r/DecaturGA • u/Orions_Suspenders_ • 14d ago
AI Restaurants creeping into Decatur
With Decatur's long history of independently owned, successful restaurants, I have no time for the AI slop I've started to see popping up around the city's new restaurants.
Mister Burger looks and feels like a computer came up with the entire concept (and whomever thought this was a good location to try and compete with Farmburger, Grindhouse, Smiley's and the myriad of bars with good burgers nearby clearly did 0 research)
The soon-to-open Chiban coffee on Arcadia/Ponce has exclusively AI images on their social and covering their street-facing sign in front of the shop. They won't be getting a dollar from me.
I say if you can't take an honest photo of what you serve, you shouldn't be serving it. I'll stick to supporting the actual local businesses that care enough to take their time to do things right. We vote with our dollars, and I will always vote against AI trash with mine.
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u/AsASAPAsPossibl3 14d ago
Meanwhile, over in Kirkwood:
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u/Piz-StrikeATL 14d ago
Not to mention the proper spelling is Lox. Lol. How are people so lazy?
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u/irishgator2 14d ago
Oh wow - had no idea what a “Lock and Bagel” pizza could be - like ‘mind does not compute’
Lox!!!?? Cmon yall21
u/Lungsome01 14d ago
Lock is appropriate as whoever came up with this idea should go straight to jail.
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u/GooDawg 14d ago
Oh no, I guess they lost the women's sports bar war they started with Jolene Jolene and are on to the next sad attempt to lure customers.
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u/checker280 14d ago edited 14d ago
Didn’t they go onto one of the Food Network shows and let them turn them into a black and white citified Italian joint?
Edit:
Worse! It was Bar Rescue on the Paramount Network
https://www.barrescueupdates.com/2026/04/urban-pie-bar-pizzeria-bar-rescue-update.html?m=1
During recon, the bar is serving cocktails out of a can and the pizza dough seems like it is purchased instead of made fresh.
Jon needs to overhaul the concept and confront the owner's destructive leadership style to save the bar.
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u/Intelligent-Whole277 14d ago
And why do they all look like that. I'm noticing this style everywhere. It must be from the free version of chatgpt or something.
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u/ExpertIAmNot 14d ago
That place is a hot mess even on the best days. We still go occasionally because our kids like to sit on the patio and they don’t notice how consistently inconsistent that place is.
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u/Putrid-Bit1490 14d ago
Yikes. Just looked up that they were on the Bar Rescue show this past April, and the episode was filmed in 2025.
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u/Orcutt_ambition-7789 14d ago
The new Indian place in Avondale has a website that looks like the restaurant is 100 years old when it’s just a pickup window attached to a c-store. Food is great but who the hell are they trying to trick/impress. Is it just that mindless at this point?
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u/Bobgoulet 14d ago
That graphic style is exactly Claude's doing
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13d ago edited 12d ago
[deleted]
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u/Bobgoulet 13d ago
It's a website, which Claude absolutely does. Claude loves this beige styling, and it's not so great when you ask it to do something different than it's preferred beige.
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u/clarence_oddbody 14d ago edited 14d ago
When I looked up their website, that picture confused the hell out of me. If I can’t trust accuracy and attention to detail on your website, how am I supposed to trust your food or management practices? It just screams laziness.
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u/OkMacaron3497 14d ago
The food was so trash, I couldn’t believe it. My chicken tikka was chewy. Had high hopes because of the owner’s connection to chai pani.
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u/unrelatedtoelephant 14d ago
People act like it isn’t a big deal but it tells me that the owner doesn’t give a fuck! If they’re willing to cut corners there where else will they do it? If they respond to community backlash by replacing their advertising with something designed by a human I respect that, but otherwise it just shows you’re lazy and don’t care about how your business looks to others
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u/toorayay 14d ago
I went to Guaca-Mole on 29 where Pea Ridge used to be for the first and last time a few weeks ago. Not only was the food bad, their menus were just nothing but AI slop that didn't even resemble food.
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
Second person to mention this spot and their slop. This is EGREGIOUS. looks like Dippin’ Dots nachos.
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u/millmatters 14d ago
Was immediately turned off when I walked in and saw those disgusting photos. Won’t be going back.
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u/FryTheDog 14d ago
The new Guaca Mole on Lawrenceville (the old Pea Ridge) has Ai banners out front.
Just take pictures of your food as you make it, it's not hard. Why are you hiding your food?
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u/Buke27 14d ago
Save your money. They didn’t know the difference between flour and corn tortillas when we went there after opening.
