This article is part of Narcity’s Upload series, supported by Narcity Media Group brands Boulevard and Rally. These conversations with creators peel back the digital curtain, revealing the real people, passions and stories behind the uploads.
Toronto's food scene is overflowing with the best restaurants, and content creators like Andrew Boateng are helping locals find their next great meal.
Boateng is a 33-year-old foodie in the GTA who started his account as a "love letter to food" in 2018 to help him connect with restaurants and the community.
His Instagram brand @the.6ix.eats has grown to a following of 13K, and now it's serving up a larger purpose of connecting people and cultures through food.
"'It's grown almost into a guide for different people to be able to understand and learn more about different cuisines, different people, you know, tear down cultural barriers," Boateng told Narcity.
"I think a lot of us think that we're so different from one another. But I think when you kind of come to the table, it shows that we really are similar, because we've all got to eat, right?"
Boateng has always loved food. He recalls that when he was a kid, his parents used to tell him that the way he ate could "make the food cry" because of how quickly he'd devour it.
This love for cuisine pushed him to always try new things and explore different foods.
"I think at the dining table is where you really learn about somebody — where they're from, where they're going, where they came from."
Boateng is a creator for Rally, Narcity's new talent division, and you can regularly find him spotlighting new restaurants across the GTA. Next week, he'll be sharing a behind-the-scenes look at his content creation career as a panelist for Food Station, a Toronto networking event hosted by Narcity's events division, Boulevard.
Here's everything you need to know about Boateng, from the hardest parts of life as an influencer to how he makes money.
When did you know you wanted to be a food content creator & how did you develop your following?
Boateng says he started his food influencer journey by hanging around other content creators and learning the ropes.
"I used to kind of go around with a few different influencers before I started, so I worked with a couple of them," says Boateng.
From there, people started asking Boateng where his drool-worthy Snapchat photos were being taken and he realized he needed to do more to share his foodie finds.
"So that's when I knew, okay, I need to kind of start something that's more permanent. Something where I can interact with people more after they ask questions about different places. And as a person of colour, as a Black person, to show others that if I can eat it, so can you."
Boateng has been posting food content since 2018, and throughout the growth of his channel, he's highlighted struggling businesses during the pandemic, run a Black History Month food crawl with influencer Melissa Ayisi, and spotlighted various Black-owned restaurants.
What was/will be your 'I made it' moment?
"Maybe having an appearance on a Netflix show or something, I think that would be, for me, an 'I made it' moment," says Boateng. "Like a series of some sort where I can show somebody a Toronto restaurant."
Getting on Netflix wouldn't be Boateng's first time on TV though. In 2022, he made an appearance on Big Food Bucket List on Food Network Canada.
So a Netflix cameo isn't out of the question!
How much money do you make per year with content creation?
Boateng says he makes roughly $10K a year through brand deals and working with restaurants.
He also has a full-time job in the corporate world to support himself. So for now, he treats content creation as a passion project to help connect people through food.
Looking ahead, Boateng says that while he's happy with the way things are now, he wouldn't say no to some bigger partnership opportunities. "I would love to be able to do bigger brand deals so I can do more passion-oriented things within it," he says.
"At the end of the day, I have to be able to support myself, so doing bigger brand deals, maybe once a month or something, would help me to be able to go more hole-in-the-wall spots, do more hidden gems. Because those restaurants don't necessarily always have the budget to bring people like myself in."
What's the biggest impact your platform has had on someone or a community?
Boateng says one of the ways he's proud to have an impact in the community is by helping local restauranteurs grow their small businesses.
He says it's been fulfilling to work with "a business that's struggling, a business that's having a tough go at it, and seeing them become something that's successful."
Boateng shares that he's had businesses reach out to tell him that "sales have been through the roof" since he posted his video about them.
"Even having them open up a second location, things of that nature. I won't say it's all me, because I don't think it's ever that, I think it's a number of things that business is doing, but having a small part to play in that is huge."
What is the weirdest thing you've run into while posting your life online?
If you spot Boateng at your favourite local restaurant, don't be surprised if he plays shy.
"Believe it or not, I'm more of an introvert. So the weirdest thing for me is definitely being noticed when I'm outside," says Boateng.
"If I go somewhere and somebody's like, 'Oh wait, I think I know you from somewhere,' I kind of will play coy," he shares. "Thankfully it doesn't happen too too often, but when it does happen, it's a little awkward."
What's been the hardest part of your career so far?
Boateng says the hardest part of being a food creator has been securing different brand deals and finding time for himself between his day job and content creation.
"Keeping a personal life has been tough. Because you do a lot of content creation, and you do your work, and then where's the time for yourself?" he explains. "So I'd honestly say that's probably the hardest thing of content creation is just finding balance just for yourself."
If you want to meet Boateng in person and learn more about his creator journey, he'll be at Boxcar Social Harbourfront in Toronto on March 20 as a panelist at Food Station, a networking event for local current and aspiring content creators.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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