What Keith Lee's visit means for Atlanta's restaurant culture

November 15th, 2023

Keith Lee arrives at the Streamy Awards on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

When influential social media influencer Keith Lee made Atlanta a stop on his ongoing food tour, the subsequent review videos garnered tremendous attention, with some restaurants facing intense backlash. In contrast, others enjoyed a significant spike in customers.

Mike Jordan, food journalist and Atlanta Journalist-Constitution senior editor for Black culture, was interviewed and has written about what happened. He joined WABE’s “All Things Considered” to talk about the role of influencers.

Jordan said it’s related to Lee and his more than 15 million followers and the fact that several large cultural events took place in Atlanta around the same time, but he said it goes back further than Lee.

He said it’s basically the conversation that started before Lee came but has since been amplified around Black diners feeling like they’re not always getting the value they expect at Atlanta restaurants.

Jordan said this controversy has put other restaurant owners on notice that they need to be prepared for these types of occurrences and be conscious of how they respond to criticism on social media.

Christopher Alston contributed to this report.