An online review of Inverness restaurant Aye Eat has been removed by a popular TikToker following backlash.
Kalani Ghost Hunter, who has more than 3.1 million TikTok followers, visited the business on Inverness High Street during his tour of the Highlands.
The Las Vegas native sampled the food, including a burger, which he rated just three out of 10, and criticised the £6 fries as overpriced.
During the review, he remarked that he would rather go to McDonald’s, which happens to be just a few doors down from Aye Eat.
The restaurant’s owners described the review as “not helpful” during an already challenging time for small independent businesses.
David Shayer, who owns the café with his wife Roberta, pointed out that they maintain a 4.4-star rating on TripAdvisor.
The video went viral, but you would struggle to find it now, as Kalani has removed it following significant backlash.
Viral review of Aye Eat taken down
In a follow-up video filmed in his car, Kalani explained why he decided to take the “poor review” video down after a conversation with the owners.
They claimed they have been harassed and their home has been vandalised in the aftermath of the video.
The TikTok star said: “It was brought to my attention by the owner of Aye Eat that people vandalised her house apparently, and that her kids are afraid to go to school. Once she told me that, I knew I had to take it down.
“I don’t condone anyone harassing this business or this woman. It was a review, it was me being honest, and that’s that.
“Now, I have left some poor reviews in the past and have never had this happen. So, once the owner told me that her kids were afraid to go to school, that she had been experiencing harassment, and that someone vandalised her home, the only thing I could do was take the video down. So that is what we are doing today.”
It is also understood that Kalani himself has received backlash, including death threats, following the review.
In addition to visiting Aye Eat, Kalani and his partner Savannah visited the Victorian Market where several eateries received high praise.
The Aye Eat owners did not wish to comment further.
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