Did you know if you throw an ant off a skyscraper, while it falls, the air resistance would create a cushion that slows it down? It would simply hit the pavement and then walk straight into the lead of this article. That’s a tactic pulled straight from Edmonton’s Papa Giuseppe’s Kitchen, an Italian eatery just west of downtown pulling customers in with brainrot social media videos meant to hook an audience before they know what they’re looking at. And it works. On Friday, customer Bob Harmoney said he lived in Edmonton all his life without knowing about the pizzeria. He finally heard about Papa Giuseppe’s from his daughter — who heard about it internationally. “She met some good friends from Manchester, England. They ask her where she’s from. She said Edmonton. And the British guy says, ‘Well, I know Edmonton! That’s where Giuseppe’s is!” Harmoney said with a chuckle. On TikTok, the humble 22-seat restaurant has garnered upwards of five million views across its platform thanks to its bait-and-switch advertising. The context varies, although it is always meant to reel the average doomscroller in. “We tried a lot of things to make it work. When that specific strategy worked, we focused on it,” social media manager John Leo Dizon explained. “It’s a different approach … We get more people from TikTok than Instagram, so Instagram is definitely a different approach. I would say there are more millennials on Instagram and more Gen Zs on TikTok.” Papa Giuseppe’s has only been open for two years, and it lives on the edge of downtown Edmonton — a place some businesses have condemned for dwindling foot traffic, crime and construction. “(The ads) are the one reason right now that I could see why we’re still treading water and keeping afloat. We can get these people coming in from out of town, because a lot of people in Edmonton don’t want to be downtown right now,” regional manager Shakeel Dhalla said. He estimates the account alone brings in three out of every five customers, with some travelling from all over Alberta to try the food. Of course, part of making a profit also requires maintaining the customer base that gets, as fans affectionately call it, ‘Giuseppe’d.’ “It’s a combination of great service and engaging with your clientele, like organically, talking to people, telling them about your story, your staff being proud of the place,” Dhalla said. “I’m not surprised about what happened … The best part is the operation. They can handle the people who are coming in. At the end of the day, if you’re good at marketing and your product isn’t good, you can’t handle it,” Leo Dizon said of Dhalla’s management. And Dhalla wants to share that success. He hopes other restaurants in the downtown core are able to find a marketing niche that works for them just as successfully. “Why not milk it for all it’s worth?” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
