Blackmailing Small Business

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 Thanks to my friend Freida for bringing this to my attention.  I'm glad to discuss it here, so that others can understand that this is happening. It is extortion. 

According to Freida, Corner 17 Noodles and Bubble Tea is an exceptional small restaurant in St. Louis.  They offer authentic Asian cuisine, and are apparently the "real deal" according to Freida.

They were contacted by a social media personality that offered them the opportunity to be reviewed for a $100 food credit.  The owners politely declined. 


 

A polite response from the owner didn't sit well with "influencer" Antonio Malik


Self describing as an "influencer" suggests a certain level of confidence that you do in fact influence others.  It also comes with a certain sense of entitlement that people actually care about what you do or give a damn what you think.

In response to the owner's kind decline of the offer, Malik decided to write the review anyway. Apparently without actually visiting the establishment, or perhaps after actually visiting, he wrote a review that trashed the restaurant. 




Maybe he actually went there, but such an unprofessional treatment of the business appears to be retaliation for them declining his "influencer" services.

It is "retailiation"

Small business operates on thin margins, and restaurants are probably the thinnest. There is not $100 in a budget that spreads its quality and practice by word of mouth. 

Malik might consider a softer approach, because he certainly is an influencer-- a negative influencer. He's someone I'd never follow or associate with. 



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