In today’s social media–driven world, a single influencer visit can sometimes mean the difference between empty tables and a second chance for a small, family-run restaurant just trying to stay afloat. That’s exactly what happened recently at a Greek restaurant in New York, when a food influencer’s review helped turn a struggling family business into a bustling hotspot almost overnight.
The influencer behind the review was New York Turk, and the restaurant he featured was Plaka Greek Restaurant at 31st Ave, East Elmhurst. Opening the video, the content creator explains, “Let’s see if we have an update on the struggling family restaurant that I recently went to. So previously I did a video at a Greek family restaurant and it was empty. I uploaded my review three days ago, and a lot of you have been asking for updates, so let’s see what’s going on.”
Entering the establishment, it’s clear to see that the business is booming, as there are lots of customers and plenty of staff. One smiling employee recognises the reviewer, and welcomes him in. After greeting several staff members, he shares a hug with someone believed to be the owner, identified as Tia. She asks him to put on an apron and invites him to “come back here” to show him what his review has done.
After a short back-and-forth, Tia boasts how successful things have been going for the restaurant, saying, “I wasn’t expecting it. I made five moussakas yesterday. Five today. Four spinach pie. So now I said turn off deliveries because I’m out.” As the influencer is led to his table, other employees come up and greet him with a big smile. It’s clear that he’s had an incredibly positive impact on the family-run business. One employee even says, “God sent you here.” and shakes his hand, while another asks for a picture with the content creator.
The NYC influencer then proceeds to eat some delicious-looking lamb chops, and gives them a 5/5 rating. Next, Tia sits down at his table and explains how she has surprised how much of an impact the influencer’s review had on the business. “Trust me. Just get ready. Sure enough, Friday, Saturday, Sunday — so overwhelmed. So overwhelmed. Thank you very much for what you said.” After another review of some amazing homemade pancakes, which also received a 5/5, he places a $150 under a saucer, and leaves the restaurant, but not before giving another hug to several other restaurant workers.
With the video racking up more than 5.7 million views on TikTok alone, social media users flooded the comments to share their reactions to the heartwarming moment. On TikTok, one user wrote, “This is exactly how “influencers” should be influencing.” while another chimed in with, “Content is authentic. Don’t sell out bruh“. Meanwhile, over on Reddit, one netizen remarked, “Guys mom’n’pop is where to go we gotta stop going fast food.” while a further commenter declared, “I absolutely hate the term influencer but this guy is making good honest content! I hope he keeps it real with his opinions and reviews I respect what he is doing.” A fifth comment read, “It’s up to us, the people, to make America great for the first time, not again“.
As the Plaka Greek Restaurant continues to boom, the clip serves as a reminder of the powerful impact social media can have in giving small, family-run businesses a second chance.
