Greek restaurant's 'incredible' response to influencers who ask for free food goes viral

'Dear influencers: You are just making a fool out of yourselves'

Restaurant's response to influencers asking for free food goes viral (Stock)

A restaurant in Greece has shared the response it sends to influencers who ask for free meals in exchange for publicity.

This week, a Reddit user shared a screenshot of what they claimed is one of many requests their family’s vegetarian restaurant, located on the Greek island of Kos, receives from influencers.

In the screenshot, the influencer can be seen explaining in a direct message that they heard through a friend the restaurant serves “great Greek dishes and vegan options” and that they would “love to come here with my friend in exchange for social media tagging.”

In addition to the original message, the man, who also posted the exchange on Twitter, shared a screenshot of the restaurant’s response, where they offered to feed homeless people for free for every meal purchased by an influencer instead.

“We are very flattered that you chose our restaurant, and we are very sure we will make your dinner memorable,” the restaurant’s response reads. “The last few years we have launched a social responsibility policy with Instagram foodies and influencers.

“For every meal we sell to an influencer who posts our dishes on Instagram, we give a meal of the same value for free to someone in need (homeless, refugees etc).”

But, according to the Reddit user, whose post was first reported by Greek website Lifo, influencers have never taken the restaurant up on the offer.

“My family has a restaurant on a Greek island. We receive dozens of messages like these every year: ‘I'm an influencer, can I come and eat in exchange for posting a photo of your restaurant on instagram?’ they explained in the viral post. “For the last three years I have been responding with the following: ‘Thank you very much, however our restaurant has a policy. We charge every influencer who wants to eat here normally, however we offer food of equal value to people in need instead.’

“NO ONE has ever accepted to come under this condition. That is, to pay for his food even if I will then offer free food of the same value to people in need. Most of the time they don't even reply and some even delete their original message.”

The man concluded the post adding: “Dear influencers: You are just making a fool out of yourselves by trying to create a fake cosmopolitan lifestyle based on begging.”

In response to the post, which received more than 76,000 likes on Reddit, hundreds of people applauded the restaurant for its response.

“I don’t think I’d ever ask for free food if I were an influencer, but this is an amazing offer on your part and I’d jump at it. Paying for food (which I’d do anyway) and helping someone? Win win,” one user wrote.

Another commented: “I'm not an influencer, but if I ever visit Greece I would love to pay for a full price meal in exchange for someone in need of food to also receive a meal. Good on you!”