Bistro owner says she was duped by fake reality TV man
Convicted fraudster offered to put her Dunnville restaurant on television
DUNNVILLE — Julia Marchese’s dream to be on a reality cooking challenge show seemed to be coming true when a B.C. man claiming to be a “Burger Wars” show producer offered to put her Dunnville restaurant on television. .
The man got $500 from her to “coach” her on how to speak on the show, and at least $2,000 from businesses in the town near Hamilton to sponsor the production and have their names added to the credits, Marchese said.
But when the Jan. 28-29 filming was cancelled, it became obvious to Marchese, a Hamilton native, that it was all a scam.
The man told her his director quit and that the production was cancelled. None of the money was returned, Marchese said.
The whole story became more commonly known Monday when the CBC’s “Go Public,” a weekly public interest segment on CBC News Network and The National, aired it. Marchese spoke with The Spectator shortly after the segment went to air.
“He’s just a big scam artist going from town to town,” she said.
Ten years ago, Marchese ran Julia’s Catering in Hamilton for a number of events at the Ancaster Fairgrounds and other venues. In 2015, she opened Julia’s Bistro and Catering in Dunnville.
“I’m glad they got it out now, so people can be aware of him,” she said of the CBC broadcast.
Marchese doesn’t know how the man, Chris Robinson, got onto her bistro’s Facebook page but says she accepted a lot of friend requests because it was good for business.
“One day, he posted he was looking for someone who wants to apply for ‘Burger Wars Canada’ and that’s how it all started,” she said about how the ordeal began eight months ago.
The CBC reported the real “Burger Wars” is no longer in production but is broadcasting reruns — and that the real host of it is angry that Robinson, a stranger, is allegedly claiming to be the host of the show.
Dunnville residents — who got caught up in the hype and helped Marchese spruce up and expand her bistro — are also reeling after learning Robinson is a convicted fraudster wanted in B.C., “Go Public” reported.
The local paper even wrote a story about the show coming to town.
Meanwhile, Robinson has a warrant out for his arrest in B.C. after failing to attend court on three charges of fraud under $5,000, according to the CBC. In 2001, he pleaded guilty to one count of fraud under $5,000.
Haldimand OPP spokesperson Const. Rod LeClair said Robinson is the subject of an ongoing investigation and that the OPP has been contacted by the RCMP in B.C.
Robinson did not respond to emails and tweets.
Debb Davies, owner of Debb’s Cuisine, another Dunnville restaurant that appears to have been taken in by the same alleged scam, could not be reached for comment.