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Restaurant reveals creative tactic to stop influencers seeking free meals

A restaurant has found an ingenious way to stop social media influencers from asking for free meals in return for an Instagram post.

A Reddit user went viral after revealing how the family’s restaurant on the island of Kos in Greece, handles regular requests from influencers asking to dine for free.

“My family has a restaurant on a Greek Island. Here’s how we respond to the influencers asking for free food in exchange for social media coverage,” the user wrote, sharing a screenshot of one of the many requests.

A food blogger taking a photo of food
A Reddit user went viral after revealing how the family’s restaurant handles regular requests from influencers asking to dine for free. Source: Getty (file picture)

“I recently heard about your restaurant from a friend of mine who mentioned you serve great Greek dishes and vegan options. Would love to come here with my friend in exchange for social media tagging,” the message read.

The restaurant explained to local media Lifo, that they receive dozens of messages with similar requests every year, so for the past three years they have been responding with an offer welcoming the influencers to dine there – with one rule.

The eatery responds to bloggers informing them they have a policy of charging Instagrammers for their meal and in return they offer a free dish to someone in need.

“For every meal an influencer buys, we offer another free meal of equal value to someone who needs it (homeless, refugee).

“This way we gain publicity from your post and you improve your public image by showing that you return something to the community,” part of the message reads.

Messaged from a Greek restaurant responding to social media users asking to eat for free.
The Greek restaurant responding to social media users asking for free meals. Source: Reddit

The restaurant said since they have responded with the offer, not one influencer has taken it up.

“They usually do not even reply, some even delete their original message,” the restaurant told Lifo.

The Reddit poster described influencers who reach out to restaurants with similar requests as “fake”.

“You are just making a fool out of yourselves by trying to create a fake cosmopolitan lifestyle based on begging,” they wrote.

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