Board at Work

Yelp Makes Restaurateurs Nervous

Review sites like Yelp, Citysearch, and Chowhound let every diner play critic and restaurateurs don’t especially like it, reports the Globe. Among the interesting tidbits: Beacon Hill Bistro and several other city restaurants use outside consultancies to help engage with the review sites and Eat at Jumbo’s co-owner Grover Taylor says that, until he threatened to join a class-action lawsuit against Yelp, his restaurant’s ratings dropped precipitously when he declined to advertise with the site. Eep.

We’re of two minds on the review sites: on the one hand, they’re not a bad way to remind restaurateurs that every diner matters, but on the other, there’s little more frustrating than reading a vitriolic review of an off night at one of your favorite spots. What do you think?

Everyone’s a Critic [Globe]

Yelp Makes Restaurateurs Nervous