IN a reality where many eateries rely on the power of going viral, others may reject the notion—choosing peace over popularity.
A restaurant owner based in Kajang recently shared her experience with an individual who livestreamed while dining in her eatery, an encounter that quickly took an uncomfortable turn.
In a Threads post, the customer allegedly accused the eatery owner of “disrupting” their livelihood.
“Did they not think that I need to look out for my livelihood as well?
“There is no need for my restaurant to go viral—I prefer my customers to walk in and relax.
“Am I in the wrong here?” said the 62-year-old, further emphasising that she values a calm environment in her eatery.
In the comments section, she elaborated that the customer had acknowledged being in her restaurant, but did not focus much on the eatery itself.
Initially, the owner did not mind the livestream. However, as the customer allegedly became too loud, she could no longer tolerate it.
“My regular customers also felt uncomfortable. Maybe I’m too old, but table manners are important to me,“ she added.
Many sided with the eatery owner, agreeing that the customer should have respected her boundaries. Several users expressed their preference for dining in a calm setting, rather than one made chaotic by online popularity.
The post also sparked a broader discussion about allowing restaurant owners the freedom to run their establishments as they see fit—even if that means not wanting their business to go viral online.
“You are not in the wrong here. It’s your own restaurant, after all. Honestly, I sometimes come across people doing live streams in eateries and it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable—because whether we want to talk or make noise, we’re afraid we might accidentally appear in someone else’s live and end up disturbing them instead,“ one user commented.
“When a shop goes viral, it often brings more negative impacts. Service slows down, food quality drops, and staff become overworked and emotionally drained. All of that needs to be taken into consideration,“ another added.
