When the story turns against you, change the story.
Public Relations
Creator & Influencer
In a reputation crisis, how a brand responds can become as important as what started it.
For FOB Sushi, GreenRubino's crisis communications strategy focused on transparency, credible third-party validation, and rebuilding trust with the community. By combining media relations, creator engagement, public health coordination, and a carefully planned reopening, the response helped shift public sentiment and turn a viral restaurant controversy into a business recovery story.
The Challenge
It took less than 24 hours for a viral comment to become a national story.
After commenters of a Keith Lee TikTok claimed they saw a parasitic worm in a dish from FOB Sushi, backlash spread quickly. Both locations closed. Public sentiment plummeted. And their initial response only made things worse. By the time FOB Sushi called GreenRubino, this wasn't just a social media problem. The reputation and future of the business were at stake.
The Strategy
We couldn't make the controversy disappear. But we could change the way FOB Sushi responded to it.
That meant less defending and more listening. More transparency. More humanity. And giving the community reasons to trust the people behind the restaurant again.
The Solution
We helped FOB Sushi apologize openly, worked with Seattle & King County Public Health to validate its food safety practices, and brought the owners forward to tell their story.
Then we helped turn the reopening into a story of its own, bringing together local and national media, content creators, and the community through a media day and a grassroots Thank You for Your Trust campaign. The story that had spread online was changing again. This time, in FOB Sushi's favor.
FOB Sushi reopened with the trust of its community and came back stronger.
- 40% increase in foot traffic after reopening
- 25% increase in revenue over projections
- 88% positive sentiment, up from 78% negative at the height of the crisis
- 15+ earned media placements
The recovery also generated 80+ positive influencer posts supporting the brand, helping extend the shift in sentiment across the community.
Best Crisis Response, From Viral Fallout to Reputation Recovery
Meaningful growth starts with understanding what is holding an audience back.
GreenRubino combines audience insight, strategic thinking, and creative problem solving to help brands navigate change and turn it into business advantage.
