TikToker Keith Lee is out here doing the Lord’s work. Watch the viral TikToker help a struggling Black-owned food truck raise $30,000 in 24 hours, surprise a Black female bakery owner with a $10,000 check on “Good Morning America,” and learn how he helped bring the viral Chipotle quesadilla hack, created by a Black woman, to the menu inside…
TikTok has become a breeding ground for viral sensations and overnight celebrities, but one user is using their newfound fame to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
Keith Lee, a husband and father of two, has gained a massive following thanks to his honest reviews of local restaurants. As of the time of this post, he has a whopping 9.9 million TikTok followers.
When it comes to his reviews, he doesn’t shy away from pointing out the things he’s not a fan of, but he also makes sure to highlight the positive aspects of each establishment. But what sets Keith apart from other food critics on TikTok is his dedication to helping struggling restaurants in their community.
On January 19th, the MMA fighter-turned-TikTok food critic (@keith_lee125) published a video telling the story of a Las Vegas food truck owner who was parked on a deserted street. The now-viral video details how Gary Shanks, the owner and head chef of Southern Taste Seafood, had his life transformed by a chance meeting with the influential social media star.
The owner didn’t have TikTok, so Keith posted his video on Instagram and tagged his food truck’s IG account:
“Today, I spent $450 on a burger, let’s try it and rate it one through 10,” Keith said in his video. “I like to workout a lot and last night I did a ten mile bike ride and on my way home from the bike ride, I was riding past this street and on this street was a food truck.”
Due to his shellfish allergy, Keith told Gary he couldn’t purchase anything since the food in the truck was seafood-based. Gary told Keith to come back the next day, and he would accommodate Keith because he also sold burgers and other non-seafood items. While chatting, Mr. Gary shared with Keith that he was just “trying to survive right now” and was lucky to get 5 to 10 customers a day.
That all changed after Keith posted his video.
In another video, Keith gave his fans an update after going back to Mr. Gary’s food truck:
“This is a 24-hour update on Mr. Gary, let’s talk about it. I went back today and by the time I got there, he was just pulling up,” Keith explained. “The first thing I saw made me extremely happy, he has help. Not only is someone in the truck with him, he has his son running his social media, so now his location is updated in his IG bio. He doesn’t have TikTok or Yelp, but he does have an IG and when I first found his IG, he was at 200 followers. Now, it’s almost 9,000. He was extremely excited to see me. He got out and he gave me a hug. I asked him, ‘How was last night?’ He said he hasn’t slept not one bit.”
After 19 hours from when Keith’s original video went up, Mr. Gary had accumulated a whopping $30,000 in Cash App donations!
Peep the clip above.
It doesn’t stop there…
Thursday morning….
Keith Lee made his way to television to continue his mission of helping struggling restaurants stay afloat. Rather than simply reviewing this one bakery in Brooklyn, he was able to use his platform on an even bigger platform. Keith appeared on “Good Morning America” on Thursday to meet Akim Vann, owner of Bakery on Bergen in Brooklyn, to deliver a treat that isn’t from a pastry case.
Earlier in the week, Keith visited the bakery to share his experience. He praised her goodies, dubbing her green tea latte and sea salt chocolate chip cookie the best he’s eaten.
To sweeten the deal, “GMA” then surprised Vann by presenting her with a $10,000 check from Duncan Hines, leaving her speechless. Watch the clip above.
Also…
Earlier this month, Keith stitched another food TikToker’s Chipotle hack and now it’s about to be added to the menu. Keith tried Alexis’ (@alexis.frost) “Philly Cheesesteak Quesadilla” Chipotle hack, shared it on his page, and now it’s up!
According to popular TikTok user Alexis Frost, who shared the viral hack in a video and explained that a Chipotle employee had recommended it to her, customers can order it by asking for a steak quesadilla with extra cheese and fajita vegetables. Another crucial element, according to Keith Lee, is what made this meal hack so popular. The dipping sauce that elevates this delectable quesadilla can be made by mixing Chipotle’s sour cream and its salad vinaigrette.
The food favorite caused issues for Chipotle employees with reported ingredient shortages, broken machines due to the excess products, and even physical and verbal aggression from customers over the counter.
Chipotle workers hang sign about the viral quesadilla hackhttps://t.co/5qS2TU6HbG #chipotle #hack #hacks #fastfood #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/RA2PIPId6r
— Doobie Duke Sims ③ (@DoobieDukeSims) January 3, 2023
It’s all good now, though. Chipotle is bringing the Philly Cheesesteak Quesadilla to the menu in March 2023. Peep the announcements above and below:
So about that quesadilla hack pic.twitter.com/pAVXVxDWSl
— Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) January 7, 2023
At the beginning of 2022, Keith basically manifested the life he’s living now. Peep the heartwarming clip below:
Look at God! We love to see it.
Photo: Keith’s IG
