The owner telling you to stop is basically them saying they'd rather stay small than deal with lines out the door, and that's their call to make since it's their living. Word of mouth is a double edged sword, you can't really undo it once people know, so maybe just let the place grow on its own from here.

Who thinks to tape a mic inside the shell? That is wild but it makes sense, the PZM picks up the shell itself instead of just the air moving around. I got a similar thing once taping a $20 computer mic to the bottom of a snare stand. Ugly sound on its own but it cut right through the mix. Cheap gear forces you to get creative and that is half the fun.

Who knew dirt could gaslight you for a decade?