When Keith Lee, a TikTok food reviewer with 14 million followers, visited Atlanta, his videos gave voice to gripes that some residents have about parts of the city’s dining culture. Even Cardi B weighed in. https://t.co/sX8H0N9NrD
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 1, 2023
Summary:
– Keith Lee is best known for reviewing small, family-owned restaurants and getting them massive amounts of positive attention and boosting their sales, known as the “Keith Lee effect”
– Last weekend, he visited Atlanta with his family to review local restaurants. Many restaurants reached out to him to encourage him to visit their establishments
– He often sends his family into the restaurant first because he is recognizable and doesn’t want special treatment. He stresses that he wants a normal experience to give followers an accurate review
– In his TikTok reviews of multiple Atlanta restaurants, he had a hard time ordering ahead, experienced poor customer service, or his family was initially turned away only to be offered a table when the restaurant realized they were with Keith
– His visit to Atlanta sparked an online conversation (mostly on Black Twitter and TikTok) about how many Atlanta restaurants treat their customers like shit with dumbass contradictory rules and value one-time celebrity/influencer visits over regulars
– Despite Atlanta Atlanta-ing, Keith did manage to do some positive. He gave a few small restaurants glowing reviews and their businesses are booming. He also tipped a waiter $1,000 and when the manager tried to spread it among everyone working (smh) Keith tipped the waiter $1,000 directly to his CashApp, which the waiter is going to use to buy a car. He also helped out an ice cream truck driver whose truck needed repairing.
Kandi Burruss (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) owns one of the restaurants that turned Keith Lee’s mom away only to try to seat the party upon realizing Keith Lee was in it. Kandi responded, explaining that the restaurant is too busy on the weekends to do to-go orders (she did not acknowledge the favoritism her staff tried to show):
[Kandi gives a PR crafted response and ignores the actual issue]
Kandi made a decent attempt to address the Keith Lee visit to OLG … but completely ignored the real critique(s)
– staff not answering the phone
– wait time magically disappearing once they knew it was him pic.twitter.com/uzt4h0VJod— Read the Room (@sir_spnce) October 31, 2023
The owner of The Real Milk & Honey also responded to his negative review with a TikTok skit saying “Who is Keith Lee?” which didn’t help matters. They later deleted it and issued a statement (NOT an apology):
[The Real Milk and Honey response]
So the Owner of The Real Milk & Honey Made a Response To Keith Lee…
He seriously needs to hire a PR team, because wtf was the purpose of this video? It’s only making matters worse for his business. pic.twitter.com/28ESA9Y71p
— 🍬 K Luxx ™😉 (@_duchessk) October 29, 2023
And Cardi B hopped on IG Live to share her own experiences in Atlanta, revealing that her team often has an impossible time getting any food in the city unless they name-dropped her:
[Cardi B weighs in]
Cardi B DRAGS Atlanta restaurant scene pic.twitter.com/14YbOS9VtE
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) October 31, 2023
source | source | source | source
A long overdue dragging for Atlanta TBH
