Are food influencers bad for the restaurant industry? Experts weigh in

Food influencers boomed during the pandemic, when lockdowns turned restaurant dining into a digital spectator sport. Five years later, their impact is undeniable, but so is the need to rethink how the relationship between creators and restaurants works.

Across the UK and US, hospitality businesses are introducing new boundaries around filming and collaboration. The goal isn’t to shut creators out, but to make space for a more sustainable model that recognises content creation as part of the business of dining, rather than an interruption to it.

The tension was captured in London earlier this month, after a trader at the city’s Borough Market stopped an influencer filming mid-review. The episode sparked claims of an “influencer ban”, though the market quickly clarified that wasn’t true.

“Our filming policy is designed to ensure activity doesn’t cause disruption to stallholders or visitors,” a spokesperson told The Daily Influence. They added that their filming policy hasn’t changed and the market “values the role that food reviewers play.”

The clarification reflects a wider recalibration taking place across the industry. Restaurants are increasingly aware that influencer coverage can be both a blessing and a logistical challenge: a single viral video can fill tables overnight but can also overwhelm kitchens or alter the guest experience.

In the US, some high-end restaurants have begun to formalise their approach, introducing clearer filming rules or designating specific times for creators to shoot. In New York for instance, several venues have restricted or banned in-restaurant photography altogether, citing disruption and customer privacy.

The move marks a broader shift toward treating influencer activity as a professional engagement rather than a casual favour.

For Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon Catering, the relationship works best when both sides understand that partnership is key.

“Food influencers can do a lot of good, but only if they remember they’re not the main attraction,” he told The Daily Influence. “The food is. The restaurant is.”

Shukla believes collaboration and storytelling produce stronger outcomes than one-off visits or purely performative content.

“Talk to the chef. Ask about the dish. Understand why that sauce took three days to get right,” he said. “When you tell those stories, the content ends up being far more interesting anyway,” he added.

But others say the economic value of food influencing speaks for itself. Kara Buffrey, founding partner at Chomp, a social-first hospitality agency, says the right creator can transform a business.

“We’ve seen firsthand how a single viral review can transform a business. Creators such as Eating with Tod have driven more than 500 covers for a single restaurant off the back of one post,” she said.

“All publicity fuels awareness, and in the age of TikTok, visibility often translates directly into bookings and revenue,” she added.

Both perspectives suggest the influencer–restaurant relationship is growing up. What began as informal exchanges for “exposure” has evolved into a commercial partnership model, defined by clearer expectations and mutual accountability. 

The winners will likely be creators and restaurants that operate with mutual respect and that understand the best results come when the focus stays on connection, not clicks.