Food vloggers inconveniencing diners: Can cancelling them out really help?

For 1BHK’s Addite Malik, her diner’s comfort is more important than getting a Reel made. Pic/Anurag Ahire

When this writer conducted a poll on Instagram (where else?), asking people if they picked a restaurant based on what they saw on an influencer's feed, the answers were varied, but the emotion was "we rather not".

"Even the most sub-standard outlets are shown as a ‘must-visit'."

"Viewers are being fooled for views."

"I try and only go when the hype has died down."

"Influencers should be given their own section to sit in, demarcated."

"The moment a place goes viral on Reels, I get the ick."

Most food lovers seemed to have had enough - of the constant photography and "theatrics", as one put it.

Food influencers Hungry Backpackers say that it's valid when customers get irritated by them, as its distracting. They have now started visiting outlets at odd hours, so that they don't disturb guests

A few days ago, New York web magazine Curbed spoke about how Dae, a new design shop and cafe that opened in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, this year, banned customers from taking any photos or videos in the store, with the caveat of "quick snaps" at one's own table. This was because, "hordes of influencers armed with tripods" had descended upon the shop. On their own Instagram, the store wrote that they loved the food and drink photos, "but the TikTok videos and Instagram photoshoots have gotten a bit out of control for us". In January 2018, a hotel in Ireland banned all "bloggers", after an influencer asked the owner for a free stay in exchange for content. In February 2020, a cafe in Taiwan "strictly banned" influencers.

Are Mumbai's influencers feeling the heat?

When we bumped into actor Mini Mathur at an event last week, she told us she remembers this time she visited the legendary Swati Snacks in Tardeo with her parents.

Shweta Kaushi; Priyank Mehta and Komal Lath

"There was a blogger shooting there - it was noisy, and they had set up lights, and had taken over the place. It was such an annoying experience."

A PR professional, who heads a marketing agency, sighs, "Honestly, none of the restaurants like the influencers, but they are a necessary evil."

Komal Lath is the founder of Tute Consult, an integrated communications consultancy that works with influencers and restaurants. She says that of late, they have been part of a rigorous filtering process. "As a communications consultancy, content creators are an important part of our media mix and ecosystem. The word is not to be confused with influencers who are the netizens in bulk and are promoting X cream one day and Y lotion the other," she says, adding, "The act of influencing is far more central to the reason than a tick-mark evil, which many clients subject their partner agencies or internal teams to. We are extremely measured on who we extend our invitations, content pegs and ideas to. The community of influencers is important as a strong audio-visual medium, but authenticity is far more critical than sheer vanity numbers."

What Lath is also trying to say is that, right now influencers can't be done away with, and neither can the average aspiring Instagrammer be told to make the Reel another day. The effort, if anything, should be to minimise the damage.

Sonal Barmecha of Sante wants to call only influencers who resonate with her brand - like fitness experts and nutitionists; (right) Food writer Nikhil Merchant says that he waits three months before visiting a restaurant, so that they can iron out their kinks and he can give an honest opinion

At Santé Spa Cuisine, BKC, restaurateur Sonal Barmecha believes in finding influencers who suit her brand. "When we first launched in Pune, we were one of the few organic healthy cafes, so it was a novelty. Now, there are so many that you need to put your hand up and say, ‘we are here'. You need more than word of mouth," she admits. "But, I work to find creators who can talk about what the food is meant to do - be nutritious and healthy. A nutritionist or a yoga expert, are good fits. Our space is aesthetic, but it's synced to the food that's talking about a holistic way of life." At the restaurant, guests can take pictures, but with their phones. "No professional cameras are allowed."

Popular Oshiwara dugout, 1BHK, which has a Goa-in-Mumbai vibe, also follows the no-professional photography rule. "I don't allow lights, big cameras or a set-up, because that's inconveniencing my customer, who is my priority, not the influencer," shares Addite Malik, the owner of the five-year-old property. Malik has been part of the media, "so I understand the whole social media culture, and I personally love Reels". "But my place is about the experience - good food, good wine, good energy. I have to maintain and manage that," she says.

Where some are attempting to resist social media, there are restaurateurs like Dhaval Udeshi who are proof that being "Instgrammable" is good for business. The man behind outlets such as Demy, Gigi and Eve, and the one who helped Silly and The Butterfly High get up and going, can give a masterclass in creating spaces that are ideal for that perfect Instagram background. "For us, the process begins when we lock the location. So, the interiors depend on that. We also have all-day cafes and bars, which can't be dark, but need to be pretty. We create corners and highlight them on our Instagram. In fact, we get the highest bookings through Insta," Udeshi. Gigi, he tells us, is booked in advance for 20 days. "We always have one corner that we know will work - at Eve, it's a staircase full of books, at Gigi, the bathroom is the ideal spot. We make sure that the pictures are being taken in select spaces, so as to not trouble the customer. It's a formula that's working with our loyal fan base."

The new mandate for interior designers appears to be "make it Instagrammable". Shweta Kaushik, who has designed Woodside Inn, Hitchki, and Bayroute, says, "I have been asked to keep a corner for a ‘selfie point' or a ‘photo booth'. For me, it's about giving something purpose."

"But do you want to take pictures, or enjoy the food?" she asks. "I can't change the lighting to allow for good pictures. I have convinced clients that it's about creating trademark and recognisable elements that can become part of brand recall. For example, at Woodside, it's the wood and that hint of brass."

Kaushik says she often asks the client what their USP is, what is the story they want to tell, and then goes from there. "I say, ‘why not stand strong and create something unique to you that will be timeless'. It's not about following a trend and shutting down a few years later. Garner loyalty."

Priyank Mehta, who has designed Ustadji in Crawford Market, and recently Òsteria in Andheri West, says that designing a restaurant is about knowing that they now cater to a variety of experiences; food is just one of them. "Clients need to know who their target audience is, and work from that space. At Òsteria, it was all about creating a space where people came after work, ate and left. So, nothing is overpowering there. The memory you take back is the food. You downplay your design, so that everything else can shine."

The influencer community has, for a while, been in a state of flux. Nikhil Merchant, who goes by the handle @nonchalantgourmand on Instagram, says that the space has got cluttered in the last few years, and a certain rethink is required. "I saw this Reel recently about fashion influencers at a restaurant, and there was nothing about the food at all." What Merchant does try to do when he shares his restaurant reels, is highlight negative aspects as well as the good. "That's why my Reels aren't going viral," he laughs, "But seriously, I go after a few months of opening, so that they have ironed out all their kinks."

Aalisha Bisaria and Birat Bose, who go by the name @hungry.backpackers, agree that food influencing is getting diluted. "Every day, a new restaurant opens, and every day, a new aspiring food influencer awakens. How can one know what is a good Italian restaurant, if you haven't ever been to Italy? We focus on the food. Recently, we went to a small place in Malad that serves Champaran mutton, and it was great, but we told people, don't come here if you only want ambience," says Bisaria.

Ask her what she thinks about the shade being directed at flood bloggers by diners, and she is refreshingly honest. "We once shot at a small cafe in Bandra
and kept moving around; people were getting annoyed, and I agree it is unfair. People have come there to have a good time. Sometimes we get excited and forget that," she says, "Now, we have a few guidelines for ourselves, like we go before the restaurant gets busy. We are intent on improving."