New York City just hosted EEEEEATSCON, and one content creator who got to marvel at the fantastic lineup of dishes at the food festival was Leigh Soriano (oldfashionedhussle). However, when she took to Instagram to talk about her trip to Pier 76, her post didn’t just highlight what she experienced. It captured her frustration about what she missed out on, all because she didn’t have a Chase Bank credit card. Her post went on to get over 736K views.
Leigh’s video started with a clip of her punching the air in frustration before she told her audience, “I can’t make this up.” She said that the event had been sold out, but she was able to get a pass thanks to work, which she was grateful for. As soon as she entered, she scored her first amazing dish after she saw people walk by with to-go plates. It was Charles Pan Fried Chicken, which she rated 10/10 in her caption. She described it as, “Chicken, crispy. Golden. Grease, popping.”
She had a mostly amazing time. Leigh got a Mango Coconut Rice Ice Cream, which she reviewed by saying, “I’ve never done crack, but I feel like that’s pretty close, and I understand the business model.” She also bought Cookie Monster merch. However, one thing kept throwing her off. Every other thing she wanted to do, like get a Spritz drink or visit the Apple TV tent, she was turned away for not having a wristband.
The mark of the special attendees
Leigh said that she tried to be cool about being constantly turned away over a wristband, saying, “Cool, I was lucky enough to get into this event anyways.” That is, until she tried to get into the Momofuku line. According to her, an employee asked, “Are you a Chase credit card holder?” Leigh said no, and she was stopped.
She claimed, “The sister at the front is like, ‘You can’t, you can’t come in here.’ Well, let me guess. I don’t have a wristband. F— it. I want one of these wristbands. Where do I get a wristband? ‘Oh, you have to be banking with Chase.’ I bank with Chase. I have my debit card in my wallet. She goes, ‘No, you have to be a Sapphire credit card holder.’”
Leigh’s reaction was very dramatic. She stepped away from the camera, paced around, and then released a series of punches in the air. She exclaimed, “Ain’t no f—ing way that this credit s— has followed me to a f—ing food festival.”
Leigh’s post is her version of events, which cannot be independently verified. However, according to Award Wallet, JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired The Infatuation, the food site behind EEEEEATSCON, in 2021. Since then, the festival has leaned heavily into exclusive benefits for cardholders. The outlet noted that Chase Sapphire cardholders get early access to the grounds, usually an hour before the general public.
This year, they also reportedly got a $10 cash back deal through the app, and exclusive access to certain tents. Attendees holding a Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Reserve Business card got even more perks, including complimentary drinks and bites. Brands tying food perks to who you are isn’t new, though Chipotle’s version was far easier to qualify for, with a BOGO deal for anyone with a tattoo, even a drawn-on one.
After she was turned away from Momofuku, Leigh said, “So I left the line, and I got me an elote. Did it make me feel better? Yes.” Then, with a clip of her sitting on a pier bench to eat her elote, she gave a pep talk: “If you’re watching this video and you’re at a point in your life where you feel like you don’t need to plan for the future because there’s no future for you, I want to tell you this. Something is going to break in your favor.”
Leigh continued, “And believe you me, that those little documents, those little bills, those little tickets, those relationships that you didn’t foster, that you kind of let fall to the wayside. those things in your life are keys. They’re keys to access points, to doors. Plan for your future so that when you get there, you don’t end up eating corn on a bench, like I did.”
The comments section was almost as entertaining as Leigh’s combined review and rant. One user wrote, “How dare this credit crap deny you FOODDDDD.” A second wrote, “All I heard was that Charles is a real one for giving EVERYONE chicken.” Another user comforted Leigh, writing, “an elote heals all wounds.” For anyone who missed out on festival food, one Michigan chef recently took a different route and ordered every appetizer at Outback to rank them.
One Instagrammer noted, “Chase really be making us chase that bag…” Not long after that, Chase Sapphire commented, telling Leigh, “We’d be honored to have you when you’re ready.”
Published: Oct 11, 2026 06:30 am