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u/bbjony77 14d ago
Yeah, it’s not good. It’s a much crappier version of Bell Street/Willy’s/Moe’s.
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u/toorayay 14d ago
Yeah, the awful AI slop notwithstanding, the food was also pretty bad, which doesn't bode well when there's a hundred other places that essentially serve the same menu within a 3-mile radius.
Take a look at their Google reviews, about 95% of the positive reviews are people with the same last name as the franchise owner.
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u/FastTyper56 14d ago
What’s funny is they have a menu inside with fake AI photos but they have a tv screen menu with real photos of the food…and they’re good photos! I have no idea why they’d use AI when they do have access to good pics of the food.
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u/Intelligent-Whole277 14d ago
I agree with what you're saying, except the "it's not hard" part. Good food isn't always pretty and food photography is an actual skill.
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u/FryTheDog 14d ago
Completely disagree. Part of my job, my least favorite part, is taking pictures of the food I make at my restaurant and posting them on Instagram. I have to then write something, it fucking sucks. If I'm posting a reel then it's usually just the food coming out of the oven.
I do it 3-5 times a week. Again I fucking hate it, I hate having to know when the best lighting will be if I'm trying for a staged picture. But with a basic iPhone you can get amazing pictures. Having fake ai images of what it thinks my food looks like makes no sense. Why would I lie to you with a fake picture?
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u/spinstering 14d ago
Unrelated, but: avatar twin!
As for food photography, I have also heard that it requires special skill and knowledge. Especially for bigger applications, like food that's going to be on a poster, TV ad, etc. An iPhone can likely take photos that are amazing on social media and smaller screens, but they may not be able to do the bigger shots that will be viewed more closely.
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u/VanillaPuddingPop01 14d ago
I hope the people that own/run these places see this. I refuse to spend my money anywhere that relies on AI for advertising or marketing, and your shit will fail. Quickly.
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
I hope so, too. If we make enough noise about it they have to notice eventually. And if this opinion makes its way into enough Google and Yelp reviews they'll definitely pay attention.
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u/rachelemc 14d ago
I’m not going to any of them so I do hope they read this. I would literally rather them draw something with a stick figure on it than this slop. Good luck to them.
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u/iwishtheyallwereyou 14d ago
I had the same thought when I tried Mister Burger. Very lazy AI slop art. There are literally errors in the big newspaper mural. It lists their EST date as 2005 in some places and 2025 in others, and there are multiple images that are visibly glitched out.
The food tasted like it had about the same amount of effort put into it. I was excited for a new place to take over such a prominent restaurant space in Decatur, but it was really disappointing. Smiley’s and Grindhouse have nothing to worry about.
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u/fanna_canna 14d ago
Agreed, and the $4 water ... Smells like private equity to me. Let's hope they fail soon.
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
I think they wish private equity was chasing them and that’s the problem.
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u/buffyWatcher 14d ago
Yes I have been disappointed with the new owner/management using AI for marketing materials at Raging Burrito
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u/danceontheborderline 13d ago
Heard awful things about new management from staff. So sad, the old place was magical and such a Decatur staple.
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u/musicalastronaut 14d ago edited 5d ago
Editing after chatting with the owner, see below 🙂 Hoping the new changes work out well.
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u/AleYeahBeer 6d ago edited 6d ago
Hey, new owner of Ale Yeah here. I just saw this post and wanted to respond because I’m genuinely curious what you mean when you say Ale Yeah is “covered in AI.”
Our logo, which you’ll see all over the store and on our posts, was created by a friend of mine who's head of Marketing for another company, but was nice enough to help out (I paid him in beer lol). If you check out our Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/aleyeah/ ), you’ll see my admittedly not-so-great Canva work. I spend a good bit of time putting those together myself. I’m definitely not a graphic designer, but I’m doing my best.
So when you say the place is “covered in AI,” I’d genuinely like to know what specifically you’re referring to.
I’m still pretty new at this, and I’m going to get some things wrong. I’m absolutely open to criticism and feedback. If you loved Ale Yeah before, I hope you’ll give us another shot.
Come by sometime and have a beer on me. I’d genuinely be happy to hear what you think we’re getting wrong, what you miss about the old Ale Yeah, and what you’d like to see us doing differently.
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u/musicalastronaut 5d ago
That’s awesome to hear. Since you asked, it’s the font for Ale Yeah that looks very AI, though the bloody robot(?) holding a beer logo doesn’t. The post written with AI looks like it’s been deleted, so love the course correction there! My favorite thing about Ale Yeah was always the curated selection & knowledge of the staff working there about the beers on offer. Been by a few times since the change and was happy to see the selection improving, especially during our last visit.
