• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill

  • Home
    • Blog
  • Best Restaurants and Bars
    • The Best Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Durham, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Cary – Apex, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Chapel Hill – Carrboro, NC
    • Best Food Specials and Deals in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill
    • The Best Bars and Lounges in Raleigh, NC
  • News
    • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2022 Edition
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021
  • Index of Reviews
    • Cary – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Chapel Hill and Carrboro – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Durham Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Raleigh Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • NC Video Reviews
    • Travel Reviews
  • Food Photos
    • Food Event Photos
  • About
    • NCTD Blogger- Ron Wen
    • NC Triangle Dining Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
    • Working with NC Triangle Dining
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog and Social Media Statistics
  • Home
    • Blog
  • Best Restaurants and Bars
    • The Best Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Durham, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Cary – Apex, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Chapel Hill – Carrboro, NC
    • Best Food Specials and Deals in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill
    • The Best Bars and Lounges in Raleigh, NC
  • News
    • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2022 Edition
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021
  • Index of Reviews
    • Cary – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Chapel Hill and Carrboro – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Durham Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Raleigh Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • NC Video Reviews
    • Travel Reviews
  • Food Photos
    • Food Event Photos
  • About
    • NCTD Blogger- Ron Wen
    • NC Triangle Dining Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
    • Working with NC Triangle Dining
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog and Social Media Statistics

NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy

Home » NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
Media event at Dave & Busters in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Media event at Dave & Busters in Cary- NC Triangle Dining

So one question that I get from time to time is why do I write a food blog? And people have all sorts of ideas as to what the motivation is to put so much time and effort into this hobby. For me, it’s mostly about supporting and promoting restaurants that are doing great things for dining and of course, doing great things with food. So that’s my selfish motivation, mea culpa. But I’ve also been asked about freebies and how that might play into my reviews and posts. The reality is that there are a ton of food blogs and influencers out there and they probably all have different policies about handling food freebies, PR requests and for paid reviews/posts. In the interest of full transparency, here’s how I deal with requests.

Judging Toast to the Triangle with Mayor Nancy McFarland and WRAL's Gina Benitez
Judging Toast to the Triangle with Mayor Nancy McFarland and WRAL’s Gina Benitez

On my side, I typically get 10+ media requests a month and it ranges from: please come in and check out our restaurant-business-event to judging food events and having dinner with the media-PR person. I’ve gotten offers from chains like Bahama Breeze and PDQ to high-end, exclusive restaurants like Washington Duke Inn to Il Palio. And I’ll be honest with you, I’m pretty much tempted to try them all because this boy is always hungry! And who can say no to free food?

Sassool-RonKristenBloggers-Edits
Blogger event at the new Sassool Cafe in Raleigh

But I don’t feel comfortable with quid pro quo offers for a review/post in return for a free meal. Because I know that if I had a poor opinion of a restaurant, I would have a tough situation about being forthcoming and honest about the place. So I have taken comped and sponsored offers but only if it’s NOT tied to a review/post. And there are no posts that have been paid for (monetary compensation) on my blog. Nor do I run a PR company, offer marketing services or have business relationships with the restaurants I review. I value my independent opinion and your need to find unbiased dining information. When I do get comp’ed for a meal/event, they’ll now show up as Media events on my blog. Full details for PR professionals and requests are here.

The overall reason for this discussion is that people and readers just don’t really trust a lot of food bloggers or influencers. And I don’t entirely blame people for having doubts so in the interest of transparency, I just wanted to lay out my guidelines for food freebies and such. When I accept comp’ed events it has to be aligned to my interests and my goals for NC Triangle Dining. I’m always appreciative of any offers but thankfully I don’t write and review for a living, it’s just a hobby I have fun with!

 

Thanks so much for checking out NC Triangle Dining!

Ron Wen

Inspiration

“Do a little better each day.”

– Thomas Keller, French Laundry

Popular Posts

Copyright © 2023 · NC Triangle Dining Food Blog · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme