Keith Lee warns Indianapolis restaurants: Don't pay for reviews. 'They're not with me'
Food influencers are scamming small restaurants in Indianapolis in the name of popular reviewer Keith Lee, charging them thousands of dollars for access to him and his massive audience, Lee said today on TikTok.
Lee took to social media Friday morning to make clear he does not charge to review restaurants.
“Apparently food influencers that live in Indianapolis are going around the restaurants and charging these restaurants a fee and guaranteeing that we come in and we will try the food and it's gonna be a line out the door. That's not true,” he said in a post to TikTok, where he has 16 million followers “We're going Indianapolis for the game, and the game only. Yes, we might try some food while we're there. But we're not going there for the food tour.”
Lee is coming to town ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend. He was announced as one of the participants in the Feb. 14 Hoops & Icons basketball game produced by The Players Company at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Game promoters are selling packages to food entrepreneurs looking to interact with the Lee at the event.
Keith Lee coming to Indianapolis: Local restaurants hope for pop-ins by the food reviewer
His Keith Lee and Family Food Tour has run since last year, with favorable reviews driving businesses to be happily overwhelmed with customers, but also leading entire dining scenes to take stock of themselves in the wake of his expressing frustrations with shortcomings in some cities.
"No place that we go to do we charge small restaurants for anything. We don't charge for showing up. We don't charge for reviews. We don't charge if there's a line out the door. You don't charge even if you open three or four locations after we leave. At no point do I want any money from any small restaurant,” Lee continued. “I'm not charging those restaurants anything. And if anybody has ever told you anything differently, they’re lying. They’re not with me.”
Lee said he’s heard reports of restaurants being charged $7,000 to $20,000 in exchange for him trying their food.
“If you are a restaurant owner and you see me while we are in Indianapolis, don't come to me and my family and say, ‘You took this money and you didn't show up on a review.’ I didn't take no money. I'm not showing up for a review. I didn't promise anything. I'm going to play basketball. I don't want no smoke,” the influencer said. “God bless you. Have an amazing day.”
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Keith Lee to Indianapolis restaurants: I don't charge for reviews
