Restaurant apologizes amid outrage over reaction to Keith Lee review
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A popular metro Atlanta restaurant is backtracking from its initial reaction to TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee's criticism of its establishment.
Driving the news: The Real Milk and Honey on Tuesday posted an apology on its Instagram and TikTok accounts after people expressed outrage when the restaurant posted — and later deleted — a video featuring people saying they didn't know who Lee was.
Why it matters: The reversal is another example of how social media influencers — and their followers — can make or break a brand's reputation.
- And in Atlanta, the discussions sparked by Lee's reviews forced us to have a "Come to Jesus" moment about the quirky practices of some of our favorite eateries.
What they're saying: The Real Milk and Honey said in its post that it apologizes "to all as we address a recent incident that highlighted a review from a high profile food blogger."
- "In no way were we trying to discredit anyone, [and] if the comments came across as such, kindly accept our apologies."
- It also said it began "internal corrective actions with our team regarding communications styles" and posted to TikTok its updated "House Rules."
Catch up quick: Lee, who lives in Las Vegas when he's not doing food reviews for his 14.4 million followers, visited Atlanta last week and critiqued several Black-owned restaurants on the quality of their food and customer service.
- When he visited The Real Milk and Honey, Lee said his family went inside to be seated, but were told the restaurant was closing early for "deep cleaning" — despite people going inside to pick up orders.
- When he went inside, Lee said the restaurant tried to offer a table after recognizing him, but he declined.
💭 Kristal's thought bubble: Keith Lee's videos wouldn't have touched a nerve if we all didn't feel some kind of way about dining out in Atlanta.