I Ate Free Dinner for a Year in NYC Using One Simple Trick: Asking for “Mike’s Order”

Citing a year-long streak of free dinners, local entrepreneur and self-described “efficiency influencer” Eton Free credits his success to a simple, reproducible trick: walking into restaurants confidently and saying, “Hey, I’m here for Mike’s order.”

“It works better if you look slightly annoyed, like you’ve already waited,” said Free, who estimates he’s saved over $19,000. “Also, carry a phone and say, ‘Yeah, I’m inside now. They’re bagging it up.’ That adds urgency.”

According to Free, the “life hack” works because, statistically, there’s always someone named Mike ordering food within a five-block radius in Manhattan. “Last month, at a ramen spot in the East Village, the hostess said, ‘You mean Mike L. or Mike P.?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and they just handed me three tonkotsu bowls and a side of gyoza.”

Restaurant owners are reportedly baffled. “We thought it was Uber Eats,” said Scott Foode, manager of a midtown Sweetgreen. “He said he was Mike’s guy. He had the vibe.”

Legal experts remain split. Some call it “a bold reinterpretation of the sharing economy,” while others describe it as “blatant theft.” Free also directed us to one of his Medium essays titled “Why Stealing Is Just Pre-Consumption in a Post-Capitalist Framework.”

Inspired followers have begun documenting their success with the method on TikTok under the hashtag #MikesOrderChallenge. One user claims to have “reverse Doordashed” into 47 establishments across five boroughs.

Still, Free says he’s ready to move on. “The system works until it notices you.”

“Anyway,” he added, “the city’s supposedly opening some government-run grocery stores soon. I’ll probably just pivot and take from those.”

In the meantime, he’s launched his next venture: getting into nightclubs by walking up to the bouncer and saying, “My friend’s already inside.”