The Food Tour Report.

Saturday 25th of January was the day I ran a food tour.

Why? A two-pronged attack from Sayaka and my daughter’s godmother.

Sayaka said if I had time to look at job listings about part-time SEO, marketing, and social media positions, why not just focus on setting up a food tour business?

We were in a cafe in Kurume in 2023.
We were eating sushi in 2024.
If her friend could run bagel-making lessons twice a week, netting in a grand a week, I could do a food tour.

You mean another business after my photography, design, writing, and cookbook retailing? Dude, key word is to consolidate.

It all sounded like those online scams, and after the lockdown, suddenly everyone’s a travel expert.
Everyone’s a ‘you should do this’ expert.
In the last month, I have probably a basketball team of people telling me I should start a YouTube channel.

Also, if it’s so easy, why don’t you do it?

“Because you’re a food writer, photographer, New York Times, Gourmet Traveller, Good Food, Broadsheet whatever bullshit!” Sayaka said.

Oh stroking my ego? Do you think I’d fall for that? That’s so typical of advanced scamming and - teehee hee, I guess she had a point.

Last month, Hana’s godmother who returned from a world tour told me the same thing. They’ve been to so many food tours which were ‘ma ma dei’ 麻麻哋 - lower than mid.

You could totally do it.

You do it all the time! She said.

---

The week after, she told me I was leading a tour no matter what.
She’s signed up a couple from Canada, their first time in the southern hemisphere. No risk, easy reward.

I joked with Sayaka it was happening, and she replied with exclamation marks - “I’m in!”

Alright, I can do a trial with three people.

A few days later, Sayaka replied with another text: another four or five friends and colleagues are joining.

Uh-oh.

I set up an Airbnb experience immediately¹. (Approval time - eight weeks. WTF.) Next, a Viator account, approval time - almost immediate, because you pay to list.

All this, was so that there would be a platform for Sayaka’s friends to book and demand refunds without involving herself and me.

Anyway, look at me, scammed to scam.

Next thing I know, I was buying sunscreen and name tags.

This is what we did:

We started at Victoria Market. Took them to see the American Doughnut Van and taught them a hack to reduce queue time.