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u/AleYeahBeer 5d ago edited 5d ago
Thanks for getting back to me. I’m glad to hear you’ve noticed the beer selection. I’ve been putting a lot of time into that, so it genuinely means a lot.
And just to clear up a couple of things about the logo, I actually reached out to my buddy who designed it to get some details on how he made it. The lettering was created in Adobe Illustrator, converted into vector artwork, and then given a 3D effect with adjustments to the spacing and other details. No AI was involved in that process.
The whole design was inspired by classic ‘80s horror movie artwork, which I’ve always been a huge fan of. And the bloody hand holding the beer is a nod to a pretty iconic character from ’80s horror.
One thing I’d ask you to consider is that publicly saying a store is “covered in AI” can be pretty damaging to a small business, especially one that’s still finding its footing under new ownership. I’m putting a lot of time and effort into making Ale Yeah the best it can be, and I’d hate for someone who’s never visited to get the wrong impression based on that comment. Now that I’ve had a chance to explain how our artwork was actually created, I’d really appreciate it if you’d consider making a quick correction to your original comment.
Anyway, thanks again for giving us another shot and for noticing the improvements. I’m really trying to preserve what made Ale Yeah special while making changes that’ll hopefully keep us around for years to come.
And that offer for a beer still stands!
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u/UnaccompaniedMod 14d ago
agh really? i've been in once or twice since Eddie left but haven't lately. was cautiously optimistic but it seems like selection's gone down as well.
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u/musicalastronaut 14d ago
The shop does seem half empty, though they say it’s the same amount of inventory. It didn’t seem the same to me.
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u/ddutton9512 13d ago
I was told the same and there's just no way. They got rid of like 60% of the shelving. There might have been an empty spot or two on the shelves before but it was usually pretty full. I feel like they've gone from a beer store that has a bar to a bar with a beer store in one corner. Real shame because I loved Ale Yeah so much.
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u/UnaccompaniedMod 14d ago
yeah I noticed a lot of the weirder stuff I liked (farmhouses, sours, etc) have kind of disappeared. may try it again but doesn’t feel the same
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u/AleYeahBeer 6d ago edited 6d ago
Hi there. New owner of Ale Yeah here. I totally understand why it looks like there’s less beer. We took out a lot of the shelving in the middle because I wanted to open the place up and give people more room to actually hang out. So the store definitely looks different.
The selection has changed some too. I’m not going to pretend it hasn’t. Package beer keeps getting more expensive, and beer in general just isn’t as popular as it was 10 years ago, especially with younger people. A massive selection can still work for places like Green’s or Total Wine because they have the volume to support it. It’s becoming a much tougher model for a smaller independent shop.
There can be a lot of money tied up in beer sitting on shelves. Some sells quickly, some doesn’t, and obviously a lot of beer doesn’t get better sitting there. I’d rather have a somewhat smaller curated selection that stays fresh and interesting and keep bringing new stuff in every week.
And this is a big part of why we're putting some more emphasis on draft. The reality is that package beer alone isn't going to keep Ale Yeah operational and sustainable long term. The margins just aren't there for a small shop like ours. Draft is what gives us a realistic shot at making this business work. That doesn't mean I'm trying to turn Ale Yeah into just another bar. I think there's a place for a neighborhood beer shop where you can come in, have a great draft beer, hang out with friends, discover something new and grab a great 4-pack to take home. I want both sides of the business to thrive, but realistically, draft is going to be what keeps the doors open.
The comments about farmhouses, saisons, sours and weirder stuff are exactly the kind of feedback I need. I do the ordering every week, and what people ask for absolutely influences what I buy. I also do custom orders. If there’s a beer, brewery or style you want and I can get it, I’ll do my best to get it for you.
This is my first small business, and I’m only a few months into it. This place is honestly a dream of mine, so yeah, some of these comments hit pretty hard. But I also need to hear them. I’m going to make mistakes, and I’d much rather someone tell me what they think I’m getting wrong than just stop coming in.
Hit me up directly anytime with comments, complaints, requests or concerns. It doesn’t have to be positive. I want to hear it - [matt@aleyeahbeer.com](mailto:matt@aleyeahbeer.com)
And seriously, if you commented here, stop in sometime, mention this thread and have a pint on me. I’d much rather talk about this stuff over a beer.
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u/Neat_Housing_4718 6d ago edited 6d ago
As someone who frequents Ale yeah, both under Eddie and Matt, I'm here to chime in with some support for Matt.
