Three Greater Toronto Area restaurant owners say they are feeling the “Keith Lee effect” after the TikTok food critic came to town to sample their offerings.
Keith Lee, an American mixed martial artist turned food critic, conducted a food tour in the GTA on the weekend. Lee has more than 16 million followers on TikTok. The videos of his GTA stops are topping more than four million views.
Owners say the “Keith Lee effect” is real and has given their businesses a boost. On his tour of the GTA, Lee sampled Iraqi shawarma, Korean sponge toffee lattes, pepperoni and fried chicken pizza, and baked macroni and cheese.
Ibrahim Al-Ameri, co-owner of Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill, an Iraqi shawarma restaurant in Scarborough, says his restaurant is usually busy but it is now really busy after Lee visited on Saturday. Lee had veal, chicken and mixed shawarma.
Al-Ameri said Lee has prompted people to come to the restaurant who most likely would have not visited it before.
“We found out when everybody did, when we saw the video was uploaded. It was insane — it went viral. We couldn’t be more excited,” he said.
“Ever since he came by, the wait time has doubled,” he said. “It’s very exciting feedback.”
Colter Smith, co-owner of Biscuits to Baskets in Ajax, said patrons might have to get in line now that Lee has been there. Smith said “it’s been pretty wild” since Lee dropped by on Friday.
Smith said he had “no clue” who Lee’s wife and sister were when they ordered food. Lee came in afterwards.
The Lee family bought Korean sponge toffee lattes and some cake. Lee offered them a “very nice tip.” The video was published on Saturday. Business “exploded” on Sunday, Smith said.
“People are just calling us left and right. It’s pretty cool,” he said.
“It’s really noticeable — the Keith Lee effect is a real thing for sure,” he added. “We thought we had plenty Sunday and we sold out of it so quick.”
Rodney Best, co-owner of Afro’s Pizza in Toronto, said Lee came in on Friday. He had two Davis Jr. pizzas, one Hendrix Experience pizza, one Beef samosa pizza and one Afro’s Baked Mac and Cheese. He left a $3,000 tip. His review was published on Sunday.
“After he was done tipping, he then sent another tip on top of that to pay for the night’s pizza for the rest of the guests who came through here. Anyone who came by, they were able to get a free pizza for the next three hours after he left. From 8 to 11, we were just giving away pizzas,” he said.
The restaurant had to close down on Monday to restock its kitchen.
Lee has ‘massive influence,’ food writer says
Suresh Doss, a Toronto food writer, said how restaurants are reviewed has changed with the advent of social media.
People used to read reviews by food critics in newspapers, then flock to restaurants, but now people will watch reviews on such platforms as Instagram and TikTok, then descend on eateries, he said. Lee is leading the way, he added.
“I think he’s probably the most influential food person right now on social media because he approaches food from a very organic point, where he goes to places, pays for his food and then does this thing in the car, where he does selfies and he reviews the food and he has a scale,” Doss said.
“Someone like Keith Lee has a massive influence where they see something and they’re like: ‘I want to experience what he experienced. I want to eat that thing.'”