Food influencer and critic Keith Lee is using his TikTok platform of nearly 18 million followers as a call to action for companies and community members to partner with him in giving away meals during the holiday season.
Brands such as DoorDash, Idahoan Foods, Drip Drop Hydration and Sweet Thangs New Orleans are among the many that have expressed interest in supporting his initiative.
Lee posted on his page encouraging others to join him in donating meals to those who are battling food insecurity — particularly those who have been affected by the recent government shutdown, causing 42 million SNAP recipients to struggle to put food on their tables.
For Lee, this initiative is not about the brand partnerships. It’s about being able to help the families being impacted.
“I want this to be specifically about the families we feeding and the holidays that we making holidays … It’s about their holidays,” Lee shared in a TikTok video. “And we want to make sure that we are supporting the families in this holiday. So, if you are a brand and you want to be a part of it, I’ll see you in the comments. God bless you.”
Lee’s career
Before becoming a beloved food reviewer online, Lee was a Las Vegas-based MMA fighter.
Lee started posting general content in 2020 documenting his life and cooking for his wife, Ronni, sparking the mainstream interest that would eventually grow his platform. What started as simple cooking videos evolved into taste tests of snacks, then chain restaurant dishes and ultimately full restaurant reviews by 2022.
Lee’s content is simple and straightforward: He visits a restaurant, tries their food and gives it an honest rating.
His reviews have helped stop businesses from shutting down, and, according to Rolling Stone, have even “spun a city’s food scene into complete turmoil in less than two videos.”
While Lee is proud of the platform he has made, he doesn’t want to be known as a celebrity.
“‘I think fame and celebrity are what you make of it,” Lee shared with Rolling Stone. “And if I accept the title ‘celebrity,’ then I’ll have to accept whatever else you put on me. I’m a human being. I’m a person. I’m not somebody famous. I’m not an influencer. I’m Keith. And I eat food.’”
Personal connection
On his page, Lee has been open about his struggles with anxiety and depression. Lee explained he was managing his mental health struggles by preparing meals and distributing food to those in need. He has also been candid about the financial struggles he faced while trying to do so.
“How was I buying that food to make meals for the less fortunate? On food stamps and gift cards that people was giving to me,” he shared in a TikTok.
Lee has used his platform to challenge the stigma surrounding those who receive SNAP benefits as well.
“I want to take this opportunity to say it’s not something that is uncommon or something crazy that has to occur for you to be in a situation where you need SNAP or you need food stamp benefits. And I am a prime example of that,” he said in another TikTok video. “[When] my first and second daughters were born, we was on food stamps. And I vividly remember exactly what it felt like.”