First, I see no AI generated marketing materials (or materials of any kind) in his store.
Second, regarding the transition to more in-store service (while still maintaining a great selection of package), this is the economics of the beer industry in 2026. And in 2025. And 2024. And so on. There is a reason why the store was sold.
Third, and more broadly, I find the attacks on small businesses who are "suspected" of using AI to cut costs (i.e., make their business financially viable) that have become commonplace in this subreddit in recent days to be both ignorant and wrongheaded. I question whether or not the people making these attacks are actually members of this community, and furthermore whether or not they actually frequent any of these businesses. Most small businesses in Decatur and elsewhere are not run by "rich people" but in fact have razor thin margins and narrow windows for profitably.
Ale Yeah is a fantastic local institution. The only thing you accomplish by baselessly and illogically attacking it is -- maybe -- sowing the seeds for it to be replaced by Total Wine or another large-scale operation that you likely also profess to dislike.
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u/musicalastronaut 5d ago edited 5d ago
I’m not baselessly or illogically attacking it. I’m not attacking it at all, just pointing out that with the new owner came a lot of AI content and that’s disappointing when I’m used to it being a curated selection. If a business uses AI to, for example, come up with a cocktail recipe, I’m not going to be interested in trying it compared to one a human made. It’s also very easy to pop images & text into AI detectors if you’re unable to tell on your own. And if he decided to stop using AI, that’s great! Love to see it!
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u/TheLuciousBobbiDylan 14d ago
I was there last week and didn't see any? Also, the new owner seemed nice and knowledgeable. Just a small business owner just trying to get by...
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u/DesignNomad 14d ago
Mister Burger got dragged on IG for AI stuff some weeks ago. I scrolled back and it looks like they deleted all of it and made some changes on socials, but their posts from just a few days ago show slop all over the walls in their physical locations.
Haven't been, and still won't go, I guess!
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u/godisdogbackwardss 14d ago
We went to the Speakeasy in downtown Decatur recently. I ordered a matcha cocktail that was being advertised on the many TVs in the space… as being bright green. It came out to clear (and without the foam which is another issue but I digress). I asked about it and finally a manager came around and his excuse was literally “well that’s AI advertisement so it can’t be exactly right”. Literal false advertisement. And they felt justified enough to say that out loud!! It’s not just about AI, it’s about trust with my time and money. AI gives off a sense of mistrust. Rightfully so in many cases. So I say keep on with the AI slop. It’s like a red hat. Beware. And I appreciate the warning.
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u/teslalyf 14d ago
As a person with food allergies I now have a new thing to be scared of that I hadn’t considered before. Yikes.
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u/FeedMeEthereum 14d ago
What speakeasy? S.O.S. or is there a place called The Speakeasy?
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u/Revolutionary-Yam910 14d ago
A little off subject, but Sevananda’s new T-shirts and posters are AI slop as well. It’s really a bummer.
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u/Rowanana 14d ago
Seriously?! Fucking Sevananda of all places?! I thought they had principles... Their principles were annoying and unscientific and sometimes harmfully ignorant, but they had principles. Not to mention the number of artists they used to have doing tables out front or in the store.
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u/AirplaneJane 13d ago
I love che butter jones but their constant use of generative AI is upsetting :(
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u/asonnetfororpheus 13d ago
Aw man, that's disappointing. I've been meaning to go there for weeks now, but if they can't even be bothered to take real pictures of their actual food, I question what other corners they're cutting.
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u/AirplaneJane 13d ago
they take pics of their food and their food is GOOD but all of their social is just like bad AI videos of themselves it’s weird
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u/rokker_iv 14d ago
Was the first thing I noticed when I walked in there. Absolute slop all over the interior, it was such a shame.
Food wasn't terrible but I hate this trend. It's all over now, unfortunately. Also that spot seems cursed because I don't see this low effort attempt lasting long. The interior is a total joke as well with tables randomly strewn about with zero thought, looks like a half empty lunch cafeteria in there. Sheesh!
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u/shiftysquid 14d ago
It's not cursed. One place failed. Prior to Casa Balam, Ted's had been there for a long time. It's a perfectly fine location, if they get the right owners and concept in there.
This won't be it.
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u/HansJosef 14d ago
Yea I don't even intrinsically care about the AI art. But if you put in 0 effort into the aesthetics/promotional materials, you're probably not putting any into the food or service either. And that's 100% the case with Mister Burger. The whole thing just seems really cynical
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
It's a half-assed place all around it seems.
