Endorsement Criteria

To Whom It May Concern,

At SoFloDining, we take immense pride in providing authentic, professional, and unpaid endorsements for independent establishments. Our mission is to maintain the highest standards of journalistic integrity and to ensure that our audience receives honest, expert-driven insights into the culinary world.

In our view, maintaining a reputable image is as critical as maintaining a clean kitchen. Therefore, we treat the association with disingenuous marketing tactics with the same level of severity as an unfavorable health inspection, and both carry the same penalty regarding our coverage.

Because we value the reputation of our brand and the businesses we feature, we maintain a strict policy regarding the use of “influencers” or “content creators” who utilize pay-to-play models or disingenuous promotional tactics. We believe such associations cheapen the professional standing of both our platform and your establishment; furthermore, we view the reliance on these tactics as a red flag and a sign of desperation that undermines a business’s credibility.

Please be advised of the following policy:

Should your establishment choose to engage with influencers or content creators, we will deem it necessary to immediately remove all complimentary promotions provided by SoFloDining for a minimum period of 6 months. This includes the removal of all such promotion across our 13+ international and local platforms, including but not limited to:

  • Review Listings: Your business profile and review on SoFloDining.com.
  • Video Content: Your “Chef’s Table” interview hosted on Rumble and YouTube.
  • Audio Media: Your review podcast featured on iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming platforms.
  • Social Media: All previous organic posts on Facebook and Instagram.

These items are currently provided as non-paid endorsements. We are committed to protecting our brand from being associated with the misleading promotional activities often found in the influencer model, which often includes illegal activity as per 16 CFR Part 255 regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. We believe in the power of professional presentation and genuine merit, and we thank you for respecting the standards that keep our industry reputable. Sincerely,

Daniel Diaz Chief Editor/COO, SoFloDining