Sarah Lockard, a food blogger in Philadelphia, has asked restaurants in the Philly area for a free meal for her and her family, in exchange for what she says is $1,000 in promotions with her blog.
In an email sent to some restaurants and obtained by Philly Mag, Lockard tells restaurants that her family enjoys dining out every Christmas Eve, “and this year I am offering you the exciting opportunity to be our restaurant that hosts us!”
Lockard says that she will provide the restaurant with Facebook posts on the page of her blog, AroundMainLine.com, promoting the restaurant; 5 Instagram photos during the dinner; 2 ads in the blog’s newsletter; and a listing in the Christmas Eve dining guide that the blog posts.
In return, Lockard wants dinner for 5, including food and drinks.
“We will tip according to the value to the server,” she said.
“This is a VERY innovative and effective way to promote your restaurant on this very competitive evening and reach tens of thousands of local foodies through AML’s channels,” she said.“Please note this is first come, first serve. I am excited to hear from you!”
The letter drew criticism from people on Philly Mag.
“This is how she gets EVERYTHING for free - makeup, hair, personal trainers...thanks for finally outing her,” said Nina Cazille.
“The soup kitchen would be a good place for her to start and help,” said Joyousnoel. “Maybe she will learn something there. It’s free and I am sure they could use some publicity.”
Friends Read Free