Sure, you might be familiar with the Mandela effect, the Placebo effect, and maybe even the IKEA effect, but have you heard of the Keith Lee Effect? If you are on TikTok and frequently scroll through restaurant and recipe pages, chances are you've come across social media's favorite food reviewer Keith Lee. With a whopping 12.9 million followers on TikTok, Lee is a food influencer to the nth degree, so much so, that food workers call their boost in sales after a review to be the "Keith Lee Effect."
Who is Keith Lee?
Originally born in Detroit and now living in Las Vegas, Keith Lee wasn't always super into food. In fact, he started out in the world of professional wrestling at 18 years old. It seemed like all was looking up in his athletic career until the pandemic lockdowns hit. Of course, he spent this time trying to keep busy and ultimately decided to work on his on-camera chatting skills. Lee is very forthcoming about his social anxiety and frequently struggled with interviews before or after being in the ring.
What began as TikTok recipes and family-themed content quickly turned into daily food reviews of local places and small restaurants in the Las Vegas area.
This isn't the only food content he posts. Along with his wife and kids, he also reviews food at theme parks such as Disney, tries out new fast food menu items, and collaborates with megastars such as Kevin Hart and Mr. Beast.
No matter whether Lee is working alongside brand-new business owners or world-renowned entertainers, his influence is more powerful than any advertisement or Food Network special. Enter the "Keith Lee Effect."
What is the Keith Lee Effect?
This "effect" is so well-known across the web that it has its own Urban Dictionary entry. "The Keith (Lee) Effect is the sudden financial improvement of small food chains. This effect has been named after a Tik-Tok legend named Keith Lee, who has taken over 2022 and 2023 and helps/promotes small businesses by rating their food on his page," it says.
A recent example includes how he reviewed a small, Black-owned chocolate business. This led to the shop's entire stock selling out in half an hour!
Additionally, the Keith Lee has saved countless Las Vegas-based small businesses on the verge of having to shut down. After reviewing local pizza shop Frankensons and ranking their lemon pepper wings a 10/10, the business took a total 180. According to owner Frank Steele, the phones never stopped ringing after the review was posted and individuals from states away traveled just to try these highly-ranked menu items.
Now, with great power comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, the "Keith Lee Effect" is sometimes a little too powerful, such as with the most recent Jersey Mike's and DoorDash collab. Jersey Mike's is a national fast food chain that does not need any "help" as the small businesses do. However, they worked with Lee to offer DoorDash users a $25 off any order of $12 or more deal for one hour on June 7 and 8. With his wide reach, customers ordered in immediately at the beginning of the deal and overwhelmed locations across the nation within minutes. The first day was such a disaster that the June 8 promotion was canceled. One TikTok user caught the effect in full, well, effect.
Fellow TikTok creators have documented trying out different restaurants and fast-food hacks after Keith Lee shared his foodie knowledge. Another TikTok user who also works in the food industry said, "It's amazing how in 2023, one video can shift the entire culture of your business overnight.
So, for the betterment of small businesses or to the detriment of overworked corporate employees, the "Keith Lee Effect" is absolutely life-changing and more powerful than any marketing firm could imagine.