A chicken rice shop in Thailand has come under fire after it was allegedly caught leaving a malicious 1-star review for a nearby competitor.
The incident backfired spectacularly when the targeted shop’s story went viral online, triggering a surge in support from customers.
Since then, the targeted shop has repeatedly sold out of food as customers flocked there to show support.
On 9 Mar, the shop shared a video on Facebook showing the owner confronting a rival eatery believed to have left the negative review after ordering a meal through a delivery app.
Both chicken rice shops are located in Udon Thani province and operate close to each other.
According to the post, the owner’s wife was left distressed after seeing the unexplained 1-star rating on the delivery platform.
Source: ไก่เฮงข้าวมันไก่ อุดรธานี on Facebook
She first checked their own operations to see if there were any mistakes that could have justified the complaint. When she failed to find anything that could warrant it, she called the customer to seek answers and possible ways to improve the shop.
However, the person on the phone allegedly responded curtly, saying the food tasted bad and that he would hang up so he could sleep.
The exchange reportedly left the woman in tears.
The owner later comforted his pregnant wife before deciding to investigate the reviewer further.
After digging deeper, the owner noticed that the same reviewer frequently left 5-star reviews for a nearby chicken rice shop.
Suspecting foul play, he called the number listed and was greeted by a familiar voice.
In a recording of the call shared online, the supposed customer allegedly promised to delete the negative review.
The shop also posted screenshots showing the 1-star review left on their page alongside 5-star reviews given to the rival shop.
The post quickly went viral, drawing widespread support for the targeted shop.
By 10 Mar, just a day after the story surfaced, the eatery had to temporarily turn off its online delivery service as staff struggled to keep up with orders.
Source: ไก่เฮงข้าวมันไก่ อุดรธานี on Facebook
Over the next few days, the shop even reported running out of chickens to cook due to overwhelming demand.
The shop later claimed that other eateries had messaged them saying the same person had allegedly left malicious reviews for their businesses before.
Some restaurant owners were even said to have confronted the individual at his shop.
Source: ไก่เฮงข้าวมันไก่ อุดรธานี on Facebook
In one post, the owner said he hoped the rival had learned from the incident.
“I believe you have learned your lesson now,” he wrote.
He added that he never saw other chicken rice vendors as enemies, but “simply colleagues walking the same path”.
However, the shop later had to urge supporters to stop targeting other eateries suspected to be linked to the reviewer.
In a follow-up post on 10 Mar, the owner asked people to stop leaving negative reviews on unrelated chicken rice shops.
“We don’t want his family to be affected,” the post said.
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