Chicago's Award-Winning Bistro that Doesn't Exist:
A TEDx Press Kit

When JD Miller spent an afternoon building an instagram page for his condo's tiny balcony, he never expecteded an algorithm would mistake it for a real restaurant - or that vendors would fall over themselves, trying to earn his business.

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As a tech executive in private equity who also holds a PhD in social networking, he conducted an investigation into how AI and algorithmic errors can be tricked into creating false social proof. He shared his findings at TEDxNormal in a talk called "Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Age of the Algorithm," and has partnered with Spiceology to collect other stories of "how AI got it wrong" in a competition at AISalesFail.com

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The "Bistro"

• Name: The Chicago Bell Garden

• Location: A second floor balcony overlooking power lines and trash cans in a North Side alley.

• Capacity: Four cramped chairs and one mini-grill

• Total Meals Served: Zero.

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Social Media:

• Instagram: @ChiBellGarden

• Facebook: @ChiBellGarden

• Web: ChiBellGarden.com

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What Happened Next

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When JD posted a glamor shot of a bacon-and-cheese-slathered burger made with plant-based meat, it got four comments and four likes. But he fielded phone calls from other meat vendors who wanted to win his business, and his doorstep was soon full of other loot:

• A case of vegan cookies​

• Five pounds of Kim Chi

• 120 pounds (sterling) of Spiceology steak rub

It also drew the attention of an automated bot that creates restaurant recommendations. After a brief instagram exchange, JD learned his garden had been "Recommended" by Restaurant Guru - ranking 11 spots behind the nearby Shake Shack in Wrigleville, but 14 spots ahead of Lakeview's Pizzeria Uno, and 15 spots ahead of Home Run Inn Pizzeria. 

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Later, the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards saw his facebook page, sent a real judge to see the new-and-improved Bell Garden at his new home, and recognized it as an Excellent Residential Garden in 2023.

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