Cautionary: a bagel shop owner posted a ChatGPT image for Father's Day without checking it, got roasted on Reddit and deleted it
Gina Chersevani, owner of Buffalo & Bergen, a small group of bagel shops in Washington, D.C., in Washingtonian
She had ChatGPT create the Father's Day promotion image and posted it without looking closely. The image had a man's arm twisted backwards holding a bag of bagels, a generic cap reading "BAGEL PROVIDER EST. ALWAYS", and New York skyscrapers on DC's skyline.
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The problem
She does her own social media. Father's Day was an especially hard day for her (her husband had died the previous fall), and she didn't want to spend time on a holiday post.
What happened
A regular told her she was "getting slammed on Reddit": the post drew 100+ mocking comments and hostile DMs. She deleted the image. Her follow-up post drew a second Reddit thread with 400+ comments. The lesson the article draws: customers notice AI images, and mom-and-pop shops can get attacked for them, so check every image closely and lean on real photos.
Quoted in the source: Gina Chersevani, owner, Buffalo & Bergen. Source: Washingtonian: This Bagel Shop Used ChatGPT for a Father's Day Promotion. Then It Got Roasted Online. (2026-06-26) · Added 2026-11-08.
How to set it up yourself
- Use AI for the words of a holiday post (caption, offer, hashtags), and use a real photo of your own food, shop or staff for the picture.
- If you do use an AI image, zoom in before posting: hands, arms, text on clothing and signs, and the local skyline or landmarks are where AI gets things wrong.
- Have one other person look at any AI image before it goes live, especially on a day when you're tired or distracted. Schedule the post the day before.
- If a post draws a backlash, take it down quickly and reply once, briefly and without arguing.
Copy-paste prompt
Write three short Instagram captions for {SHOP NAME}, a {TYPE OF SHOP} in {CITY}, for {HOLIDAY}. Offer: {OFFER OR NONE}. Tone: warm and local, not salesy. The picture will be a real photo of {WHAT'S IN THE PHOTO}, so describe the real food and place, don't invent anything. Under 40 words each, with two or three local hashtags.We set up one AI automation in your tools, live within 48 hours of getting access, for $197. No call needed. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297).
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Tools used
ChatGPT
General AI assistant for writing, research, brainstorming and analysis.
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Checked prices: ChatGPT: from Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo (verified 2026-11-09)
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