The Influencer Tab
Every restaurant in Ottawa knows the message. The email subject line, the DM in “requests,” the polite but confident opener: “We’d love to collaborate.” Sometimes it’s couched in friendly language, sometimes it’s blunt. The ask is always the same — free food, in exchange for “exposure.”
Influencers have become a new category of diner. They don’t book tables; they pitch. They promise reach, impressions, engagement. And in a city where restaurant margins are already paper-thin, they ask for the one thing that makes every chef’s blood pressure spike: comp the meal.
The logic is familiar: a post can spread the word, boost a dish, sell out a pop-up. And yes, sometimes it works. But the ratio is lopsided. For every content creator with a thoughtful following, there are ten who just want a free tasting menu for two, staged under a ring light, forgotten 24 hours later.
Ottawa is not Los Angeles. It’s not New York, not Dubai. A single reel doesn’t fill three seatings. Exposure doesn’t pay staff wages, it doesn’t cover rent, it doesn’t keep the lights on. And when influencers line up for comps while paying guests wait for tables, the whole thing starts to feel less like collaboration and more like a shakedown.
Chefs rarely say this out loud — hospitality demands diplomacy. But behind the scenes, the frustration is real. Many quietly blacklist repeat offenders. Some require influencers to pay and reimburse later if content performs. Others simply ignore the messages and move on.
There’s a reason the city’s best restaurants don’t bend to the influencer economy. They don’t need to. They’ve built credibility with actual diners — the ones who return, who pay, who tell their friends. If they work with media, it’s on their terms, usually with writers or photographers who actually understand the dining scene, not just the algorithm.
Maybe that’s the line in the sand. If your presence at the table adds more than it takes, it’s collaboration. If not, you’re not influencing. You’re freeloading. And Ottawa chefs are getting tired of footing the bill.