By Nicole Mooradian
Should restaurant owners pay attention to online reviews and food writers? That debate is coming to the forefront again, thanks to a particularly unflattering appearance by the owners of Amy's Baking Company on the television show Kitchen Nightmares.
Amy and Samy Bouzaglo rose to infamy in Arizona in 2010 with an over-the-top reaction to a one-star review on Yelp, according to the Phoenix New Times. After the Kitchen Nightmares episode aired last week, someone with administrative access to the Amy's Baking Company Facebook page posted profanity-laced replies to negative posts.
The Bouzaglos later claimed their Facebook page had been hacked.
Would the owners of Amy's Baking Company have been better off if they'd never read and/or responded to the initial Yelp review? Perhaps.
Last month, Eater LA asked food writers and chefs—including Chef Neal Fraser, consulting chef for The Strand House in Manhattan Beach—whether chefs and restaurant owners should pay attention to reviews.
Fraser said the answer was yes, it's very important because bloggers and food writers are customers. He said he and his restaurants want to please diners.
What do you think? Should restaurant owners and chefs pay attention to reviews on Yelp and social media? Tell us in the comments.
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