Creator restaurants gain OpenTable bookings as TikTok wants to help users find next must-eat spots
A new food discovery tool
TikTok’s U.S. joint venture launched Must Eat at a New York City reception at Undercote on Tuesday evening. Adam Presser, CEO of TikTok’s U.S. business, hosted food creators at the event.
The product features restaurants that have worked with TikTok food creators. Its two categories are “Everyday Eats” and “Elevated Dining,” and OpenTable is providing reservations for selected locations.
Creators and real-world visits
Presser said his interest in FoodTok began during the pandemic, before he joined TikTok. He recalled trying a feta cheese pasta recipe he had discovered in videos, describing it as an early example of online content leading to an offline experience.
He also pointed to the “lunch in my city” trend. Presser cited a statistic he had seen the previous year: more than 27 million Americans visited an independent U.S. restaurant, cafe or store they had first found on TikTok.
Building TikTok’s U.S. business
Must Eat expands on Must GO, TikTok’s travel-focused product. The launch is part of the U.S. business’s effort to chart its own direction about 10 months into a new ownership structure.
Presser joined TikTok around four and a half years ago, after working in the music industry and as an executive at Warner Bros. Discovery. He said the platform can help people gain attention through their voices, ideas and creative work, even without being a chart-topping performer or appearing on a large screen.
Key points
- Must Eat is launching in New York, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
- The product features “Everyday Eats” and “Elevated Dining” listings.
- OpenTable reservations are available at selected locations.
- TikTok says more than 27 million Americans visited a local business they first discovered on the platform.