Petty influencer left a bad review because the restaurant wouldn't grant a $100 discount. Their response was A++
A St. Louis restaurant owner exposed an influencer's cheap tricks after being dragged online for refusing to discount $100 from his meal
While the rise of social media has turned unknown kitchens into overnight sensations, it has simultaneously led a new wave of digital tourists to believe that a high follower count is a master key to free or discounted services. This double-edged sword was felt at Corner 17 (@corner17), a small Asian restaurant in St. Louis, when an influencer, Antonio Malik (@antonio__eats), was denied a discount and tried to sabotage the restaurant's reputation by leaving negative reviews. Thankfully, it was exposed by a post from the owner, Xin Wei, as per The Poke on April 24.
A polite refusal
It all started when Malik reached out to Corner 17, suggesting that he wanted to review the food that they serve and post about it on his page in exchange for getting a $100 discount. The restaurant replied, double-checking that he knew they were based in St. Louis, to which Malik stated that he was aware of it and was in town. Then a few texts later, Wei politely denied the offer, saying, "Thank you for your offer, but I don't think this collaboration will work for us tho." Normally, that would've been the end of the story. However, Malik decided to pull off an insanely petty stunt.
A juvenile streak
Instead of perhaps trying another restaurant, he went to Corner 17 only to post several bad review stories of the place on his Instagram account. This was the final straw for Wei, who decided to call out Malik openly with screenshots. He acknowledged that he didn't have the same social media presence as Malik. "An intentionally bad write-up from a large following influencer because of our refusal to accept their collaboration is unprofessional, and such a hostile manner can simply ruin their businesses," Wei wrote.
Enough is enough
For Wei, this wasn't just about him or his business but the Asian community at large, especially with owners who aren't that well-versed in the world of social media. He wanted to say that it's completely fine to turn down a promotional offer. Nonetheless, this was the final straw for Wei, even more so, because only a few days before this incident, he was subjected to racial slurs by a man in the parking lot. And so, this prompted him to finally take a stand for his people by sending a message to people like Malik.
This isn't an isolated incident
Even though Wei was brave enough to call out influencers like Malik, more often than not, that's not the case, and this seriously hurts small businesses. According to a study done by ReviewDriver, fake and negative reviews about a product or service can cut a business's revenue by about 25%. This happens because almost 53% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. However, that's not all; the influence of social platforms in a customer's choice is only going to increase moving forward.
Social platforms now guide dining choices for 74% of consumers, making them the leading source of restaurant inspiration, according to the Restroworks Blog. Meanwhile, roughly one in five diners (22%) say a restaurant’s social presence plays a direct role in their decision to return. So, it's safe to say that had Wei let this bad review slide, it would've taken a massive toll on his business. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, as he received a lot of support from the people in the comments of his Instagram post.
@the_alan_clark wrote, "And this is why I don't listen to reviews by 'influencers.' The majority of bad reviews are because they never got freebies, and a lot of the good reviews are paid for. I would rather go by word of mouth from people I actually know who have been somewhere or used something." Meanwhile, @billykennedyeyeeyeeye says,"No food blogger should be paid for reviewing a place. Seriously compromising. If anything, they should be paying for the privilege to film in someone’s place of business. The sheer entitlement some people have is just baffling. So glad to see all the turnout for Corner 17! It’s the absolute best and my favorite restaurant in the area."
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