Hamilton Heights, Manhattan
“I almost scrolled right past it. I’m so glad I didn’t, here’s why.”
A couple of weeks ago I was on Instagram, half paying attention, when a post stopped me: an app called Remy that made managing micro influencers super easy. As the owner of Caridad Restaurant here in Hamilton Heights, New York, that line hit home right away. Influencers promoting our restaurant had always been the missing piece of our marketing, the one thing I wanted but never had the time or the system to actually pull off, since it means negotiating price, scheduling the shoots, and tracking every influencer along the way. So I kept reading.
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical. I’ve downloaded enough apps that promised to make my life easier and just became money down the drain. One of my biggest fears was ending up with the wrong person representing my restaurant, someone whose content or style just didn’t match what Caridad is about. But something about this one stood out, so I decided to give Remy a shot.
I was not ready for what happened next.
Within hours, creators started applying on the app, wanting to come shoot content at Caridad. I started selecting who I wanted to work with. Two days later we had our first shoot, and the next day we had two creators at the restaurant. By the end of that first week, we had a list of over twenty influencers lined up to come through our doors over the following weeks. I remember sitting there watching the schedule fill itself in real time and thinking, this is exactly what I’ve been missing.
But the part that really won me over wasn’t the volume, it was how intuitive the whole thing is. Remy lets you see a creator’s work ahead of time, so I always know who’s coming and what to expect before they ever walk through the door. It also takes care of all the follow ups on its own, right up until they show up to shoot, so nothing falls through the cracks and I barely have to lift a finger.
And honestly, the best part is how affordable the whole thing is. Remy runs on a flat monthly fee, and beyond that, the only real cost is the dining experience we provide each creator in exchange for their video, plus a cash bonus if we want to use the footage for online ads later, and that’s entirely our choice. For the kind of reach and content we’re getting, it barely feels like a real expense.
Now real people walk into Caridad, try our rotisserie chicken, our Dominican bowl, our mofongo and our churrasco, and tell their audience about it, and I’m not the one chasing a single message to make it happen.
If you’re a restaurant owner who’s skeptical the way I was a couple of weeks ago, I get it. Just know Remy earned that trust fast, and it’s already become something I genuinely rely on.
