A restaurateur has criticised some former Love Islanders and influencers for demanding free food in exchange for "exposure" after being inundated with requests from them on social media.
The owners of Viet Shack in Manchester shared a post on Instagram where they shamed "full and semi blue IG ticks, influencers, public figures and foodies", claiming they receive more than 50 message for freebies every week. In the post, the restaurant also asked its followers to consider the impact of the current financial situation on small businesses before demanding freebies.
The Vietnamese restaurant said a recent request was reportedly from a Love Islander who finished in "[a low scoring] place" on the hit ITV show. The message appears to show the person offering to post pictures of the restaurant on various social media accounts in exchange for a free meal.
Mocking the "entitled" influencers, the restaurant suggested the only thing they had in common with Love Islanders and "IG ticks" was their affinity for fake designer clothing. The post, shared to the restaurant's 18,000 followers, added: "We haven’t replied to any of these overly kind requests for the last 10 years.
"So the ones that send in a follow-up with an emoji to remind us to re-read the previous DM stating that you came in 8th place on Love Island… Bro, you came in on 11th and even Boohoo blocked yo ass for asking for free skinny jeans + velvet boxers. If that’s you, then we suggest to STOP READING RIGHT NOW!
"Here it goes… From what we see, we definitely both do have some things in common. All that Gucci, LV & Prada stock you flex on your page, & some of our ingredients are definitely all from the Vietnamese market, but that's as much in common as we have!"
The post obscured the brazen influencer's identity, but warned other chancers wouldn't be so lucky. "Therefore, please stop asking for 'COLLABORATIONS' which was a word widely used by world saving, bare foot or flip flop wearing artists + philanthropists but is now sadly a synonym used for GIVE ME FREE STUFF via social media.
"We are a small family business, that's just spent most [of] our savings this year on a new toilet that flushes properly, new chairs + marble tables. The old IKEA ones dissolved almost as fast as Lindsay Lohan's music career (yes, she released an album.. and yes, 1 track was actually decent, and yes that track is on our playlist… and so what? she was good in Mean Girls, and we all know y'all watched it recently on Netflix.)
"In conclusion, STOP ASKING FOR FREE **** and just come help and support ya locals. Can't you see there's a crisis and there's favourite spots closing down due to financial deficiencies?
"The next time anyone sends us one of these requests, we shall not be using the blurring tool so expertly. Ps, no offence to all other blue ticks, influencers, public figures, foodies or other Islanders that's genuinely here just to eat and enjoy Lindsay Lohan's music.
"We love you and promise to start buying really good toilet roll soon if we make enough money, instead of the extra vegan toilet rolls that may make you flinch a bit mid-wipe. PPS, no doubt some are gonna come at us heated and offended…. In our defence, on paragraph 2 - we did say STOP READING NOW!"
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Speaking after the post went viral, Nelson Lam, co-founder and creative director of Viet Shack, said: "[The post] was meant to just be a bit of cheek for our 'gram.
"I didn't realise how much of an impact it [the post] became with a lot of messages from other businesses suffering the same issue. Most have to give in as they needed the exposure, which is very sad to hear."
Fans of the restaurant also flooded to the comments to commend the restaurant for their post. One user wrote: "Rate this so much. Hats off to you guys!"
Another commented: "Well said, and glad more independents are calling this behaviour out! Piggy backing on someone else's hard graft is just rude and lazy IMHO."
And a third person wrote: "It's so cringy watching these people expect free products, and more insulting to the rest of us that they honestly think we believe they 'use' and 'love' these products and brands! Well done for calling this out!"
Nelson founded Viet Shack alongside friend Leo in 2015, opening their first restaurant, serving "fresh fast food with a Vietnamese twist", inside Arndale Market in 2015. After success at the market, they found their new home in Ancoats, north east Manchester, and in summer 2018 opened their doors.
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