I used to be a regular dining contributor for an online publication. For restaurant features, we were given a budget and we could reimburse our food expenses so long as it was within the given range. This sped up the whole process since I didn’t have to coordinate with the restaurant anymore, I could just go in, order, take photos, eat, pay and write.
I was once assigned to feature a café in Quezon City. Normally, before I actually visit an establishment for this purpose I try to get the manager's nod by informing him or her ahead of time that I would be taking photos of the food and the place. Sometimes they’d refer me to marketing or some other deciding authority, sometimes not. Believe me, some establishments can get very touchy when you suddenly whip out your camera and start taking photos. They think you're a spy from the competition or something along those lines. Thus for me to be able to do my work efficiently in peace, I prefer to ask for permission and make my purpose clear. Of course, I’m not always successful because sometimes you get passed around on the phone since the staff members have no idea what to say. Of course since I was a paying customer most of the time (sometimes the restaurant would not charge anymore since they are appreciative of the free publicity), there were very few problems.
Anyway, for this particular café assignment, I was unable to talk to someone of authority. My article was due soon so I decided to just go there, bring a camera, and order away. It usually works that way so I didn’t think it would be a big deal. Lo and behold, I found myself being lectured by the manager about how I can't just go marching in their establishment and taking photos of the food and the place. She was very, pardon the expression, bitchy about it. I explained that I'd be a paying customer just like everyone else, the only difference being I'd take photos of what I would order and of the place. But no, she was already talking in a very loud voice explaining that she might be fired if she allowed me to do that, etc etc. She then told me she would have to ask for permission from the owners and that I should check with her again after at least a week. It wasn't the fact that she would not allow me to do my job, it was HOW she told me. She was telling me off with a voice was so loud that I felt she was shouting at me. I began to wonder how such a short-fused and undiplomatic person could become a restaurant manager. It's really too bad, I had good intentions when I pitched the place to our editor. I wanted to give them some media exposure because I thought they had something unique to offer.
To make a long story short, I ended up not being able to do the café feature. Fortunately, I prepared an equally interesting back-up restaurant just in case. Everyone was very courteous and helpful there. They were more than happy to let me take my photos and dine in. I didn’t even have to talk to any of the higher-ups, I just went in as a regular paying customer and snapped away. Needless to say, the feature was quite a hit with the readers since it was also well-promoted by the publication and the restaurant got a lot of new customers.
In lieu of recent events wherein certain bloggers are being accused of trying to extort money from restaurants via threats of a bad review, I can understand why some establishments would become paranoid. I’ve heard that some have even banned picture-taking altogether. But as they say in showbiz, any publicity is good publicity. The more people talk about a brand or establishment, the more interest is generated, and the more potential customers are recruited. If an establishment has what it takes, there should be nothing to fear from naysayers because it can prove otherwise.
Whether we like it or not, the Internet and new media are here to stay, and going online is one of the fastest ways to create buzz for whatever it is a company is offering.