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It had everything going for it: a strong concept, a dedicated team, and loyal guests. But like many independent restaurants, it faced a critical challenge — reaching beyond its existing bubble to attract local food lovers who had never heard of them.
The challenge was particularly acute because Borboleta doesn’t serve traditional Portuguese dishes. In a city where tourists flock for bacalhau and francesinha, and locals have deep-rooted dining preferences, standing out as a modern, non-traditional venue meant fighting against both cultural expectations and algorithmic obscurity.
“One of our biggest challenges was visibility. Reaching a wider audience, especially curious locals — felt nearly impossible.”
— Iana Korzun, owner of Borboleta
Iana tried the usual routes: Google and Instagram ads, social media posts, the standard playbook for independent restaurants. None of it moved the needle except for collaborations with food bloggers and local influencers. But those partnerships consumed so much time and resources that they were impossible to sustain while running the restaurant full-time with no budget for a marketing team.
Then she found Rippla.
Enter local content creators (and 145 000 of their closest friends)
Rippla works on a simple premise: match restaurants with creators whose audiences actually align with what the restaurant offers. No ad spend required — just a complimentary meal in exchange for authentic content from creators with engaged followings.
For Borboleta, Rippla’s matching system identified Fernando (@ja.comi.pior.e.a.pagar) — an MD and local food content creator with 65,000 followers — as an ideal match based on audience demographics and content style. Instead of Iana spending hours researching creators and negotiating terms, Rippla handled the entire process: from initial outreach to briefing.
Fernando’s audience represented exactly the kind of curious, food- and wine-loving locals Iana had been trying to reach, and the collaboration required minimal time from the restaurant team.
The impact was immediate.
Within days, guests started arriving and ordering the exact dishes featured. Not the usual bestsellers — the dishes from the reels. And crucially, the faces were different: more local Portuguese, not just tourists and expats.
Over five months, Rippla connected Borboleta with dozens of local creators, each matched to the restaurant’s target audience.
“The results speak for themselves. After each collaboration, we see guests coming in and ordering the exact dishes they saw online.”
— Iana Korzun
One guest who discovered Borboleta through a creator recently booked out the entire restaurant for a private event.
The numbers tell the story
- +10% growth in local guests
- €1,000+ saved in marketing costs from a single collaboration
- ~200% increase in Instagram reach
- ~180% growth in followers
When marketing stops being a burden
For Iana, the real shift wasn’t just visibility — it was turning marketing from an overwhelming chore into something manageable.
“What I appreciated most was how smooth and structured the process is. Rippla connects you with creators who deliver real impact — not just followers, but actual traffic and bookings.”
— Iana Korzun
It’s a stark contrast to the scattershot approach most independent restaurants face: throwing money at ads that may or may not work, posting into the void, hoping something sticks.
“We no longer feel like we’re shouting into the void. We’ve found our voice, and Rippla helped us amplify it.”
— Iana Korzun
Why data-driven influencer marketing works
Borboleta’s experience reflects a broader shift in how people discover restaurants. 77% of dining decisions now start on social media, and 69% of diners trust creator recommendations over traditional advertising.
But random creator partnerships rarely deliver. What works is precision: audience data, brand alignment, authentic storytelling. Not just any creator — the right creator.
As one of Rippla’s earliest users, Borboleta proved that independent restaurants don’t need massive budgets to compete. They need the right tools to connect with authentic voices who can reach their ideal customers.
Five months and dozens of collaborations later, Rippla has become essential to Borboleta’s growth strategy. When influencer marketing is targeted and data-driven, it doesn’t just generate followers. It fills tables.
