Restaurant Owner’s Epic Clapback to Influencers Asking for Free Food Is Pure Gold!
Restaurant Owner’s Savage Response to Influencers Asking for Free Meals
A restaurant owner had a sharp and funny response when two influencers asked for a free meal in exchange for social media promotion.
Some might think that getting exposure from an influencer in return for a free meal is a good deal for restaurants. But if this Australian restaurant owner’s reaction is anything to go by, not everyone agrees.
His reply was so bold that it might make influencers think twice before asking for free food again.
### The Influencers’ Request
Elle Groves and her friend Annie Knight, who run the social media account **Two Teaspoons**, reached out to a restaurant, hoping to collaborate.
They offered to promote the restaurant on their social media in exchange for a complimentary meal.
However, the numbers didn’t quite add up. Groves and Knight had about **7,000 followers**, while the restaurant already had **23,500 followers** on Instagram. This made it seem like the restaurant would be helping them more than the other way around.
Food writer **John Lethlean** shared screenshots of the conversation online, showing how the situation unfolded.
The Restaurant Owner’s Epic Reply
Groves sent a message saying:
*”Hey guys! My friend and I have a food page together – @twoteaspooons – and saw your restaurant and thought it looked amazing!”*
*”We would love to come and try it out in exchange for some stories on our personal accounts, and a post and stories on our food page accounts.”*
*”Would you guys be interested in doing this collab? If not, we completely understand. We can’t wait to hear from you XXX.”*
The restaurant owner didn’t just say no—he made a strong statement.
*”Hey, Elle, apologies for the delay… I’ve been grappling with how much rage to demonstrate/throw in your direction,”* he wrote.
He continued, *”But it’s even worse when COVID is still very much a thing, affecting small businesses like us devastatingly for two years now.”*
Then came the final blow:
*”Maybe give it a year or so and see how the business landscape looks, and see if you can amass enough followers for your ‘collabs’ to actually be of benefit to the venues you approach so naively, instead of them being only of benefit to you.”*
Talk about a **mic drop moment**!
The Influencer’s Response
After the conversation went viral, Groves defended herself in an interview with **Mail Online**.
She claimed she never directly asked for free food and said restaurants are always free to offer whatever they want.
Still, this situation raises a question for influencers: Instead of asking for free meals, why not just **pay for your food** and review it like everyone else?
