TikTok launches food delivery network by viral recipes

TikTok is partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC) to launch TikTok Kitchens, a delivery service that will release cooking videos of top recipes in its account on the app. About 300 locations will open in the U.S. at first, with plans to increase that number to 1,000 by the end of 2022.

TikTok Kitchens will be based on real restaurants, including Buca di Beppo and Bertucci’s, the chain of Robert Earle, co-founder of VDC. It’s essentially a cloud-based kitchen format, but unlike stop-and-go stalls, the restaurants’ existing kitchens will be used. VDC will provide staff training and food packaging, while TikTok will provide a platform for posting and promoting recipes.

TikTok Kitchens’ first viral videos will be videos about making baked feta pasta – the recipe most searched for on Google in 2021 – as well as roasted ribs with corn, macaroni and cheese chips and “smashburger.” The menu will be updated quarterly, based on how quickly viral user-generated content is created and shared across the platform. According to TikTok representatives, the authors of the most popular video recipes can claim a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the dishes during the promotion.