One Review and It’s Gone. How The Keith Lee Effect Drove Two ATL Restaurant into The Ground

Unless you live under a rock, you have likely seen the “Keith Lee Effect” in action over the recent months. Influencer marketing, especially when it comes to the food and entertainment industries, has skyrocketed with the help of the popular social platform, TikTok.

Keith Lee (Keith_Lee125) or “Keith Lee Official” is among the top ranked food influencers on the platform ranking in an astonishing 14.5 million followers, 600+ million likes, and multi-billion streaming views. His rise to popularity can be credited to his wholesome and very human approach to food critique focusing his effort on small businesses and mom-and-pop shops. With his cult-like following religiously anchored to every review; if Keith says it’s good, best be prepared for a viral line out the door for months.

Watch: https://www.tiktok.com/@keith_lee125/video/7294102614353104174?lang=en

Keith has been a blessing to many businesses around the country with a few, in his hometown of Las Vegas, referring to him as a “godsend for business”. A couple of spots on the verge of closing their doors now close at noon because they have run out of food. Keith’s email account is flooded daily with recommendations and requests to try new shops, restaurants, and food trucks. Owners pleading for their chance to fall victim to the Keith Lee Effect and have their lives changed for the better.

A few of these spots were local ATL food joints hoping to catch Keith and his family while traveling. One shop, The Real Milk & Honey, wasn’t so lucky. After messaging Keith over 20 times to try their food, he decided to make a pit stop with his family only to be treated poorly by staff who were unable to accommodate them. The restaurant was cited to be “closing early for cleaning” and Keith, unable to leave one of his legendary reviews, went elsewhere.

Watch: https://www.tiktok.com/@keith_lee125/video/7296285392611872030?lang=en

His empty-handed review left followers shook. Since the viral happening, the restaurant owners, outraged, have taken to social media making slurs against Keith and even a comedic video reply pretending not to know who Keith is.

Click to watch!

The situation is catching the attention of major outlets and even ATL-based celebrities like Cardi B who have stood up for Keith saying that ATL restaurants are difficult and even she can’t get service without name-dropping. The question seems to be, what happens when these major influencers have something negative to say? What if people like Keith try your food and the food and/or customer experience isn’t good? The quote, “with great power, comes great responsibility” starts to ring true. Should one influencer’s opinion destroy the entire reputation of a restaurant? Should one person hold the power to cancel a restaurant with a single TikTok? At what point does this Thanos-level power become too much for one person to handle?

It's amazing to see the Keith Lee effect in action and changing lives around the country. The alternative is not so fun to watch. Many of us can only sit back with popcorn as all of this unfolds. We are wishing Keith the best of luck as he navigates the dark side of influencer marketing.

What’s your opinion on all this?