Shanghai Coffee Shop Owner Blasts Influencer Models for Commercial Photoshoot: "You're Driving Everyone Crazy!" Netizens Express Relief!

"Don't change clothes and shoot photos here—you're driving the other customers and us absolutely crazy. We've talked ourselves hoarse and you still won't listen!" A notice posted at a Shanghai café recently went viral online, and plenty of netizens said they felt a wave of relief the moment they saw it.

A Café With a View

The shop occupies a two-story Western-style building in central Shanghai. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood every room with natural light, and the first-floor outdoor seating sits beside a corridor and a small garden house. The minimalist décor makes the whole space incredibly photogenic.

After constant exposure across social media platforms, the café now draws crowds of people every day who come to take photos and check in. At first, the owner considered this a good thing—but as the shop's fame grew, she grew increasingly uneasy.

The Problem Kept Growing

Picture this: influencers and e-commerce models arriving with professional photography teams and entire suitcases of outfits, posing in every corner of the shop. They showed no regard for anyone else—sitting in other patrons' seats, turning their backs toward diners, wandering around in groups, and even occupying the restroom to change clothes and touch up makeup, one outfit after another, with the next person walking straight in as the last one left. It seriously disrupted the experience of every other customer in the room.

The owner initially tried polite persuasion, but it had little effect. Some even pushed back: "I bought a coffee—why can't I take photos?" As the tide of commercial shoots kept swelling, the owner finally reached her limit and put up warning notices in every corner of the shop.

The notice read, in essence: "We've told you not to change clothes here for your Taobao shoots, but you keep doing it anyway. A 26 yuan iced Americano buys you a whole afternoon of photography and drives every other customer—and us—up the wall. We've talked ourselves hoarse and you just won't listen! If you want to shoot Taobao photos here, add the owner's WeChat and pay for the privilege. Come shoot after you've paid—okay?"

The moment the notice went up, other customers voiced their strong agreement. Diners felt the owner's frustration was entirely justified, because the influencers and models were genuinely loud—even wearing noise-canceling headphones, you could still hear them. Some customers added that in order to photograph the Western-style building, certain people ran right into the middle of the road to get the shot, which is frankly dangerous.

The Owner Explains

The owner later explained the notice's tone. Her wife is from Chongqing, so read aloud in Chongqing dialect it sounds perfectly natural—but to other customers it might come across as a bit harsh. She stressed that the shop has nothing against people taking photos; the only precondition is not disturbing the experience of other diners.

She also explained the final line of the notice. Commercial photography is welcome—the shop can arrange time and space for it—but a venue fee must be paid. What isn't acceptable is ordering a single coffee and then occupying the shop for half a day or longer, affecting every customer who comes in to dine.

She added that the notice has been up for more than half a year now. Fewer influencers and models come to shoot these days—perhaps because it's the off-season for commercial photography, or perhaps the notice actually worked. She knew it would offend some people, but if the behavior wasn't stopped now, the problem would only get worse when peak season arrived.

What Makes a Café Last

Influencer visits may bring a temporary bump in business, but they rarely turn into repeat customers. A shop built on influencer traffic will not last long. Only great products and a comfortable environment attract loyal customers—and those are the factors that matter most.

Image source: Internet, Xiaohongshu

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