Once Kevin and his band of hacker-dudes finished the website, it was time to kick the next phase of our plan into gear: social media. In this day and age, a restaurant's success was practically tied to how well it could spread through Instagram, TikTok, and whatever other platforms the world was obsessed with. We needed to make a splash—something that would get people talking and more importantly, walking through our doors.
Sasha and I were brainstorming ideas in the restaurant one afternoon, sitting at one of the polished wooden tables, surrounded by the glow of our neon signs. I had my laptop open, scrolling through our freshly launched website, and Sasha had a notebook full of promo ideas spread out in front of her.
"So, we've got to come out swinging," I said, drumming my fingers on the table. "A regular opening isn't gonna cut it. We need something big."
Sasha nodded, her ponytail bouncing as she flipped through her notes. "Exactly. I'm thinking we do some discount events—like, half off the first week for anyone who posts about us on their socials. That'll get people posting, and their followers will see it."
"That's a solid idea," I agreed, jotting it down. "And we could sweeten the deal—maybe offer free drinks for anyone who tags three friends or shares our post. We need this shit to go viral."
Sasha grinned. "Oh, it'll go viral. Especially if we get some influencers on board. People trust those assholes more than they trust their own friends."
I laughed. "True. Do you have any connections?"
Sasha shrugged. "Not directly, but I know some local foodie influencers who might be down. They're always looking for the next trendy spot to promote. We offer them free meals, maybe even a small fee, and they'll blow us up all over Instagram."
"That's what I'm talking about," I said, feeling the excitement build. "Alright, let's reach out to some influencers and get this ball rolling. We need to make sure their posts are all over the place when we open. It's gotta feel like we're the hottest new spot in town."
Sasha pulled out her phone, already typing furiously. "I'll DM a few of the local foodies I follow. There's this chick, @LAFoodieQueen, she's got like 200K followers, and her engagement is insane. If we can get her in here, we're golden."
"Perfect," I said, grinning. "And we can hit up some TikTok people too. Short videos of the food, the vibe... people eat that shit up."
As Sasha sent off her messages, I started working on the social media posts we'd use to kick things off. The photos Kevin had uploaded to the website were killer, so I grabbed a few of those—the vibrant colors of the ramen bowls, the glistening skewers of grilled meat, and the close-up shots of the perfectly steamed dumplings.
"This stuff practically sells itself," I muttered as I edited one of the captions. "I mean, who wouldn't want to eat here?"
Sasha glanced up from her phone, smirking. "No one with a soul, that's for sure. People are gonna lose their shit over this food."
I posted the first teaser on our Instagram page: "Flavors of the World is coming to downtown LA! Get ready for global street food, redefined. Opening week specials—half off your meal when you post about us! Follow for more details."
"First post is up," I said, showing Sasha. "I'll boost it with some ad money later, get it circulating to the right people."
Sasha leaned over to look at the post and nodded approvingly. "Looks good. Simple, straight to the point. Now we just need to get people to share the hell out of it."
A few hours later, as we were finalizing the rest of the marketing plan, Sasha's phone buzzed. She glanced at it and then her face lit up.
"Holy shit, @LAFoodieQueen just replied!" she exclaimed, turning the phone toward me. "She's down to come to the soft opening and post about it. She says she loves the concept and can't wait to try the food."
I grinned, feeling a surge of adrenaline. "That's huge. If she likes the food and posts about it, we're gonna get flooded with followers."
Sasha nodded excitedly. "Exactly. And once she posts, the other influencers will follow. We're gonna be everywhere."
As the days went on, we cranked up the marketing machine. Kevin added a special page to the website for the discount event, and I ran a couple of Instagram and Facebook ads, targeting foodies in the LA area. Word started to spread. Our follower count slowly ticked upward, and people were commenting on our posts, tagging their friends, asking when we'd open.
Sasha and I stood at the counter of the restaurant one evening, going over the plan for the grand opening.
"So, we've got a couple of influencers coming to the soft opening," Sasha said, flipping through her notebook again. "@LAFoodieQueen, @TastyLA, and a few TikTok people. We'll offer them a free meal and drinks, and in exchange, they'll post about the experience. Should get us a ton of exposure."
I nodded, crossing my arms. "Good. We need this place to be packed from day one. And once people start sharing their posts, we'll offer the half-off deal and free drinks for anyone who tags us and three friends."
Sasha grinned. "It's gonna blow up, Tristan. I can feel it. The combo of the food, the vibe, and the social media push? We're hitting all the right buttons."
I smiled, feeling the momentum building. "Yeah. And once the influencers post, I'll boost those posts with ad money too. We'll make sure we're everywhere—Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. No one in LA will be able to scroll through their feed without seeing us."
Sasha laughed. "Sooner or later, they'll all be craving our food."
The day of the soft opening came faster than I expected. We had a small, private event for friends, family, and, of course, the influencers. The kitchen was buzzing, the smells of grilled meat, ramen broth, and spicy sauces filling the air.
Sasha and I stood at the entrance, welcoming people as they arrived. When @LAFoodieQueen showed up, I couldn't help but feel a little starstruck. She was a petite woman with perfectly styled blonde hair and a massive DSLR camera slung over her shoulder. She greeted us with a bright smile, her eyes immediately scanning the restaurant with an expert's eye.
"This place looks amazing," she said, shaking my hand. "I love the concept. Can't wait to try the food."
"We're honored to have you here," I said, trying not to sound too eager. "We've worked really hard on the menu, so I hope you love it."
"Oh, I'm sure I will," she replied with a wink. "I'll be snapping some photos and posting on my story throughout the night. This place is gonna blow up, trust me."
By the time the night was over, our restaurant's Instagram was buzzing with notifications. Influencers had posted about their meals, sharing mouthwatering shots of the food, and their followers were already asking when they could come by.
Sasha nudged me as we stood at the bar, scrolling through our notifications. "We did it, Tristan. We fing did it."
I grinned, raising my glass to her. "To Flavors of the World. This is just the beginning."
Q: How many social media apps do you use?