By Charlotte McIntyre,Editor
Copyright dailymail
Fiery feud erupts between restaurant and diner over one-star review
Influencer ‘threatened’ after review
Restaurant say rating is ‘harsh and unfair’
READ MORE: American influencer’s stunt with crocodile sparks outrage
By CHARLOTTE MCINTYRE, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
Published: 15:02 BST, 18 September 2025 | Updated: 15:02 BST, 18 September 2025
A restaurant and an influencer are locked in a feud over a one-star review that was left due to a misunderstanding over opening times.
Wellington-based foodie Alice left the Google review after visiting Ondo, in Melbourne’s CBD, on Father’s Day for breakfast.
She told Daily Mail she had been seated with her family when the venue opened at 8am, to only be told the kitchen wasn’t open until 9am.
The influencer said she had not experienced a restaurant opening its doors while its kitchen was still closed.
Alice tagged the Korean restaurant in an Instagram story complimenting the meal she had eaten.
‘Within two hours, the café began sending me Instagram DMs demanding I remove the review,’ Alice claimed.
‘Messages escalated to threats of legal action and warnings they would publish my Instagram handle, photos, and leave me to “public judgment”.’
Alice updated her review, stating that although the ‘food was amazing and service was great’ she has not amended the one-star rating due to Ondo’s response.
Alice visited Ondo on Father’s Day with her family and was told that although the restaurant opened at 8am, breakfast is served from 9am
Ondo felt the one-star review was ‘harsh and unfair’
‘The café then posted a public statement on Instagram while also blocking me (and others who defended me) from commenting,’ Alice added.
In the statement, the Korean restaurant, co-owned by Ryan Kim and Crush Yang, shared a different account.
‘A group of customers visited our café-restaurant at around 8am,’ it read.
‘We serve coffee, drinks, pastries, and sandwiches starting at that time, while our kitchen opens to serve Korean brunch at 9am.
‘We politely informed the group that if they wanted to enjoy the brunch, they would need to wait until the kitchen opened.
‘Our store hours and kitchen opening times are clearly posted on our Google page, at the storefront entrance, and on the door.’
The statement claimed Alice had ‘requested complimentary food, suggesting that a favourable review and future posts could benefit our business’.
This request was declined.
Ondo threatened Alice with legal action
Ondo said the group enjoyed their meals and staff provided ‘attentive service’.
After Alice’s review, the restaurant reached out on Instagram, after being tagged in a complimentary post, and said her rating was ‘harsh and unfair’.
‘She ignored our message, but when we reached out again, she responded by asserting that she merely wanted to leave an honest review and did not understand what was improper about her actions,’ the statement continued.
‘We feel powerless in this situation. It has caused us significant distress and has reinforced our concern that our business is being subjected to unfair treatment.’
Alice has denied asking for complimentary food and also claimed the restaurant ‘omitted their own threats and deleted some of their messages’.
‘As a direct result of these claims, I have been subjected to online harassment,’ she said.
‘The café later unblocked me for a few hours, suggesting we could remedy the situation, but after I asked for a retraction of their false claims, they left me on “seen” and blocked me again.’
The Wellington-based influencer said she has since reported the matter to Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
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Fiery feud erupts between restaurant and diner over one-star review
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