Hollywood Thai Restaurant says influencer Christian Garcia accepted $500 and a free meal to produce an Instagram reel but delayed and initially did not publish the promised promotion. The family-run eatery — facing reduced foot traffic — asked the community for support after the payment and complimentary meal appeared to yield no post. Garcia later posted about the restaurant and issued an apology while saying he would step back from active social media. Supporters have urged locals to visit and help the business recover.
Influencer Accused of Taking $500 and Free Meal — Hollywood Thai Calls for Justice
A small, family-run Hollywood restaurant says it paid an influencer $500 and provided a complimentary meal in exchange for a social media promotion — but the promised post never appeared, leaving owners out of pocket and appealing to the community for support.
A Hollywood restaurant said that a wannabe influencer stuck them with the tab. Instagram/hollywoodthaiofficial
What Happened
Hollywood Thai Restaurant says Christian Garcia initially offered to create an Instagram reel for the business for $575, according to the restaurant's social media manager. When the owners said they could not afford that fee, they say Garcia agreed to do the work for $500.
Hollywood Thai reps said they decided to take up the “mega influencer” on his offer and pay him to promote their place. Instagram/hollywoodthaiofficial
The restaurant reports it paid Garcia the reduced fee and comped his meal. Garcia is said to have roughly 1.6 million followers. After repeated delays and numerous attempts to contact him, the owners concluded that he had cashed their check and did not intend to publish the promised reel.
The Thai restaurant said now they’re just hoping people will see this and stop by for a meal or two. Instagram/hollywoodthaiofficial
'But unfortunately over two months later and cashing our check, it has become very clear he does not intend to post,' the restaurant wrote on Instagram.
Impact On The Business
Hollywood Thai describes itself as a mostly family-run operation that once saw steady lines of customers. With foot traffic down in recent months, the owners hoped a paid reel would help attract more diners. Now they are asking the community to visit the restaurant to help recoup the loss.
The restaurant’s social media manager said that other businesses have also been scammed by the influencer. Instagram/hollywoodthaiofficial
'If you can come visit us to support us to help us recoup the loss, we would greatly appreciate it,' the owners wrote. They also emphasized: 'Our food quality has not changed. We remain confident in our food quality and taste.'
People have rushed to the Thai eatery’s defense, blasting the influencer. Instagram/hollywoodthaiofficial
Response And Aftermath
After the restaurant's public post, Garcia eventually published a post about Hollywood Thai and appeared to apologize, announcing he would step back from active social media. In his statement he said his team would continue to fulfill prior commitments, while he personally planned to be less active.
He also made a post appearing to apologize for his past actions and announcing he was leaving social media. Instagram/hollywoodthaiofficial
The eatery's social media manager said other small businesses have reported similar experiences and warned that it can be difficult for non-experts to spot inauthentic or misleading influencer offers.
Community Reaction
Supporters rushed to defend the restaurant online and urged followers to dine there. The California Post reported it reached out to Hollywood Thai for additional comment.
Sources
Reporting is based on the restaurant's Instagram statement and the social media manager's account to L.A. Taco; the restaurant says it paid $500 and provided a complimentary meal to an influencer who later delayed and initially failed to post as promised.
Help us improve.
