Venues that ban access to food influencers: is an era really coming to an end?

In 1982 a Danish filmmaker, Jørgen Leth, filmed Andy Warhol while he unwrapped and bit into one of his favorite foods:burgers from Burger King. The video is a cult and the American chain reused it in 2019 for an advertisement, with a hashtag: #eatlikeandy. If you are among those who watch your partner, without embarrassment, photograph or film the salad just served, and you are not allowed to touch the plate until the footage is of sufficient quality for an Instagram reel, rejoice. The owners of this Korean café in Brooklyn, Daethey allowed themselves a luxury that will inspire many: they imposed a ban on influencers. Videos and photos are not allowed, after – explain the owners – the «creators» showed up with tripods and gradangles to film them during the preparation of the cappuccino.

It is an initiative as snobbish as it is engaging: in 2013 in his restaurants in New York, chef Daniel Boulud had patented a strategy to calm what he called “the circus”: he politely accompanied the customers into the kitchen to allow them a quick shot of the dish, but photos were not allowed in the public room. In an instant, the narrative of food influencers became indigestible, corresponding to what the American media has defined the era of de-influencingthat is, TikTok content that discourages people from purchasing products rather than promoting them.

Maison Nico, which does not collaborate with influencers

From Maison Nicoone of the most sophisticated French bakeries in San Francisco (and best Pain Au Chocolat of the city), the owners have an internal policy: they «do not collaborate» directly with influencers. «They are welcome in our shop, but when we are contacted for sponsorships or social campaigns, our policy is to refuse», he tells Vanity Fair the owner, Andrea Delaroque who together with her husband during the pandemic they chose to convert their restaurant – complete with a Michelin star – into a more agile and sustainable model: a bakery-bistro. «We have seen several businesses struggle to manage how influencers interacted with some restaurants. As far as we’re concerned, we’ve been lucky, we have several guests who take photos or videos but so far always respecting the other customers in line and our staff.”

How digital strategies in food are changing

Martha Cromar deals with digital strategies for Suited Hospitalityone of American public relations companies very authoritative in the catering and hospitality sector (among their affiliates are the three-starred of Single Thread in Healdsburg, California wine country). «Our customers – he explains – they are constantly bombarded with requests for free dinners or hotel stays in exchange for content. Some creators also ask for additional payment. The reality is that most businesses – mostly restaurants – are already operating on the margins, and they can’t afford it.” A practice that still needs to be “educated”. «Overall, I see the pros and cons of working with influencers – says Cromar – We have collaborated with some who really offer excellent value for money and ROI (return on investment) and many others who don’t. I would disagree that banning people from creating content is the way forwardbut I see that putting parameters or rules in place in a company around content acquisition makes a lot of sense. The reality is that we will continue to live our lives online and people’s desire to share their travel, food and shopping experiences through the creation of photos and videos will only grow from here.”

The Influencer Economy

According to data from Goldman Sachs, the “influencer economy”, even in the food and restaurant sector, is not even remotely declining. The number of content creators is estimated to grow 10 to 20 percent over the next five years, and the market will close the year at a peak of $21 billion. «The lie of de-influencing» was the headline Vox in an article that argues how influencers will never be able to influence us to buy or “photograph” less.

Grant Bollmer and Katherine Guinness, authors of** The influencer factory **and Digital Media professors at the University of Queensland, argue that the narrative of content creators are not simply personalities who attract the attention of brands, but – they explain – «they embody figures of a new transformation of capitalism, in which the logic of the ego is indistinguishable from the logic of the enterprise».