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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Ryan Feghali did not set out to become a content creator. He just started telling the truth on Twitter, now known as X.<\/p>\n
At the time, Feghali was operating dozens of restaurants under brands like Little Caesars, Jersey Mike\u2019s, and his own concept, CoCo Playa<\/a>. He was in the trenches every day, dealing with the same challenges every operator faces, from staffing and systems to growth and pressure. But instead of letting his daily challenges and wins go undocumented, he decided to share his ideas and learnings on social media.<\/p>\n But not as himself. Instead, he posted under the pseudonym \u201cQSR Guy<\/a><\/span>\u201d for a simple reason.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, it was a place that I could come in and have a pseudonym,\u201d Feghali said. \u201cI felt like that pseudonym gave me some freedom, like some permission to just be my authentic self.\u201d<\/p>\n Feghali used the account to share useful insights on business and franchising, a stream of raw thoughts rather than polished content. It wasn\u2019t highly curated, had no food shots and didn\u2019t promote any product or service.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t looking to go viral. I wasn\u2019t looking to build a huge following. I just wanted to put my thoughts out there and then see what happened,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n There was a lot of honesty in each post, and that\u2019s what made people gravitate towards the account. Feghali wrote like an operator, not a marketer. He shared what worked, what didn\u2019t and how he was thinking through decisions. That kind of transparency is rare in an industry that often hides its mistakes. Operators began reaching out to him in his DMs, asking for advice on deals. Others shared their own experiences. A community formed around practical insights. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been able to help people that people in my DMs would be like, \u2018Hey, I have this deal I\u2019m looking at, what would you think of this?\u2019\u201d Feghali said. \u201cAnd honestly, I\u2019ve been helped a lot by the community on X.\u201d<\/p>\n Even anonymously, trust was built. That is the power of telling the truth online.<\/p>\n Feghali eventually made the call to shift the account from anonymous to his name. After a year of posting as QSR Guy, he had built an audience that trusted him. Operators were reading, responding and reaching out. But as his business evolved, especially with the launch of CoCo Playa, staying anonymous no longer made sense. The story and the operator needed to connect.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like it was kind of a part of the story to finally say, all right guys, you\u2019ve been reading this for so long,\u201d Feghali said. \u201cHere\u2019s what you\u2019ve been reading about and this is what the end final result looked like. And this is me.\u201d<\/p>\n Putting his name behind the account didn\u2019t change the content, it expanded its reach and impact.<\/p>\n What began as simple observations evolved into real relationships, with Feghali sharing ideas that helped people make decisions around deals, systems and strategy.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had people in my DMs that would be like, \u2018Hey, I have this deal I\u2019m looking at, what would you think of this?\u2019\u201d Feghali said.<\/p>\n That exchange goes both ways. When building CoCo Playa, he turned to his audience for input. A simple post asking for POS recommendations led to real feedback that shaped the business.<\/p>\n \u201cI got tons of comments on what they recommend and why, what they recommend staying away from,\u201d Feghali said. \u201cAnd we ended up going with Toast maybe because of some people who gave me that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n The value is not in the number of followers. It is in the quality of connection. Feghali has built relationships with operators, investors and even professional athletes who reached out after seeing his posts.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve met some really great friends,\u201d Feghali said. \u201cIt\u2019s unlocked so many cool relationships that I would never trade for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n You do not need millions of views. You need the right people paying attention.<\/p>\n Because the return is not just digital. It is real.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.<\/p>\n Toast \u2014 Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about\u00a0Toast<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Ryan Feghali did not set out to become a content creator. He just started telling the truth on Twitter, now known as X.<\/p>\n At the time, Feghali was operating dozens of restaurants under brands like Little Caesars, Jersey Mike\u2019s, and his own concept, CoCo Playa<\/a>. He was in the trenches every day, dealing with the same challenges every operator faces, from staffing and systems to growth and pressure. But instead of letting his daily challenges and wins go undocumented, he decided to share his ideas and learnings on social media.<\/p>\n But not as himself. Instead, he posted under the pseudonym \u201cQSR Guy<\/a><\/span>\u201d for a simple reason.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nAudience to opportunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n
About\u00a0Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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