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Can TikTok save Mitra's Cafe?
Social media comes to the aid of socially conscious Murietta restaurant
Max, still smiling on Mitra Cafe's last day.
Mitra’s Cafe Persian Kabob, a Riverside County fixture for 15 years, shut down on Aug. 31 after being forced out by its landlord to make room for another business. What seemed like a quiet business closure quickly exploded online after a video from content creator Meghan Fowler documented the last days of service. The closure has since sparked an online campaign that has drawn attention far beyond the Inland Empire.
The video, posted on Aug. 30 by Fowler (@meghannfowler), introduced viewers to the owner, Max, who had a sign outside the restaurant offering free food to anyone who couldn’t pay, though it’s unclear how often customers took him up on the offer. According to her TikTok video, Max said the cafe was being forced out unexpectedly due to issues with the landlord. (The Reader was unable to independently confirm the details of the eviction.) Another customer reacted with disbelief and praised him for not only running the restaurant by himself but also giving back to the community. Fowler then urged viewers to visit the cafe before it served its last customers.
Still from Fowler's video.
Within hours, the video spread, surpassing 1.2 million views. Comments poured in from across Southern California and beyond. Some asked Fowler to set up an online fundraiser, while others promised to support the restaurant in person. When she returned the next day, the once-quiet cafe was packed. Max stayed open late to ensure every customer was fed. In a follow-up video, she told him about the original post’s success and asked about his future. He was thrilled with the response and said he’d love to reopen in a new location.
Moved by Max’s mission and the public response, Fowler launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $10,000 goal to help him start again. Whether that would be enough to secure a new space remains unclear. The campaign is still small — by Monday it had raised nearly $600 — but it has already drawn donations from both locals and strangers.
Fowler explained what drove her to get involved. “The sign outside his cafe was the first thing that brought me in. I just expected to grab some food and tell them how amazing they were for feeding the hungry. Upon talking to Max and hearing his story, I just thought, ‘I have a decent following on TikTok, and I want to use that for good.'” Her videos became a call to action to her 300,000 followers.
Fowler added that "it felt amazing seeing all of the strangers rally around Max. I even had people from San Diego messaging me and sending me pictures of them driving to Temecula to buy his food the next day. I will say the most heart-warming part was seeing the community in Temecula and Murrieta rally around him…If anyone deserved happiness and success, it was clearly him. We live in one of the most expensive places in the country, and unfortunately, he doesn’t have the means to find a new place and get started.”
Fowler said the experience changed her and pushed her out of her comfort zone. “There was this intense feeling of wanting to help this person I only met 10 minutes prior and seeing the joy on his face when I told him how many people saw his video… all I can say is, the feeling is priceless.”
As of now, Mitra’s Cafe remains closed, and the GoFundMe has raised only a fraction of its $10,000 goal, a reminder that viral attention doesn’t always translate into financial support. Still, supporters say the outpouring of attention wouldn’t exist without Fowler’s videos, which turned a quiet closure into a rallying point. They hope her efforts mark the first step toward giving Max a second chance.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Can TikTok save Mitra's Cafe?
Social media comes to the aid of socially conscious Murietta restaurant
Can TikTok save Mitra's Cafe?
Social media comes to the aid of socially conscious Murietta restaurant
Max, still smiling on Mitra Cafe's last day.
Mitra’s Cafe Persian Kabob, a Riverside County fixture for 15 years, shut down on Aug. 31 after being forced out by its landlord to make room for another business. What seemed like a quiet business closure quickly exploded online after a video from content creator Meghan Fowler documented the last days of service. The closure has since sparked an online campaign that has drawn attention far beyond the Inland Empire.
The video, posted on Aug. 30 by Fowler (@meghannfowler), introduced viewers to the owner, Max, who had a sign outside the restaurant offering free food to anyone who couldn’t pay, though it’s unclear how often customers took him up on the offer. According to her TikTok video, Max said the cafe was being forced out unexpectedly due to issues with the landlord. (The Reader was unable to independently confirm the details of the eviction.) Another customer reacted with disbelief and praised him for not only running the restaurant by himself but also giving back to the community. Fowler then urged viewers to visit the cafe before it served its last customers.
Still from Fowler's video.
Within hours, the video spread, surpassing 1.2 million views. Comments poured in from across Southern California and beyond. Some asked Fowler to set up an online fundraiser, while others promised to support the restaurant in person. When she returned the next day, the once-quiet cafe was packed. Max stayed open late to ensure every customer was fed. In a follow-up video, she told him about the original post’s success and asked about his future. He was thrilled with the response and said he’d love to reopen in a new location.
Moved by Max’s mission and the public response, Fowler launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $10,000 goal to help him start again. Whether that would be enough to secure a new space remains unclear. The campaign is still small — by Monday it had raised nearly $600 — but it has already drawn donations from both locals and strangers.
Fowler explained what drove her to get involved. “The sign outside his cafe was the first thing that brought me in. I just expected to grab some food and tell them how amazing they were for feeding the hungry. Upon talking to Max and hearing his story, I just thought, ‘I have a decent following on TikTok, and I want to use that for good.'” Her videos became a call to action to her 300,000 followers.
Fowler added that "it felt amazing seeing all of the strangers rally around Max. I even had people from San Diego messaging me and sending me pictures of them driving to Temecula to buy his food the next day. I will say the most heart-warming part was seeing the community in Temecula and Murrieta rally around him…If anyone deserved happiness and success, it was clearly him. We live in one of the most expensive places in the country, and unfortunately, he doesn’t have the means to find a new place and get started.”
Fowler said the experience changed her and pushed her out of her comfort zone. “There was this intense feeling of wanting to help this person I only met 10 minutes prior and seeing the joy on his face when I told him how many people saw his video… all I can say is, the feeling is priceless.”
As of now, Mitra’s Cafe remains closed, and the GoFundMe has raised only a fraction of its $10,000 goal, a reminder that viral attention doesn’t always translate into financial support. Still, supporters say the outpouring of attention wouldn’t exist without Fowler’s videos, which turned a quiet closure into a rallying point. They hope her efforts mark the first step toward giving Max a second chance.
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