TikTok creator’s food reviews flood struggling small businesses with customers
Keith Lee has been single-handedly helping small restaurants stay in business and it’s amazing to watch.

TikTok creator's food reviews flood struggling small businesses.
Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. TikTok user Keith Lee chooses to use his platform for good by helping others, and boy does it work well for those who seem to need it most. Lee is a self-proclaimed food critic who has amassed more than 8 million followers and nearly 300 million likes on TikTok with his food reviews.
His no-nonsense deadpan take on foods and his extremely strict rating scale is what makes his reviews so trustworthy to his large following. Lee doesn't announce himself as an influencer or food critic when he goes to different restaurants, he simply orders his food to go and tries it while sitting in his daughter's PAW Patrol folding chair.
But his followers know, once his eyes roll back in his head after taking a bite, the food is getting a high rating and they all need to try it. The process never fails. Lee gives a good review; business sells out. And the father of two isn't looking to profit from small businesses when he reviews their items. In fact, Lee wants all the focus to be on the business that was struggling before he reviewed their food.
Recently, Lee heard about a pizza place in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he lives. One of the employees called and asked if he would try the food because the business wasn't doing well, though the food was delicious. Let's just say, the wings got his seal of approval. Lee's eyes rolled so far back in his head, it looked like he might just take a nap.
The restaurant in question is Frankensons Pizzeria and since Lee's review, Frankensons has had lines down the street. That's not an exaggeration. It was an overnight turnaround for the owner, Frank Steele, whose restaurant went from not making enough money to pay the rent on their space, to having people willing to wait in line for more than two hours.
Steele told KTNV, “It has been a struggle. I was lucky if I did $400 a day.” While the owner admits that he had no idea who Lee was or his level of influence, he soon found out. “Our phone never stopped ringing. I’ve sold more lemon pepper wings in the last two days than I have in the past four months. I made more garlic knots yesterday and the day before than I’ve ever made,” Steele explained to KTNV.
It wasn't just local people coming by either. Steele revealed to the news station, people were coming from as far away as Utah, Iowa and California. But Frankensons isn't the first place Lee's influence has put on the map. His reviews have even sold out larger chains of certain items and while he does enjoy his job of reviewing food for all restaurants, larger chains are held to a different standard for Lee.
The food critic makes it clear that his goal is to help small businesses thrive while earning his livelihood through the larger companies that can afford to pay him for deals. Recently, Lee's review of a Chipotle steak quesadilla went viral and increased the company's business across the country. This led to a partnership with Chipotle for Lee and the made-up item will be added to the menu in March 2023.
Watching how much Lee puts into his mission to help struggling businesses while continuing to do what he loves is inspiring. Hopefully, more deals come his way so small restaurant businesses continue to have their own superhero when they least expect it.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."