Influencers Save Connecticut Restaurants

0:00In Connecticut, restaurant owners like Cheryl Maselli and New Haven are getting creative with marketing. Once a month, she invites eight up-and-coming food influencers with cameras to eat for free at her spot, Michelinas on-state. No budget for ads, so this trade-off gets her dishes viral on social media, saving her business. These influencers are the new bosses of promotion, outshining old school TV and radio. They hit tens of thousands, even millions, with one post on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Local stars like David Milton, known as the Dam Graham, spotlight small black and brown own joints, paying his own way and skipping bad reviews to keep. A positive. The impact hits hard. Scott Dolch from the Connecticut Restaurant Association caused them critical for storytelling to young crowds. One reel from Milton had 50 people lining up at Georgia's Place in Manchester on a slow Sunday. Coming into weeks of packed tables and loyal fans, owners say it puts them on the map.

1:01Meanwhile, influencers like Jennifer Hossane, aka Yum Connecticut, juggle day jobs in education while hunting hidden gems on nights off. Nationally, Dame Drops went from Walmart manager to 1.7 million YouTube followers after a five-guys car review exploded overnight, landing. Netflix gigs and big endorsements. Local media's become the visual yelp for foodies, where controversy sells but positivity builds empires. These creators give freely to small spots. Proving if you lift local eats, the buzz comes back tenfold. Local news, powered by AI. This is Hartford News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.