Meet Claire Hong | Food Influencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Hong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I love food, just like any other person, but the difference was I wanted to share where I went, what I tried, how much I liked it, etc. After contemplating many days, even weeks, I finally decided to start the Instagram account and focus on food. I want to share my experience, as well as see what other people with the same passion as me experience.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being the sole owner of the account, I have my own schedule and routine. I get to have control over everything I do. I never did anything to benefit me monetarily, however, the only challenge was to ensure my followers were being engaged and ensure I was enjoying what I had started. I learned that since I have control over my flexibility, I can post and share content whenever I want to, I can share whatever I want in order to be authentic.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Not in order, but in Atlanta, I would bring them to all the tourist attractions such as the World of Coca-Cola and the Beltline. We would try food at Krog Street Market, ride the scooters and stop by some local stores on the way. I would also bring them to Athens, GA where I go to school, and bring them to my favorite hotspots such as Ahi Hibachi and Poke, Lake Herrick, Downtown Athens where the bars are, and if the time is right, a sporting event at UGA. Helen, GA would also be a good option because the culture and the atmosphere is entirely different, and bring them to local restaurants and this shop with homemade lemonade and funnel cake.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to all of my friends who had supported me through this, making sure I was enjoying it rather than thinking of it as a job. I want them to know how fun it is to try new restaurants and even go to our favorite places and spend time together and experience the food together.

Instagram: @_claire.eats

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=kfcXBHle8OClv7qmWUtOlQ&utm_source=ishare

Image Credits
Claire Hong