It gets $3.5 billion a year, but most of your forecasts come from private companies that do it better.
How to get a job as a mystery diner
Any restaurant worth its salt wants to know what it’s doing right and what it’s screwing up. And they’re willing to pay you for that info. But they can’t just judge servers and kitchen staff when they’re on their best behavior. They need someone undercover.
Enter mystery dining. Restaurants get genuine feedback and you get to eat out for free. I found out how to have your cake and eat review it.
How it works
Yes, you really get your food free of charge, including tips and travel expenses, usually in the form of a voucher or gift card.
It is a job, though. You’ll have to give a ton of feedback about your restaurant visit. How was the food? How was the service? What could’ve been better? You’ll need to have an eye for detail and a good memory. You’ll also need to take some photos as part of the trip.
Oh, and you won’t need to worry about an awkward confrontation at the table. You’ll submit all your intel afterward to the company you’re working for.
Most of them have online portals, too. Once in their system, log into your account, check available assignments, choose one to complete and upload your results.
Who are these “mystery” companies?
Mystery dining agencies act as a middleman between you and larger restaurants that pay them for intel. Here are a few of the most reputable:
- Second to None has been in the biz for 30 years and can get you gigs in high-end and fast-food dining. Pretty sure getting paid to critique an In-N-Out burger is Barry’s dream job. They also work in retail if shopping’s more your speed.
- Eye Spy CC focuses on dining and has excellent reviews from reviewers who, uh, review for them. Shoppers report getting large enough budgets to go to high-end restaurants and really enjoy themselves. Nice!
- Market Force is another heavy-hitter in dining and retail. Diners say vouchers usually start small, but once you’ve worked with a company for a while, you can get larger assignments and additional pay.
FYI: This is a “secret” from restaurants but not from the IRS. If you make over $600 with any org, you must file a 1099 like a regular independent contractor.
How to apply
📦 Apple’s dodging tariffs: They’ve already flown in 600 tons of iPhones from India to the U.S. Why? To get as much inventory in before any new tariffs kick in, though they’re currently on pause for 90 days. You betcha other tech companies are doing the same. Maybe this is what AirDrop was really about. Or this.
🤖 Answer this: Does your work need to hire a human, or can AI handle the job? Shopify’s CEO, Tobi Lütke, just made it clear to his team to think about that before asking for more help. He sees AI as a basic skill and even added AI questions to performance reviews. More companies will do this soon. That’s why I always say to stay tech-ahead.
Why hire a real employee if AI can do the job?
Shopify’s CEO says no new hires unless a manager can prove AI can’t do it. Expect more companies to follow.
👎 Downleveling: It’s the new tech hiring trend. You crush the interview … and then they offer a lower-level role than the one you applied for. Congrats! You nailed the interview for a job you didn’t want. Why? Companies have so many candidates, they’re not taking chances on anyone who doesn’t check every single box. Say no? Cool, there are a hundred others behind you ready to take it. Rude.
Feeling the sting of sky-high cloud costs: Here’s a smart move — switch to Oracle. Companies are saving up to 50% on their cloud bills without sacrificing performance. Want to see how much you could save? Check it out for yourself.
Strike a pose: Retailers like H&M are now creating AI versions of 30 real models. Yep, digital clones that look just like the real gals and guys. The models still own the rights to their AI twins. Surprise, the paycheck is way smaller than a real photo shoot. And it’s only a matter of time before companies skip the humans altogether and go full-on AI.
💸 IRS scam link: It never stops. This time, if you Google how to get a business tax ID, the top results look official, but they’re not (paywall link). They’re ads from companies that charge you over $300 for something the IRS does for free. The real IRS site ends in .gov. Anything else? Fake.
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📺 The real “Lumon”: Watch Severance? Companies that share their name with the fictional Lumon Industries from the Apple TV+ show are getting tons of comments from fans online. Lumen Technologies and Lumon Dental are leaning into it. But a glazing biz didn’t find it funny when asked why they treat workers poorly. It’s a fake TV show, people.
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Lowest level in 5 years
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50 states
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February 15th, 2025
U.S. companies had tech on that Chinese spy balloon two years ago. Plus, UnitedHealthcare sues a doctor for her viral post, your car might show ads at red lights, and why Silicon Valley is getting a high-fashion makeover.
You didn't believe that was a weather balloon, did you?
The Chinese spy balloon was packed with American tech from at least five U.S. companies, and the government knew.