A Manchester restaurant’s Instagram has been hacked – losing them thousands of followers and a key means of communication with customers.
Bada Bing sandwich shop – a Sopranos-inspired takeaway launched in lockdown by Meg Lingenfelter and Sam Gormally – had its social media infiltrated over the weekend.
The couple discovered they had been locked out of their account on Friday (July 2) – and now the account is actually being held to ransom.
A screenshot of the Whatsapp exchange, shared to Eatmcr’s story last night
The couple behind the successful sandwich takeaway project revealed they have received Whatsapp messages from the person who’s logged into their account, asking them for money to have it returned.
However, when they paid the $300 that was requested – the hacker asked for more money.
A new small business, Bada Bing has only been trading for a few months but had managed to acquire over ten thousand followers in that time.
Now, they’ve had to create a new account @badabing.mcr, which they’re asking people to refollow and share.
Bada Bing posted this image of Silvio Dante from The Sopranos to their new account over the weekend after their original one got hacked
Although the takeaway is on the food delivery app Food Stuff MCR, a large part of Bada Bing’s business is operated through social media – particularly Instagram.
Whilst orders can be made for click and collect through their website, social media is their main means of communicating with customers.
Bada Bing has contacted Instagram through the usual support channels but have not yet heard anything back about getting their original @badabingmcr account back. A quick look suggests the original account may have been deactivated or deleted.
Just a couple of the brilliant sandwiches on the menu at Bada Bing / Image: Bada Bing
The duo have not said much publicly on the matter but have shared an image simply stating “The Bing got got. Don’t disrespect the Bing.”
Bada Bing is currently over at The Refuge – having extended their residency there for at least the next couple of weeks. You can find them selling their brilliant Italian American deli-inspired hoagie sandwiches as part of Eatmcr’s street food takeover.
Head down Friday-Sunday between midday and 6pm to show them some love – and make sure to follow their new account, @badabing.mcr.
Food & Drink
Manchester favourite Nell’s to open new site for New York-style pizza, karaoke and shuffleboard
Daisy Jackson
Much-loved New York-style pizza joint Nell’s has announced big plans for a brand new location – they’re heading to MediaCity.
Nell’s are stepping things up a notch with the move, adding in private karaoke booths, shuffleboard tables, and a huge outdoor terrace in their new site.
Nell’s MediaCity is set to open this autumn, promising 22-inch New York-style pizza (also served in gigantic slices), frozen margs, and ice cream sandwiches.
There are already several spots around Manchester where you can get a slice of Nell’s, including their restaurants at Kampus and in Altrincham, the OG Northern Quarter site in Common, and at The Beagle in Chorlton.
And now it’s Salford’s turn, with plans unveiled for the team to expand over to MediaCity’s quayside Orange Building.
Nell’s co-founder Jonny Heyes said: “We’ve been thinking about MediaCity for a long time, it’s such a great area and we’ve seen what brilliant operators like Kargo have achieved so when this space came up, we jumped on it!
“The venue is huge which has given us the chance to really play with the experience.
“This idea of karaoke and shuffleboard accompanying our made-for-sharing pizzas and great cocktails feels like a natural next step for us as a brand.”
Nell’s have also partnered with Deliveroo and Slerp to send 14-inch and 22-inch pizzas far and wide.
The new opening is expected to create more than 35 new jobs, and as Common & Co has twice been named in the Times 100 Best Places To Work list, you might want to check those out HERE.
These viral sensations are a plush toy created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised designer Kasing Lung, who drew inspiration from his love of fairytales to create a character with bunny-like ears, large eyes and big smiles.
They’re swinging off handbags all over the UK at the minute and people are queueing for hours for the latest Labubu drops.
At Sweet Dreams, they’re making edible chocolate Labubus using a special mould flown in from Japan.
Each one has a pistachio kunafa filling and is painstakingly painted by hand.
And that brings us neatly to the next viral craze at play here – Dubai pistachio chocolate.
An army of pistachio chocolate LabubuInside a chocolate pistachio Labubu
Kunafa is a staple in Middle Eastern bakes and pastries but hit the global mainstream last year when thick chocolate pistachio bars stuffed with it went viral online, spawning countless dupes and inspired specials.
And finally, chocolate covered strawberries – hardly a new invention, but this simple dessert has rocketed in popularity especially in food hotspots like Borough Market in London.
Head into Sweet Dreams and you can build your treat from the base up – choose white or milk melted chocolate for your strawberries, layer on pistachio kunafa, then top with either a milk or white chocolate Labubu.
A slightly daft novelty? Yes. But that doesn’t stop them being delicious.
This is the only place in the UK currently selling Dubai pistachio chocolate Labubus.
Georgina Pellant -
6th July 2021 
