AIBU about influencers in restaurants

[Dogdaycommeth]

We had a rare friday night out on friday night and as such we had decided to try and get in on one of the very new restaurants in the local town. Its had very good reviews and has been open less than a week. I was really looking forward to it.

We got there and was seated next to a table with what I assume was a female tiktoker or instagrammer who had a full camera set up.
I was not necessarily happy but thought it would be fine if they were just reviewing food and wouldnt be too noisy.
Almost immediately after we had sat down the camera person got up to do long sweeping shots of the restaurant... bearing in mind this is a friday night in a very popular restaurant. They also hadnt asked permission and the restaurant staff seemed annoyed and perplexed at this. No one told them no though.

Then the noise started. I mean this is a noisy restaurant but I could barely hear the conversation between us two as she was so noisy talking about the food and laughing and basically shouting at the camera.

After she had finished filming some of the dishes then she set up her phone on a tripod in front of her and went live. 30mins of 'follow and subscribe' later I had had enough and we asked to move. They couldnt move us so I asked for our bill and we paid and left.

I just think that if your filming you go at a quieter time right? And not on a Friday night at a very new very popular restaurant.

Im not going mad am I?
I dont care if your a influencer I really dont but a perfectly good meal was ruined because she saw it as her office.

Vile and tacky behaviour
id all do judge the restaurant unless they gave it her as a freebie for “exposure”

Going live at a restaurant is really cringey. What was she doing, just eating food on camera??

Wow, what terrible, selfish behaviour.

Yep, then talking to her followers I presume. I dont know who she was as I follow quite a lot of the food tiktokers and I didnt recognise her.
She would turn the camera around every now and again and pan around the restaurant. The second time she did that I said to my OH we are leaving. I dont need to be filmed while eating dinner.

Quite a few tables were turning around every now and again and staring at her. So i dont think she ruined just our evening.

My glass of red would accidentally have spilled over her clothes/camera/hair!

I’d be giving the restaurant some very pointed feedback for allowing this kind of behaviour.

A plague on these selfish vain trashy fuckers. You should have stared waving your hand in front of her camera. Or started filming and commenting on her yourself.

The restaurant is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Send her packing (which is what is absolutely warranted) and she signals that to all her followers. Let her stay and she annoys all the other customers. These people are utter parasites who prey on other people's hard work and businesses.

It would be so tempting to tell her live what a kn*b she was being. Not worth it though as the footage could go viral.

i would have spoken to the restaurant staff and pointed out how intrusive it was.

The restaurant manager should have booted her out

We went to a very nice restaurant last year and it was full of influencers filming themselves taking a bite, then picking the dish apart, more filming, filming each other and so on. It really killed the vibe and it was terrible to see all the food going to waste as they literally ate two mouthfuls of each course

I would have certainly complained to the management and I woukd have expected a substantial discount off the bill.

If they were going to allow that behaviour other diners, or prospective diners, shoukd have been warned and given the opportunity to take their custom elsewhere.

Everyone I know hates these so called 'influencers.'

The ones who hold up gallery traffic because they feel they have to take 600 shots doing ridiculous poses next to some painting / sculpture are particularly annoying.

I even came across one in a small orthodox church in Athens, pretending to lean against the alter while flicking her hair back repeatedly, like she was on a L'Oreal shoot, while her friend busily snapped away. They really are the epitome of shallow, narcissistic triteness. I'm sure all the Byzantine Icons behind her were cringing.

Clearly there isn't a God or he would have smited her! Hell would be to find oneself in an enclosed space with a dozen Instagram Influencers... doing what they think is work. Can we not just round them all up and ship them off to the Ukraine war front line for them to pose there?

Vile.

I absolutely bet the restaurant invited them doesn’t matter how annoyed staff were. Anyone doing a set up like that has permission

Yes I agree. Although can people film other people in a restaurant without consent? I woukd hate that. Awful behaviour from the 'influencer' and the management.

I follow quite a lot of the food tiktokers

I was sympathetic until I read this - doesn't this make you part of the problem?

Personally I'd give that restaurant a really bad review for not putting a stop to it.

Really not somewhere I'd want to eat if they're not bothered about the comfort of their diners.

I'd have spoken to the management and refused consent to being filmed to promote their business.

Arghhhh I hit the wrong button for voting. Sorry I don’t mean to say you are being unreasonable!!! The opposite in fact and we’re very restrained!

Who is watching people eat on TikTok? What a weird thing to do. **

I mean yes, totally inappropriate behaviour but you said you follow foodie types so you're part of the problem. They wouldn't do it if noone watched.

And I bet these smug, entitled cunts had the cheek to ask for a free meal because they 'featured and promoted' the venue... Shameless bastards.

If so called “influencer” was live, you could have got behind her and said “restaurant was good, until this prick turned up”.

Don’t watch them then 😂😂😂😂
we are out in Bangkok last year and it was gratifying seeing 2 be thrown out of the restaurant and told they weren’t welcome!!