“It’s time to say enough to this lazy mechanism”. Lele Usai, Cook a Michelin star for his restaurant Il Tino in FiumicinoShe says no to “free riders” influencers. A few days ago, “as is so often the case now,” the promising chef tells us that he received an email request from a food blogger asking her and 5-7 other colleagues for a free lunch , in exchange for visibility on their social channels. A message, another one that didn’t go down too well with Usai, who decided a few hours ago to share the message exchange with the lady in question on his social channels.
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Influencer free rider, star chef Lele Usai, says stop
A trip to the Ostia Antica archaeological site, then a stop at the Navi Museum in Fiumicino and then the food blogger thought about planning a nice lunch in Daniele Usai’s star restaurant “Il Tino” for the day. All this without paying the bill and only in exchange for “climbing up through the social profiles of the individual participants and the community”. Not only that, the lady in question, whose name the chef declined to reveal, also offered to feature mentions of the restaurant in the magazine and on her blog. The package was closed for you and the purchase? All at no cost. But the organizers of the trip from the city had arranged themselves badly: Lele Usai, who was defined by the Masterchef jury as a “sailor’s cook”, does not make any compromises and “spills” what happened on his Facebook profile. “If you want to come to one of our restaurants, we’re happy, but be clear, you pay the bill like all our guests”. And he adds: “So you can also be free when you tell our experiences on your channels. That’s called intellectual honesty without conflicts of interest.”
The post goes viral
Yes, because for the chef, who is an institution in the seafood kitchen, the freedom to offer honest judgment comes first. Then the reference to the proposal for visibility on social channels: «Ps. I saw your IG page (Instagram ed.) and you have half the followers I have on my personal page. Regards”. Apparently, in just a few hours, the post received hundreds of comments, including from colleagues.
The interview
And it is precisely for them that the patron of “Il Tino” and the bistro “Quarantunododici”, both in the Nautilus complex in Fiumicino, wanted to publish these messages.
“Colleagues have to think differently and understand that their work and their sacrifice must be paid for”.
Is Lele the first time you have received such a proposal?
“There are a lot of requests and I don’t answer most of them, but this time I really lost patience and wanted to publish the post”.
What made you angrier than the others this time?
«I read superficiality in these few written lines. Before writing a message, a professional studies the place, the job, tries to get to know you, and then offers you a paid package. At this point, I can freely decide whether to accept the offer or not.”
What was in that email instead that really didn’t get through?
«The negligence. I was offered an exchange without the lady in question knowing absolutely nothing about me and my restaurant. It was a suggestion aimed precisely at Rosenwasser. It was clear that this message had been sent to me and others alike. Just think that the lady in question didn’t even see Il Tino’s closing days. We closed for lunch and she really asked for a lunch. Doesn’t all this seem too superficial to you?’
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Actually yes, but what is the message behind this reaction of yours, I don’t think you need visibility.
«No, I really hope that none of this will be misunderstood. I posted the email exchange to warn my colleagues, especially the younger ones who still have a lot of experience to gain. Boys don’t fall for it. Your/our work has its price and is worth a lot».
And all this demand for influencers or suspected influencers asking to trade for a post has exploded post-Covid.
“After the pandemic, anyone talking about restaurants must have extreme respect, few of us have managed to stay open due to the lockdowns and the costs they couldn’t afford. And that is an immense pain for me. Our dish is not a dish that is put together from a few select ingredients and brought to the table. Behind these professions there is craftsmanship, research, a lot is sacrificed and we bring experience to it.”
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And the experience has to be paid for.
“Yes, but it’s not just about the cost. It takes intellectual honesty. If I buy you the food you will be pushed to write something positive about me and that is not honest. Instead, you must feel free when you leave my restaurant.”
Can you think of a similar story to the one you just shared with us?
«After Covid I was literally stalked by a lady posing as a journalist who was not. I don’t know how he got my number, but he has it. For two years he asked me weekly to be my guest along with 6 people from his entourage. I first tried to explain to her that at this time it was impossible for me to even think of offering anyone dinner, I did it to make her understand that I would never give in, but she insisted, so that’s the end I had to use my voice loudly to get her to stop bugging me with calls. And then he stopped.”
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Indeed, Covid has severely disadvantaged the sector, what has this period taught you?
“You see, Covid has taught us that substance is needed, the customers who come to us have to appreciate what we’re offering them and foot the bill. Also because we use this money to pay for staff, taxes, rent and additional costs. And the tax burden doesn’t help us, we constantly try to match the expenses with the prices because it may seem to the customer that we are speculating on it, but we are not responsible for these things, the only thing we can do, is to try make life unforgettable experiences for those who choose us».
Instead, how do the professionals in the industry who want to come to you for a real culinary experience do it?
«To tell the truth, the pros, the real ones, come incognito precisely to experience those moments without influence or pressure. Then, when they get home, they decide whether or not to rate the restaurant and, most importantly, what to write about that review. Then, if their blog post works and gets a lot of shares, the sponsors pay the blogger to have it featured on their site. So she makes money from her work and we make money from ours. It’s a game that has to be played at eye level, in the kitchen as in every sector.”
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Which dish would you end our experience with?
«One of quality and consistency, they are expensive but they give emotions (if paid for)».
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