Meet Keith Lee, TikTok’s favorite food reviewer

Keith Lee has had an enormous 2023 — and it’s solely February. 

In current months, he has turn out to be TikTok’s go-to food reviewer, rising a platform of 10 million followers. Throughout that point, he has collaborated with MrBeast, partnered with “Good Morning America” to assist a small enterprise and appeared on the favored YouTube collection “Individuals vs Food.” Now, he’s been honored as an “trade disruptor” on TikTok’s inaugural Visionary Voices record, which honored 15 Black creators who’re innovators of their fields, for Black Historical past Month.

“I don’t suppose I’m even, like, midway up,” Lee advised NBC Information. “I do know lots of people have seen my journey and so they like, ‘Oh, you’re at your peak. You could get it whereas the getting’s good,’ however truthfully, I believe I’m on the very starting. I believe issues are simply beginning for me. And I’m simply having fun with the journey.”

Lee is understood for his earnest takes, uncompromising values and life-changing affect on family-owned eating places. Whereas he didn’t got down to be an influential food reviewer, he doesn’t take this duty frivolously. Like many earlier than him, he has demonstrated that TikTok is a robust instrument in promoting out merchandise and build up companies. By way of his movies, he has helped struggling eating places elevate funds and acquire a bigger buyer base — a great addition for a lot of on this financial system.

“With nice energy comes nice duty,” he mentioned, quoting the well-known line from the “Spider-Man” franchise. “As any person who’s on this place, I believe it’s as much as me to know that and never shrink back from it.”

The Las Vegas-based creator has been steadily posting quite a lot of content material since 2020 — together with household vlogging together with his spouse, Ronni, and daughters Karter and Riley; behind-the-scenes seems to be at his skilled combined martial arts profession; and food opinions of mom-and-pop eating places. Whereas folks love the latter movies, he refuses to let himself get boxed into a distinct segment.

“I stand on my integrity. I stand on my values and I don’t permit these to be wavered or to be shook regardless of the amount of cash, the chance or the folks I’m surrounded by,” he mentioned.

He feels that he set himself aside from different creators, saying, “I believe I’ve moved like me and I don’t transfer like anyone else.”

Whereas Lee has been doing food opinions on his web page since no less than 2021, one in all his opinions of an area food truck, 303 within the Reduce, in November 2022 blew up. It garnered 35.5 million TikTok views — and served as one of many first cases of Lee driving enterprise to a family-owned restaurant. 

A person of religion, Lee mentioned this increase in his engagement and affect was “simply God’s timing.” Since November, Lee has seen main viewers development, going from 1.5 million followers to 10.5 million in three months.

Lee mentioned he has constructed a group of fellow foodies who, like him, love the expertise of ready in lengthy strains to attempt hyped-up eateries. His viewers appreciates his authenticity and his transparency about his preferences.

“A whole lot of food reviewers or lots of people who do food content material simply go, ‘Oh, that is wonderful. That is actually good. I do know you gon’ prefer it. You bought to attempt it.’ I’ve by no means carried out that. I prefer it, it’s good to me. You would possibly prefer it, you may not prefer it,” he mentioned.

That is maybe the rationale why lots of his feedback embody civil debates about completely different meals Lee is particularly vital of. In a current video, Lee gave a detrimental overview to pastry chef Dominique Ansel’s new Las Vegas bakery. Viewers knew to take it with a pinch of salt. 

“That sounded identical to a croque monsieur must be. I like that [you] acknowledge you’re not the audience AND nonetheless give your trustworthy opinion,” one viewer mentioned. 

“As quickly as you confirmed the outline for every merchandise I knew you wouldn’t prefer it. All of these issues have mushy textures,” one other mentioned.

Nonetheless, Lee’s viewers takes his suggestions critically. That’s evident in the way in which he creates strains down the blocks of the shops he praises.

Frank Steele, proprietor of Frankensons, in Las Vegas, acquired an inflow of consumers after Lee reviewed his restaurant. Whereas he mentioned the curiosity has been “actually wonderful,” he mentioned it was overwhelming at first as a result of his employees wasn’t ready for the sudden enhance in orders. 

“It’s a problem however an important problem. … Me and my household are grateful for Keith,” Steele advised NBC Information.

Steele mentioned within the six weeks since Lee’s overview of Frankensons, he has employed 23 new crew members and had company from all around the world patiently anticipate over three hours for his pizzas. He mentioned he was grateful that Lee helped his enterprise and the general “group at massive in Las Vegas.”

“Las Vegas completely loves Keith,” Steele mentioned. 

Yasser Zermeno, proprietor of Aroma Latin American Cocina, echoed this sentiment in an interview with NBC Information Now earlier this month. Lee reviewed the restaurant after Zermeno’s household emailed him to ask him to attempt the restaurant’s food.

“We went from not with the ability to pay the payments to now having to rent folks to return and assist us,” he mentioned. “We name it the Keith impact.”

Lee mentioned that “each motion has a constructive and detrimental response no matter how we need to have a look at it.” He mentioned that whereas it’s nice that he can deliver enterprise to struggling eating places, he acknowledged that most of the house owners don’t have the sources to maintain up with the sudden demand at first.

“I believe it’s all the time necessary for me to let or not it’s identified to the individuals who observe me … to inform them, ‘Hey, it is a small enterprise. It is a family-owned enterprise. They are going to be overwhelmed. It is going to be a protracted line. Please be affected person. Please permit them to have an adjustment interval like everyone else,’” he mentioned.

As Lee rises in prominence, small companies have began reaching out to him to go to their eating places. That is generally a divisive transfer within the eyes of Lee’s viewers, particularly if the enterprise makes a TikTok publicly inviting Lee to their retailer. Nonetheless, Lee mentioned that it doesn’t hassle him and that he understands that his platform generally is a main alternative for lots of entrepreneurs. However he mentioned he’s largely occupied with boosting “eating places who can’t assist themselves.”

“If I can present the advertising and marketing to eating places who once more are attempting to outlive, I believe that’s what I really take pleasure in doing,” he mentioned. “And people are companies I don’t thoughts reaching out to me. When you attain out to me and also you have been in that case, I completely will go on my technique to go and eat the food.”

As for the long run, Lee mentioned he simply needs to proceed being himself and proceed on his path — wherever it takes him. When requested if there have been any large tasks within the works, Lee smiled and easily put a finger to his lips in a hush-hush movement.