TikTok is best known as the popular video app for watching funny/interesting videos, but did you know it's also in the restaurant business? Food delivery apps like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats have been around for years now. It's no longer a new concept to open an app on a smartphone, order food from a restaurant, and get it delivered — all without having to ever leave the house or make a phone call.
That said, the way these apps have evolved has been interesting to watch. In addition to traditional restaurants offering food delivery, there's been a noticeable rise in 'virtual restaurants.' It's Just Wings, for example, is a DoorDash-exclusive restaurant that sells nothing but wings and fries. Pasquale's Pizzeria is a pizza chain selling pizza only through delivery apps. What's interesting about these virtual restaurants is that they're actually based out of already-established businesses. It's Just Wings comes from Chili's, while Pasquale's serves pizza from Chuck E. Cheese.
Following in those footsteps, TikTok is doing something similar with 'TikTok Kitchen.' TikTok Kitchen was announced on December 17, 2021, and it's TikTok's own take on the delivery-only restaurant business. Beginning in March 2022, people will be able to hop on their favorite food delivery app and order dishes from TikTok Kitchen, all of which are based on popular TikTok videos. TikTok Kitchen was created in partnership with a company called Virtual Dining Concepts. That name alone may not ring a bell, but folks are likely familiar with other virtual restaurants the company's previously created — including the MrBeast Burger, Barstool Bites, and Pauly D's Italian Subs.
What You Can Order From TikTok Kitchen
Along with the name recognition, TikTok Kitchen stands out from other virtual restaurants with a pretty unique menu. Taking inspiration from viral food/recipe TikToks, everything on the TikTok Kitchen menu is based on those very videos. At launch, one of the main dishes will be baked feta pasta — a viral TikTok recipe that involves baking a block of feta, tomatoes, and olive oil, and then mixing that together with pasta. Speaking of pasta, another menu item is pasta chips. It's exactly what the name sounds like: cooked pasta smothered with cheese.
But there's more to the TikTok Kitchen menu than odd takes on pasta. The virtual restaurant will also serve a smash burger and something called 'corn ribs' — aka peeled-off chunks of corn that are covered with parmesan and other spices. What's especially interesting about TikTok Kitchen is that the menu is expected to change every quarter. It's unclear if certain items will stick around for multiple quarters, but it's clear that TikTok wants to keep the menu fresh with current trends.
If that has your mouth watering, the good news is that there isn't too much longer to go before TikTok Kitchen launches. The service is set to go live in March across 300 restaurants in the U.S. By the end of 2022, TikTok Kitchen should be operating at over 1,000 locations. Look for it on DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, and potentially its own app (similar to the MrBeast Burger app).
Source: Bloomberg