Overnight, the TikTok racked up over 125,000 views; within three days, it had reached nearly half a million people. "It blindsided me," Carlo says of the rush of business that followed. "I don't think Giselle knew what would happen. For three or four days, it was pretty crazy." Local influencers flocked to take videos of their own, urging followers to show their support, and local media (including Westword) picked up the story. "Every time something like that happened, we'd have a couple of good days — but it didn't sustain," he says.
People scrolled on. In a piece this week, Molly Martin followed up with Toro, and also talked with another longtime restaurateur about challenges these businesses face. In their responses on the Westword Facebook post, readers served up plenty of opinions on dining and social media. Says Neil:
Restaurants that are doing something interesting and delicious will always succeed.Counters Dusty:
Leaving aside the extortionist rent and cost of construction, the insane expense and difficulty opening a restaurant that the City of Denver foists on you, the difficulties with not-rich people accessing traditional capital for hospitality, and broad changes in the way people dine out...there are so many factors that you can't foresee or control, and almost all of them cost money. Not only do you have to be good, but you really have to get lucky.Offers Jamil:
After the viral TikTok, I went to check it out. The food was not great at all. It had good flavor but once I see you put my overpriced, overhyped, $20 chipotle rice bowl in the microwave, that’s a big no-no for me! And a major red flag!Responds Mitchell:
Going viral burns hot and fast. I’d rather have a slow, sustained burn. Brick-and-mortar has too much overhead.Adds Edgar:
Views don't equal paying customers.Explains Stephen:
The mistake they made was utilizing and relying on only a single marketing channel as the main driver for revenue. It’s the same thing for influencers: Once you become ugly and not interesting, people stop watching. If your product/service isn’t anything unique, people stop caring. Branding is KEY today, if you don’t have it, you can’t have it.Wonders Robert:
TikTok fame? Is that something real now? Asking for a friend.What do you think about social media's role in the restaurant business? The other challenges facing restaurants today? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].
