A Salty Situation

A comment on my neighborhood Facebook group about a salty veggie burger at a local restaurant sparked a heated exchange among readers.  

The original poster said that she and her husband went out to lunch at a popular eatery. At first, she felt her burger was excellent – the best she’d ever had – but, as she continued to eat, she became aware of how salty it was. She said that salt is a concern for them “and may be for you.” Her last sentence was that her husband’s fish sandwich was "not at all salty.”

There were 93 comments on this post within a 24-hour period.   

Most responses fell into 3 categories: 1 – praise for the restaurant, including kudos for their caramelized cauliflower and potato skin appetizers; 2 – appreciation for the information from those who watch their salt intake; and 3 – debate about whether the original poster should have taken to Facebook/social media to talk about her salty burger.   

One individual also suggested that the moderator was at fault for approving the post, stating that it could potentially harm the business.  

This Facebook group was created years ago to act as a forum for locals to publicize “a good meal or a favorite restaurant, a business opening or closing, a fun activity to do, a yard sale” and so on. The essence of this group as I have viewed it all along is to support local businesses and bring the community together as we go through our lives in the same general vicinity.

It’s a very active group with a lot of exposure; there are continual requests for recommendations for everything from where to take your dog for grooming to dermatologists to restaurants, as well as all other matters pertaining to Cherry Hill.

It is moderated by a seemingly level-headed, positive guy who lives and works in the area – he’s a business owner himself – and whose good intentions shine through everything he writes. 

Responding to the poster who said the original comment about saltiness should not have been allowed, the moderator said the woman who posted about her experience is kind-hearted and genuinely wanted to provide information that could help others. He also stated that she was in no way bashing the restaurant and that all this buzz – with the ensuing plethora of positive comments – could in fact increase their business.

My reaction to the original post differed from his; I summed it up as a negative post that was not in the spirit of the Facebook group that is supposed to highlight the positive. While she did say she initially felt her burger was delicious, I think her comment about the saltiness combined with it being a problem for her and that it could be for others negated the compliment and instead cast an unfavorable light on the meal and, therefore, the restaurant.

This, coupled with the fact that her opinion was unsolicited, made me feel that talking about it on a Facebook group of 17,000+ members was not necessary; Yelp or Trip Advisor or other social media platforms designed for restaurant reviews would have been better choices if she felt she had to share her experience, but perhaps there was no need to do this at all. 

David felt differently than I did; he agreed with the moderator that this was NOT a negative post and that it was good information to know. As someone who often orders veggie burgers, he was glad to be given the head’s up so that if he does go there, he would probably not order one; however, he was impressed by the enthusiasm of other menu items and is now interested in checking out the place.    

While neither one of us would have written the post – we wouldn’t want to be the seed for starting a thread which might be viewed as damaging – David did say he would respond to a question about a particular business even if the answer wasn’t positive. I’m not sure I would; in fact, I probably wouldn’t.

Here is my question for tonight: How should we view social media and on-line groups?

If I was engaging with a group of friends, I would always be honest about a business or meal. Are these groups an extension of “friends” or should they be viewed with more caution? Honestly, I am not sure where I fall on this question. While I don’t want to see a business fail due to online comments that aren’t really vetted or verified, having feedback about an establishment can be invaluable.

What do you think?