Anyone with a love for social media and food has probably heard of influencer Keith Lee. With 630,000 followers on Instagram and another whopping 11.3 million on TikTok, it’s safe to say his reviews carry weight. Over the weekend, he used his platform to help a Black artisan chocolate maker sell out of her inventory.
“Come see us tomorrow at the National Black Market! 3/18 from 12 – 6 pm at the Finley Stadium (in Chattanooga, Tennessee). We’ll be there with over one hundred other amazing Black-owned businesses,” the woman, who goes by Cocoa Asante, captioned a post on Instagram Friday (March 17). The following day, she posted a disclaimer that read: “Due to us selling out of our inventory 45 minutes after Keith Lee posted a review on our chocolates, we will not be at the National Black Market today! We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We are accepting pre-orders on our website. Please note that it will take us longer than normal to fulfill them. Thank you, and we love you all!”
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While some may have been left with a sweet tooth, many others were happy that the entrepreneur got the recognition she deserved. “Stop it!! This is sooo cool. I love watching Keith Lee’s TikToks!” one person commented. Another said, “I’m here due to [the] Keith Lee review. Congratulations, and good luck. I can’t wait to try the bonbons.” In Lee’s recap of the chocolate, he made it clear that he never charges small businesses to try their products. Asante noted that she reached out to Lee in hopes that the critic would post her product, but the influencer claimed he never saw her message until after spending his own money from genuinely wanting to try it.
The flood of business sent in by Lee was so monumental that yesterday (March 21), Asante revealed she was looking for help to get the chocolate orders out to her new customers. “We are looking to hire two part-time chocolatiers immediately. You must live in the Chattanooga area [and] have experience working in a professional kitchen setting. If interested, please email your resume to [email protected] Thank you!” the businesswoman wrote on Instagram.
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