From serendipitous support to bitter backlash. FOB Sushi controversy highlights social media risks, rewards

Seattle’s FOB Sushi Bar learned the hard way how social media can make or break a business overnight.

A TikTok video about the Belltown eatery went viral last month. In the Nov. 2 clip, Texas-based food critic and influencer Keith Lee approved of the sashimi he'd gotten from FOB, rating it 8.5 out of 10.

But soon after, some viewers noticed more than sushi between his chopsticks, pointing out what appeared to be a parasitic worm.

In response, owners closed the restaurant for two weeks to investigate the situation. FOB Sushi reopened its Belltown and Bellevue locations last week after public health inspections garnered them an “excellent” rating.

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For small businesses, a visit from an influencer like Lee, with 17 million followers, can be marketing gold.

“The best kind of it is organic, viral...not scripted in any way,” said Charlie Anthe, a co-owner of Moshi Moshi Sushi & Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant in Ballard.

Technology can turn good reviews into a positive stampede. But as the FOB Sushi incident showed, it can also amplify a negative feedback.

Anthe said that from what he could tell, the owners did everything right, but still got vilified.

“I think it speaks more broadly to our society — of how quickly we’re willing to jump onto a bandwagon based on this kind of faux outrage,” Anthe said.

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That’s partly because of the nature of social media: the immediacy of it can provoke knee-jerk reactions.

Courtney E. Smith is the editor of Eater Dallas and has covered Keith Lee’s influence there extensively. From a food writer’s standpoint, she said, what Lee does by reviewing restaurants from his car can be entertaining, but it lacks context.

“He’s the town square of writing about food, talking about food — in some ways because of the platform he’s on," she said. "But there’s not a lot of depth to it, not a lot of knowledge to it.”

Smith said Lee was a mixed martial arts fighter before he transitioned to food on TikTok. And his followers love it.

“He doesn’t like to be called a food reviewer, critic; he doesn’t want that title, but that’s what exactly he does,” she said.

In a follow-up video posted on Nov. 17, Lee told viewers, "1,000% transparency: I didn't see anything until somebody pointed it out. I can't confirm or deny what it was, but I can confirm I am OK."

J. Kenji López-Alt has been on all sides of the industry, as a chef, food writer, and restaurateur. He’s also prolific on social media, posting local food finds as a way to learn about Seattle.

“I try not to give immediate reactions,” said López-Alt. “My general policy is like, if I’m going to write a significant thing about a place, I’ll visit a few times before I do.”

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López-Alt said he applies the same approach when he writes a negative review about a place, which he said he rarely does anyway.

“I know I can get more views by doing that kind of stuff, but I think I would do that at the expense of some sort of journalistic integrity," he said. "And maybe because I come from a print media background, I feel pretty strongly about those kinds of things."

It’s difficult to take things back once they’re out, López-Alt added.

For his part, FOB owner Vincent Chen is heartened to see customers’ continued support. Despite the controversy, Chen said he’ll continue to use social media to promote his family business. That's important, he said, “especially for a small business like us where we don’t have the budget for advertising.”

Chen said feedback from customers has been encouraging — both in-person and on social media.

FOB Sushi patrons Jackie Beng and Hien Nguyen said social media was what brought them to the restaurant when it opened in January.

But they don’t completely rely on what they see on screen.

“I think being able to do your own research is really important — also having your own experiences as well,” Nguyen said.

“We’re original FOB Sushi customers...we’re just happy that they’re back,” Beng added.