Keith Lee TikTok Video
Prominent social media foodie critic and former mixed martial arts superstar Keith Lee announced his move to Texas over the weekend.
Lee’s move comes nearly a year after he stopped by Houston to try out a few eateries in Houston, where some of his rave reviews of Houston restaurants were linked to a boom in business. brought about. He made the announcement in a TikTok video on Sunday that has been viewed more than 2.9 million times.
“The cat is out of the bag,” he said.
In the video, Lee pays homage to his years in Las Vegas, which inspired him to start writing reviews of local restaurants on social media. He has amassed over 16 million social media followers. Millions more tuned in to hear his food recommendations.
Lee did not immediately reveal which Texas city he moved to, but did note that he had taken a brief hiatus from video production before the move.
“I moved to Las Vegas when I was 18,” he said. “I had no idea what I was doing with my life.”
Since his debut, Lee quickly rose to fame. He boasts hundreds of viral videos showcasing struggling businesses and up-and-coming restaurants.
“These food reviews not only played a pivotal role in changing the lives of me and my family, but in less than a year they have changed the lives of over 150 different families across the country.” Lee said.
Considered the “Keith Lee effect,” companies that Mr. Lee evaluated continue to receive a rapid increase in new customers.
Celeste Schulman/Houston Public Media
Companies like The Padalley, which advertises itself as “Houston’s best banana pudding restaurant,” felt the Keith Lee effect last year after a video review of Keith Lee sent a line into the building and left the dessert restaurant. .
“There are so many places to choose from in Houston,” he said at the end of last year’s food review video. “That’s one of the things about Houston. Houston has the most diverse and richest variety of food since we’ve been on food tours.”
RELATED: ‘Keith Lee Effect’ continues to spur new business for Houston-area restaurants months later
Pearland’s operations were temporarily closed after The Paddery struggled to keep up with its rapidly growing customer base due to the “Keith Lee effect.” Other Houston-area restaurants he reviewed, such as Butter Funk Kitchen, saw sales triple, and the “busy mid-range restaurant” quickly boomed, owner Aaron Johnson told Houston Public earlier this year. told the media.
“He kind of blew the top off in a way,” Johnson said. “So the challenge is whether we can continue to adapt and create fresh, new dishes that stay fresh, that stick in people’s minds, that change with the times, and that people want to come back to.”
