We’ve all heard this before: a business gets into controversy for doing or saying something outrageous but then doubles back and insists that it’s all a marketing stunt. It’s an all-too-common trick – but is this one legit?
After admitting to adding “special ingredients” to a customer’s meal, the owner of the PJ restaurant that went viral recently has stepped forth to say that his post was misinterpreted and that everything is part of a marketing ploy to grow his business.
Seorang Tiktoker ni buat review dekat satu kedai ni.
Malangnya review untuk kedai tu tak berapa okay.
Tengoklah apa owner kedai post dekat FB kedai dia.
Entahlah. Korang tafsirlah sendiri. Wallahualam. pic.twitter.com/T7xWfVScab
— Cikgu_Anep (@Cikgu_Anep) May 17, 2023
To recap, Garden Western Grill has been the subject of controversy after owner Tom (nickname) posted an ambiguous Facebook post where he said that the restaurant had served a customer a meal with an added “special ingredient”. The issue gained traction and garnered over 4 million views on Twitter. It even got the attention of the Ministry of Health, who said that they have taken notice of the issue and will act accordingly.
However, the restaurant owner is now stating that the whole ordeal was just a marketing ploy. According to Tom, the whole thing was just a marketing tactic to get an influencer, Jason, to visit his restaurant. During an interview, he clarified that the “special ingredient” is actually a food ingredient, adding that Malaysians are prone to always assume negatively.
When asked what the good ingredients were, Tom replied, “Anything good that can infused into the food to (make it) taste better in culinary terms“. The restaurant owner also took to Facebook to address the situation and briefly apologise for all the drama.
Tom also revealed that the restaurant has seen more new customers over the past few days, despite all the controversy. While we can’t say if it really was a mere stunt, it does show us that bad publicity is still publicity.
