TikTok is preparing to launch a new service that will turn its viral food videos into meals that you can actually order and enjoy. The social app is partnered with Virtual dining concepts and Grubhub will only launch “TikTok Kitchen” branded delivery restaurants in the United States next year, as reported for the first time Bloomberg. The menu in the restaurants draws on the most popular viral food posts on TikTok, which people can then have home delivered via Grubhub. TikTok plans to open around 300 locations, which will begin delivering food in March, and plans to open more than 1,000 restaurants by the end of next year.
The first menu will include top TikTok virus dishes like baked feta noodles, a smash burger, corn ribs, and pasta chips. Baked feta, in particular, gained incredible prominence in 2021 as Google reported it was the most wanted dish of the year after gaining tremendous popularity on TikTok. In the future, the menu at the locations will be supplemented every quarter with new dishes that are already going viral. It is not known if TikTok will make some popular dishes such as the baked feta noodle as a permanent feature on the menu.
TikTok confirmed to TechCrunch that creators for dishes within the menu will be recognized and featured prominently throughout the partnership.
“Proceeds from TikTok Kitchen sales will benefit both the creators who inspired the menu item and to encourage and help other creators to express themselves on the platform, in line with TikTok’s mission to inspire creativity and to bring joy to its users, ”said TikTok.
However, the company made it clear that this was more of a campaign to bring TikTok food to fans, rather than TikTok’s entry into the restaurant business. That means the company is likely to see this as a marketing effort rather than a long-term deal. TikTok did not say how long this “campaign” would run, nor any other details about the ordering process, or how the menu items were selected and updated.
Founded in 2018, Virtual Dining Concepts operates several delivery-only ghost restaurants and has teamed up with many notable personalities, including YouTube star MrBeast (the his own virtual restaurant business, MrBeast Burger), Guy Fieri, Steve Harvey, Mariah Carey, Tyga and others. The company also has a partnership with Barstool Sports. Virtual Dining Concepts in October behaved $ 20 million in Series A funding, with the investment planned to fund additional technology, improve corporate infrastructure, and provide additional marketing and customer support.
Well known for popular food trends, TikTok is home to many viral recipes that are often shared on other social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The recent partnership with the short video app shows that the company is keen to use this popularity to raise the profile of its brand and the creators who drive the food content in its app.
Update: The article has been updated to include information about TikTok’s partnership with Grubhub.
