Local small business react to potential U.S. TikTok ban

SAN ANTONIO — Tension continues to build on the potential U.S. ban of TikTok. 

Lizett Villarreal is the general manager of Los Azulejos Restaurant, known for their Mexican cuisine. 

The restaurant doesn’t have a TikTok, but they rely on influencers who review the restaurant bringing major exposure with tens of thousands of views.

If you’re planning on dining at Los Azulejos, you may have a wait time.

“It’s getting busy at the restaurant because of people watching TikTok,” Villarreal said.

According to influencers that review the restaurant’s food, it’s worth the wait.

“It’s a big deal because not only the locals know about us, people outside the city come to visit us,” Villarreal said.

Villarreal says the restaurant sees visitors from the Valley, Midland and Odessa.

“More people from every single age, use TikTok so it absolutely impacts in a good way for us,” Villarreal said.

Wendy Boaglio Gratereaux is a digital marketing professor for the University of Texas San Antonio.

“There’s a whole ecosystem built around supporting that business whether that be local or national,” Gratereaux said.

Gratereaux believes small businesses shouldn’t rely so heavily on one app, but branch out to other resources for marketing.

Her suggestion: don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

“Consider small budget advertising… You don’t have to spend a lot but it would accelerate you getting on to other platforms and connecting with those audiences much faster,” Gratereaux said. “To help hopefully mitigate the losses they’re going to sustain from not having all that organic and free love and traffic that they’re getting.”

Gratereaux empathizes with small business owners.

“They are trying to live that American dream, and they do want that independence, and for them to see that they’re getting so much of their business from TikTok. It is going to be heartbreaking when this happens, but these things to do happen unfortunately,” Gratereaux said.