The “Keith Lee” Effect
From a professional fighter to a food enthusiast, Keith Lee found solace in creating family and cooking-inspired content on TikTok. The videos helped ease his social anxiety and prepared him for post-fight interviews. His content caught the eye of People vs. Food, a popular YouTube channel, leading to collaborations that boosted his social media presence.
Moving from fighting to food, Lee and his wife began posting daily food reviews. As their following grew, they shifted their focus to smaller businesses, receiving requests to try and rate food in various cities such as Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and Chicago.
To ensure impartial experiences, Lee began sending family members to order food, aiming to avoid any favoritism given to him as a social media influencer. In October 2023, his food journey brought him to Atlanta, where he encountered a “Black elitism” culture within the city’s restaurant scene.
Lee Criticizes ATL For Toxic Elitism
Many of Lee’s videos shed light on the strict policies and unorthodox practices enforced by restaurants, such as no take-out orders, restrictions on dine-in times or party sizes, and varying hours.
Establishments like The Atlanta Breakfast Club charged extra for butter and required a single order for the entire table. Notably, The Real Milk & Honey and Old Lady Gang initially refused to serve Lee’s family but changed their policy after his arrival.
Lee expressed his frustration in one of his review videos, emphasizing:
“I pay for my food like everyone else. I walk up in places like everyone else. We are all regular people. Respectfully, if you’re not going to do it then, don’t do it now.”
‘The Real Milk & Honey’ ATL
Social media users joined the conversation, sharing their own experiences and discussing the issue of black elitism in Atlanta’s food scene, particularly regarding ordering ahead, customer service, and denial of service based on perceived status.
Despite encounters with unsatisfactory service, Keith Lee stated:
“I do not support, condone, or agree with tearing down these establishments. While we personally may not have the best personal service experience, it does not mean you will have the same experience. It also doesn’t mean go on Twitter and tear these businesses down. At the end of the day, business owners are people and you never know what people are going through.”
Houston, We Have A Problem
Expanding his food tour to Houston, Texas, Keith Lee continues his quest for honest food reviews. » …
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