Things aren’t going great at Ninja Ramen, owner Christopher Huang shared in an Instagram post. But he’s got a plan: he is starting a subscription OnlyFans for the restaurant that will feature photos of guests eating their hot noods, with consent.
Okay, well, it’s serious but not completely serious. That OnlyFans exists, and you can subscribe or submit photos to support. But Huang’s actual plan is to remind folks that Ninja Ramen exists and serves excellent food. And if it takes a little OnlyFans action to do that (or get media outlets like this one to notice his plight), he will do it.
Ninja Ramen opened in 2014 and is still on Eater Houston’s map of essential ramen spots. Huang says business being down isn’t limited to his restaurant but that many of his peers are reporting the same thing since the pandemic. He writes on Instagram that spending seems to be down across the board and that Ninja Ramen is only making 80 percent of its pre-COVID revenue. He notes that he raised menu prices by 50 cents three years ago, but costs have increased 18 percent since then. “Now we all know I’m a cheap ass Asian, so I’ve had money saved up for a rainy day (or year), but at the current rate, we won’t make it for much longer,” he said in the post.
With his post, Huang hopes to remind customers about the bar, which he says has the largest selection of Asian whiskeys in the country — and let them know prices will be marked down between 20 and 50 percent for a limited time. Keep an eye on Ninja Ramen’s social media for updates on featured bottles.
He also plans to release a new cocktail menu, update the rotating food specials, and host more events and collaborations. While those are all great plans, the best plan is just asking for help.
“I don’t know how to ask for help in an elegant manner,” Huang wrote. “Instead I’m going to awkwardly appeal to your sense of kinship to Houston culture that we’ve been a part of for the past decade. We’re a part of the city’s flavor, please tell your friends and family to come slurp us up.”
You know what to do.
Eater Houston reached out to Huang for comment.
