Mahopac resident helps Bobo's video go viral

A recent Instagram reel from the Baldwin Place Bobo’s Café featuring Mahopac resident and café co-manager Ivy Marshall has racked up more than 10 million views after the staff put their own spin on a viral moment from another account.

The video, posted to the Instagram account @bobos_cafe, which has nearly 20,000 followers, is captioned “How not to help a coworker.” Other accounts shared it on TikTok, where it has garnered more than 100,000 views. Commenters wrote, “These videos always get me lol,” and “Genius!”

Bobo’s owner Glen Bernardi said Marshall and co-manager and chef Nick Stathis improvised their lines, giving the video a natural, unrehearsed vibe that makes the visual punchline land.

In the video, Marshall addresses the camera while Stathis works by himself preparing food in what appears to be a typical green-screen video – until it isn't.

Marshall – who said her last dramatic role was in elementary school summer camp – delivers a convincing reaction to the change.

“I was genuinely surprised,” said Marshall, who joined the Bobo’s team in 2022 and now co-manages the Baldwin Place eatery with Stathis. “Even though I knew it was coming, I wasn’t acting.”

She said she has no plans to become a social media influencer but does have fun making Bobo’s content, which has helped the local chain build a strong following.

Bernardi said much of that content comes from collaboration among customers, staff and Bobo’s media team, but this one was inspired by something they saw online.

“We do a lot of these videos, but this is the first one to go this viral,” Marshall said. “It feels a little strange.”

Bernardi admitted that topping 10 million views came as a surprise.

“We knew the video would perform well, but I don’t think anyone anticipated the level of traction it received,” he said, adding that Bobo’s likes to keep its social media content balanced – finding the right mix between fun and personality and also its coffee and food.

And just maybe, “when the timing feels right,” they’ll get another viral moment.

“Social media helps us stay top of mind and gives people a sense of who we are before they ever walk through the door,” Bernardi said. “Most importantly, we have fun with it.”

Emile Menasché contributed to this story