Welcome to I'll Be Honest...
How did we get here?
Hello! In case you don’t know me, I’m Kit, a food/travel/lifestyle blogger/influencer based in Chicago. I got my start in 2011 when friends handed me the URL and password to a blog they set up for me.
Fast-forward 14 years, and the industry has changed so much. Magazines are nearly gone. Bloggers creating long-form content are losing views to Instagram and TikTok. Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that everything seems to be pay-to-play.
When a friend opened a restaurant over the summer, I tried to help by providing lists of influencers. It immediately became clear that most of Chicago’s food influencers weren’t going to create content unless meals and tips were comped and they received payment (often $500+).
I was dumbfounded. I was aware that some influencers create sponsored content, especially after noticing content labeled as such. But for years, I've heard people say they love what they do because they get to help small local businesses.
There have been times when I’ve strongly disagreed with recommendations given by influencers. I’ve felt tricked by content misrepresenting restaurants, convinced that someone would only give a restaurant attached to an Embassy Suites such praise in exchange for a check. But it’s hard to make money on social media. Views aren’t going to pay bills, and many Chicago food influencers create content as their full-time job. It seems that sometimes integrity is sacrificed.
As Instagram grew and more people became food Instagrammers, we would cross paths. Some are lovely, hard-working people who run businesses, creating and managing social media content for restaurants in addition to having their own hugely successful social media accounts. Others were obnoxious. I’d hear stories about people stealing and re-posting others’ photos or walking into restaurants without reservations, expecting free food.
I drastically decreased my Chicago restaurant content. I had been writing long-form reviews and sometimes attending influencer dinners and events. I found that accepting a free meal made it hard to be critical, and that often influencer meals featured off-menu items and a curated experience that wouldn’t be replicated for other diners.
The biggest motivation to focus more on my website and creating recipes was that it was where the money was. In 2016, I signed with an ad network that allowed me to monetize my website. This gave me editorial freedom and a steady income. In addition, food brands were hiring me create recipes featuring their products. This was a dream. I could dabble in sharing Chicago content on Instagram while earning a salary from my website.
Periodically, invitations to dine at restaurants, attend openings, or collaborate with restaurants hit my inbox. On rare occasions, I will accept an invitation to dine at a restaurant or go to an opening party (while providing appropriate disclosure). I decline collaborations and offers to post about restaurants in exchange for payment.
When a restaurant named Sagi emailed me to say they were opening soon in West Town and asked for my collaboration rates, I declined.
“While I would love more information about Sagi, I don't take on partnerships with restaurants,” I replied.
Four months later, this would be quoted in Michael Nagrant’s Substack, The Hunger, in an article by Earnest Graham (no relation!).
The article, titled "Eat, Pay, Love!," exposed what I had long known to be true. Most Chicago influencers aren’t sharing what they love or trying to support local restaurants. They share that they are paid to share - perhaps with a mix of genuine content added in. The article included Instagram handles and rates in a graph.
The response has been fascinating. Many influencers are saying that their social media platform is a marketing tool. They aren’t reviewers. They are paid to share advertisements that they create to promote their clients. It’s an interesting perspective. I find fault in how often paid content and free products/meals are not disclosed properly, leaving the viewer to try to decipher if the post is a paid ad or not.
So how did all of that, bring us here?
It’s become clear that so few people are writing about Chicago food, restaurants, and events just because they love it. I’ve also seen the feedback I receive when I tell it like it is, like when I announced that Unicorn World was “Fyre Fest for kids”.
I’ve struggled with Instagram because I love writing. I’m best at long-form content. I’d rather write 1,000 words than 100. I love blogging, but blog posts need pretty photos and SEO optimization. My website isn’t a place to share a post like this. Substack seems to be the right fit.
I’ll share some content for free. Readers also have the option of subscribing for $5 a month. What can you expect? The same recommendations that I give my friends and quickly mention on Instagram. I love Chicago. This city is my playground, and I explore as much as I possibly can. I’ll let you know that Elf the Musical is too long, that La Serre is overrated, the Balloon Museum is legitimately cool, and that Perilla Steak is a gem that isn’t talked about enough. I believe that no one should have a bad meal or be bored in Chicago. I’ll help guide the way.