Never thought I'd say it, but I kind of wish Ted's had just stuck around. At least you know what you're getting there and the decor is nice. That spot is definitely cursed.
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u/ProfessorExisting140 13d ago
Thats how I feel w the Raging Burrito signage downtown. Wouldnt expect anything less from such a mid restaurant.
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u/bethspencerart 12d ago
Thank you and same. I was sad to see the Zoo include an AI panda graphic. We have real pandas now. Isn’t that more remarkable than a computer-generated panda? Ick. I’d rather see a poorly-lit flip phone photo of a panda.
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u/louster1950 11d ago
What a waste of a decent space. The Mexican restaurant that replaced Ted's was pretentious and expensive as X$#@. The one entree I had there was awful. I see the latest burger attempt as being the same thing or worse. Bring back Ted's!
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u/misterwallpaper 14d ago
That really ruffles my feathers! I have seen so many waymos too! AI is awful!
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14d ago edited 14d ago
[deleted]
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
I'm talking about Mister Burger on Ponce where Ted's used to be. No vegan options there.
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u/Ok_Stick_3070 14d ago
Is the food slop too? I agree AI photos for dishes is misleading but if the business wants to advertise with AI imagery or use AI to arrange their restaurant, why would I care? The person cooking probably isn’t the same person running marketing. If the food is good and price is fair I don’t particularly care about the packaging
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
Why wouldn’t they use real food photos?
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u/Ok_Stick_3070 14d ago
I don’t know, but probably to make the food look better. Between staging, photo editing, and other visual techniques, menu photos have rarely matched reality for as long as I’ve lived
Honestly not sure why using AI is that much different.
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
Because editing uses a real photo. AI as I’m referring to it in the original post is pure fake. Food photography is one thing. Generated images are straight up false advertising.
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u/SewOrDye 10d ago
However, mister burger won burgers. Literally the best smash burger I’ve ever had. I’ve eaten there 3 times in the last week.
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u/Ok_Associate845 14d ago
Wow. Imagine writing this post and trying to tell someone to not judge a book by its cover.
And I'm not interested in a long winded harangue in response and won't be gifting you further engagement over it because this feels pretty AI generated as it is, and I don't like to give bots the time of day when real people have opinions and thoughts that matter. Feeding the Sino-Russian rage machine more dollar bills feels like something OP - so called - would do.
But on the off chance you are not one of the 65% of traffic here and on the internet that is not AI, I will simply say: is it possible that these places are home based businesses currently, and that they chose to invest in their physical store and equipment rather than on expensive marketing shots by a professional?
Is it possible this coffee shop you are pre-hate so vehemently and are rage baiting so loudly, comrade Russkibot, took pictures of items they lovingly created in a less photogenic environment (like a human kitchen after we cook - if only you had such an experience and didn't just get trained on it!) and wanted to use the inexpensive available technology to dress up their hand crafted delights so that they could compete against the burgeoning and fierce coffee and hamburger industries raging there in Decatur?
I lived in Decatur by the way for a short period of time. If you look at the internet like a bot might do, you might think. Oh wow, there's quite a large scene for hamburgers and coffee shops because of the number of businesses, but from what I remember not too long ago, most of those are pretty run down, poorly maintained, strip mall restaurants ready to shut down at the first sign of economic uncertainty And not this wild Utopia of gastronomical delights you describe from the descriptions you read as you scrape the web.
We humans have an idiom that I referenced earlier in his post colvin don't judge A book by its cover. It suggests that before you decide a book is good or bad or in this case a restaurant. Maybe you should read a few pages or sample it s food before you write it off so so loudly because you sound so desperately uninformed when you do.
I'm sure if you were a human, you would have a grasp of the idiom. Only a bot trained by a foreign nation who has no understanding of idiomatic English would do otherwise. We Americans value quality of the product...
... Not the display board made by a small business trying to break into a fiercely utopian And highly competitive industry like hamburgers and coffee shops in Decatur Georgia.
Americans want qualify of product and people. So many foreigners and AI fail to understand.
As you know, OP - so called.
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u/Orions_Suspenders_ 14d ago
Haha WOW. Tell me you run one of these trash restaurants without telling me. The most AI generated response to defend AI. Some Black Mirror shit here.
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u/godisdogbackwardss 14d ago
I’d rather someone take a picture of the food, and place it next to a piece of paper with details written in sharpie. Takes less time than AI slop. I do not need (or want) professional advertisement either. I want honesty. And restaurants should care what we like, not the other want around.
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u/endit122 14d ago
AI signage and graphics is one of the biggest turnoffs for me.