering to visit the restaurant in exchange for increased exposure.

The influencer subsequently quoted a fee for dining in and posting a review, but as the price was too steep for a small business, the owner explained they were working with a limited budget and instead offered to treat the influencer to a meal as a form of collaboration.

The influencer eventually took up the offer. 

However, to the OP’s surprise, when the day of the collaboration arrived, the influencer showed up with six people in tow. The group went on to order the most expensive items on the menu, including signature dishes, sides, drinks, and desserts, leaving nothing out.

According to the owner, it felt more like a gathering of friends rather than a content shoot, and it was a painful experience watching the bill rack up.

After finishing their meal, the influencer was said to have only taken a few photos and videos and had a brief conversation with the owner before leaving.

But what made the OP feel even worse about the entire collaboration was what came after. 

Days later, the influencer’s post about the restaurant went up, but it was underwhelming, to say the least. It only featured a few photos with generic captions like “tastes good”, “nice environment”, and “worth a try”. According to the OP, there was not a single specific mention of recommendations or things that made the restaurant stand out from others. 

Unsurprisingly, the collab brought in no new customers. 

The OP emphasised that they respect content creators as a profession and understand the need to charge fees. However, they felt the agreed collaboration ultimately left them at a disadvantage and came at the restaurant’s expense.

They also shared that running an F&B business isn’t easy, with costs like ingredients, manpower, and rent quickly adding up. As a small business, they simply couldn’t afford to give away hundreds or even thousands of dollars in exchange for uncertain exposure.

“Sometimes, what small businesses fear most isn’t a lack of customers, but people who seem like they’re helping you, but are actually out to take advantage of you,” they wrote.

Following the experience, the OP said they would no longer accept every “exposure opportunity” that comes their way, realising that sometimes, the gamble just isn’t worth it.

Photos: Deane Bayas, Blue Bird/ Pexels