TikTok launches restaurant guide to rival Yelp and Google Maps
TikTok has added a section called Must Eat to its app, building restaurant recommendations from videos and comments on the platform. It is initially available in three US regions.
Video platform TikTok has launched an in-app restaurant guide called Must Eat, putting it in competition with the review service Yelp and the mapping app Google Maps. The company announced the new section on Wednesday. It is built on 40 million posts, reviews and comments about dining on the platform.
How it works
Must Eat draws on videos and discussions about buzzy local businesses to compile recommendation guides. Users can write reviews, call restaurants, make reservations and search for nearby venues on a map. Recommendations are split into two tabs: "everyday eats" and "elevated dining." Results can be sorted and filtered by rating, distance, cuisine type and what is currently open. Each restaurant's page links to TikTok videos about it, and diners can bookmark places to save them for later.
The feature is initially available only in New York City, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The company says restaurants cannot pay to be featured. Among the featured New York venues are Golden Diner, known for its viral pancakes, and hard-to-book spots such as Semma and Via Carota.
TikTok US CEO Adam Presser described Must Eat as a compilation of the conversation on the platform among creators, restaurateurs and individuals.
Earlier steps
This is not the first time TikTok has tried to link watching a video about a place with visiting it. Earlier this year the app added the ability to book hotels and attractions through TikTok Go, which let creators tag and link to locations. Must Eat expands that capability.
The platform has had a strong influence on the restaurant sector: the popularity of food videos has even affected what restaurants put on their menus, such as extra-long cheese pulls or dramatic presentation. In its press release, TikTok said 27 million US diners visited a restaurant, cafe or shop for the first time last year because of the platform.
