Social Media platform TikTok has announced plans to enter the hospitality sector thanks to a new TikTok Kitchen service which allows customers to turn viral food concepts into meals you can enjoy at home. The social giant announced in December that it's partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts and Grubhub to launch delivery-only restaurants across the United States in 2022.
It's expected that the menu will be led by some of the most popular viral food posts from TikTok, which will likely include dishes such as Baked Feta Pasta - the most searched dish on Google in 2021, Baked Oats, Smashed Vegetables and Pesto Eggs amongst others. The menu is then said to be updated quarterly with new dishes that have started to gain viral traction online.
We covered a few of the TikTok food trends from 2021 on the blog last summer.
TikTok has also confirmed that creators of these dishes will be receiving credit within the menu. "Proceeds from TikTok Kitchen sales will go to both support the creators who inspired the menu item and to encourage and assist other creators to express themselves on the platform in keeping with TikTok's mission to inspire creativity and bring joy to its users," a TikTok representative explained.
TikTok's new partner for the venture, Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC), is well versed in bringing delivery services to life. Created by restaurant owners for restaurant owners, VDC offers restaurants a low risk, all-in-one solution to launch a delivery-only concept from within their existing kitchen operations. Several large name concepts have collaborated with VDC previously, including MrBeast Burger, Mariah's Cookies, Wing Squad and more. Customers simply order online, through the concept's website or via the leading food delivery apps - in the case of TikTok Kitchen, Grubhub.