How a $0 Sushi Meal Gained 7k+ Instagram Followers in a Few Days

A sushi restaurant in Hong Kong just pulled off what many brands dream of and most never achieve.

They went from zero to 7,610 Instagram followers in less than a week.

No giveaways spam. No “follow to win” mechanics.

Just a very clever idea and one very uncomfortable meal.

Image via ChatGPT

The Instagram account is called Sushirororo, and their growth hack was simple on paper but brilliant in execution. The account only contain 2 Reels made by Jordan Leung, better known as @69ranch, a popular Hong Kong stand-up comedian and content creator with a loyal following and sharp comedic timing.

On 6 January 2026, Sushirororo launched their Instagram page with the first Reel featuring Jordan. The premise was straightforward. Jordan challenged himself to spend HKD$1 for every follower the restaurant had.

Since the account was brand new, that meant zero followers and a total food budget of exactly zero dollars.

Video posted on 6 January had zero followers on their Instagram page

So Jordan sat down for a “meal” consisting entirely of complimentary items. Pickled ginger. Chilli powder. Soy sauce. Plain water. A wet tissue for dessert. Michelin would be rather confused.

When he asked for the bill, the waitress looked equally confused and told him he didn’t need to pay anything since he didn’t order food. Challenge completed. Pride and ego slightly bruised.

The internet loved it.

At the time of writing (7 February 2026), the post had already racked up 75,000 likes and nearly 400 comments. More importantly, people actually followed the account.

On 10 January, Sushirororo posted a second Reel.

This time, the joke escalated. At the start of the video, the account already had 7,610 followers. That meant Jordan now had to spend HKD$7,610 on sushi.

One person. One stomach. Many poor life choices.

Post on 10 January already had 7,610 followers on their Instagram account

To make it even remotely possible, Jordan stayed for both lunch and dinner and brought two friends along. Even then, the group only managed to spend slightly over HKD$4,000.

Still short.

Instead of ending the challenge there, Jordan spent the remaining balance by giving away sushi to followers, neatly closing the loop between content, community, and reward.

That second Reel pulled in another 52,000 likes and over 300 comments at time of writing.

Also at the time of writing, Sushirororo’s Instagram account crossed 17,000+ followers.

5 key takeaways:

1. The idea matters more than the budget
   This worked because the concept was simple, funny, and easy to understand in the first three seconds. No amount of media spend can save a boring idea. Creativity is still undefeated.

2. Influencer fit beats influencer size
   Jordan wasn’t just a billboard. His humor, personality, and audience aligns perfectly. Relevance always outperforms raw follower count.

3. Escalation keeps people coming back
   The second video worked because it raised the stakes. Same idea, higher tension, bigger payoff. Great social content thinks in episodes, not one-offs.

4. The brand stayed in the background on purpose
   Notice how the restaurant never hard-sold the food. The brand let the creator lead, and the audience did the rest. Sometimes the smartest move is not talking too much.

5. Community participation closes the loop
   Giving away sushi to followers wasn’t just generous. It turned passive viewers into participants. When audiences feel involved, growth stops being rented and starts becoming owned.

If this feels obvious in hindsight, that’s the point. The best social ideas usually are. They just look ridiculously hard to copy after someone else nails them first.

Also, respect to anyone who can turn pickled ginger into a growth strategy. Marketing school did not prepare us for that.

Disclaimer: At the time of writing, it wasn't clear if Jordan was collaborating with directly with sushi restaurant Sushiro.hk for the 2 viral videos.