CHICAGO (WLS) — For Alfio Sciacca, owner of Amici, a restaurant in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood that specializes in arancini flavors from around the world, it’s been difficult to stay in the family business.
But all that changed thanks to a TikTok video by content creator Keith Lee.
ABC7 Chicago is currently streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
“I saw the video, and I immediately freaked out and came to the restaurant because DoorDash wasn’t working,” Sciacca said.
Sciacca’s daughter spent several months trying to get Lee to come to Amici, and it worked.
Lee’s TikTok video has been viewed more than 16 million times. Amici did not receive compensation, but the video benefited the small, family-run restaurant.
After Lee’s visit, Amici sold out every day for a month. Two months later, business is down slightly, but the restaurant is still feeling the effects of the viral video.
Amici is one of the many restaurants that has seen an increase in business thanks to influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is an ongoing trend that helps restaurants reach more customers.
Even at 2D Restaurant, a family-run mochi donut and fried chicken restaurant in Lakeview that opened in 2022, owner Kevin Yu didn’t have social media in mind.
Related article: Carmela Wallace, mother of rapper Juice WRLD, opens Homewood Brewing
But with more than 72,000 followers on Instagram, social media is a big part of their success.
A 2D restaurant video posted by Renee Koontz, a content creator behind the Instagram account Chicago by Ren, has garnered millions of views. Koontz charges up to $1,000 per post, depending on the client.
“It depends on the budget of the company and the restaurant, but I like to work with people who need social media exposure, so I try to be flexible,” Koontz said.
Despite its popularity, Yu’s 2D restaurant is still figuring out how to attract repeat customers.
“This is a question that we are still really exploring in our restaurants: how do we create business models, products and marketing channels that keep customers coming back and provide value that: There is nothing else,” Yu said.
Jacqueline Babb, director of Northwestern University’s Integrated Marketing Communications Program, suggests that companies first figure out their social media goals.
“It’s really important to start with your goals, determine how social media can help you achieve them, and then measure it to see if you’re getting a high return on investment,” Babb said. Ta.
And for small businesses like Amici, partnering with influencers is one way to attract customers.
“It doesn’t have to be weekly or monthly, but social media has become very important for restaurants to survive,” Sciacca says.
Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.
