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BTS fans flock to local restaurant after visit
BTS dined at Finn’s Dockside Bar & Grill in Apollo Beach before their Tampa concerts, and after the band posted about it on social media, the restaurant quickly became a hotspot for fans. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
APOLLO BEACH, Fla. - BTS fans have been flocking to Finn’s Dockside Bar & Grill after the global K-pop sensation dined at the Apollo Beach restaurant ahead of their Tampa concerts.
The backstory:
The waterfront restaurant told FOX 13 they had no idea the band would show up for dinner Thursday – nor did they know the group would post a picture of their meal on social media.
Courtesy: @rkive via Instagram
"Then we started getting phone calls and people coming in, just steadily, like, wanting to sit where they sat, wanting to know what they ordered, things like that. Just wanting to know where they were, what they did, how they were," restaurant general manager Harold Eddy told FOX 13. "We're very thankful they chose us for whatever reason. I believe it has to do with us being out of the craze of Tampa."
Dig deeper:
In the week following the social media post, the waterfront spot transformed into a pilgrimage site. Fans have been arriving well before the restaurant opens, hoping to sit at the exact spot where their favorite band sat.
Pamela Reis and Denise Fernandes Silva — originally from Brazil but currently living in Washington D.C. — made sure they were the first to score the table Wednesday.
What they're saying:
"It feels like unreal," Reis said, sitting at the now-famous table.
Reis and Silva woke up early and drove from Tampa to Apollo Beach so they could eat at the table before flying back home later Wednesday afternoon.
"I still need to process all the feelings. It feels like a dream," Reis said of the overall experience.
Some fans told FOX 13 they’re ordering the restaurant’s wings, burgers and crab cakes – just like the band did.
Staff is seating people at the famous table, but in between parties, there’s a steady stream of people waiting to snap a quick picture.
What's next:
As Finn's Dockside Bar & Grill prepares to celebrate its four-year anniversary on May 9, management is already thinking about the future of their most famous piece of furniture.
"We’re contemplating auctioning it off and giving some money to charities," Eddy said, noting they might combine this with their raffle at their upcoming anniversary event.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from interviews with the general manager of Finn’s Dockside Bar & Grill, as well as interviews with BTS superfans.