Pittsburgh restaurant owner goes viral after he exposed food influencer’s $1800 package, and now he’s being threatened with a cease and desist

A Pittsburgh restaurant owner is currently facing a legal threat after he publicly exposed a food influencer who demanded payment to feature his establishment. Troy Beck, who owns the restaurant Nothingman, shared screenshots of a message exchange on X that revealed a food influencer was asking for up to $1,800 to visit and promote his business, Dexerto reported.

The initial interaction began when food influencer Wasil Daoud, who boasts over 12 million followers on TikTok, reached out to Beck to propose a collaboration. In his opening message, Daoud wrote, “Hey! Im going to be in your area from June 22-25th and would love to stop by and feature your restaurant.” He continued by noting his reach, stating, “I make mukbang videos and have 15M+ followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.” Daoud then inquired whether the restaurant owner would be interested in hearing about his specific collaboration options.

When Beck followed up, Daoud presented two distinct paid packages for his services. The first option was priced at $1,200 and included one Instagram Reel and two Instagram Stories. The second, more expensive package cost $1,800 and included an Instagram Reel, a TikTok repost, a YouTube Shorts repost, and three Instagram Stories. It is honestly pretty wild to see such high price tags attached to a handful of social media posts, especially when they are being pitched to a local spot. Beck did not waste any time with his response. He wrote, “Oh lol yeah nah, we aren’t interested in that.”

This situation has sparked a massive conversation online about the ethics of influencer marketing

Beck decided to share these screenshots on X with the caption, “The life of a restauranteur.” It is clear he was frustrated by the expectation that he should pay thousands of dollars for a visit, and his followers on X definitely picked up on that sentiment. The post spread quickly, bringing a lot of unwanted attention to the influencer’s business model.

The situation took a turn for the worse shortly after the initial post went viral. Beck later shared a second update on X with the title, “Update: JUDGE JUDY! Over a tweet!” According to the new screenshots, Daoud reached out to inform Beck that legal action was imminent. Daoud allegedly wrote, “Hi Troy, my attorney has been trying to reach you. There’s a cease and desist in your inbox.”

It is really something to see a creator pivot from a business proposal to a legal threat so quickly. Beck was not intimidated by the message, however. He challenged the claim immediately, telling Daoud there was “no merit” to the allegations. He also took the opportunity to double down on his stance, telling the influencer, “Stop charging small businesses to eat for free.” The conversation concluded with Daoud writing, “Ok, I’ll see you in court.”

To get some clarity on the situation, Beck shared a third screenshot showing a conversation with a friend who works as a lawyer. He asked his friend if there was any actual merit to the threat of a cease and desist. The lawyer replied with a very straightforward assessment, saying simply, “No merit.” It seems like most people following the story agree that the threat was likely an attempt to silence criticism rather than a legitimate legal concern.

While the story has gained significant traction and led to widespread criticism of influencer marketing practices aimed at restaurants, Daoud has not issued a formal public response regarding the specific claims made by Beck. He did share a picture with his dog on an Instagram story, adding the caption, “Me and Gucci staying positive through this madness lmao.”