TikTok Launches 'Must Eat' Restaurant Guide
The new feature uses over 40 million posts and comments to recommend restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with direct booking available via OpenTable
TikTok has introduced a new feature called 'Must Eat', a community-driven guide that highlights restaurants getting attention on the platform. The feature uses more than 40 million posts and comments to pull restaurant recommendations and curated lists together, allowing users to browse and filter restaurant recommendations by city, cuisine, price, rating, and location.
The 'Must Eat' feature is split into two categories: 'Everyday Eats' and 'Elevated Dining'. 'Everyday Eats' features casual favorites and neighborhood go-tos, while 'Elevated Dining' highlights restaurants for celebrations, special occasions, or a night out. Select restaurants can be booked directly through TikTok via OpenTable, making it easier for users to plan their dining experience.
The feature is initially launching in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with users able to find it through the search bar, the Local feed, restaurant pages, and location links attached to videos featuring participating restaurants. This move puts TikTok in more direct competition with platforms like Yelp and Google Maps, but instead of relying mainly on search results, maps, and traditional reviews, TikTok is building on what it already does well: connecting people with restaurants through recommendations shared by other users.
## Why it matters The introduction of 'Must Eat' is a significant development for TikTok, as it expands the platform's capabilities beyond short-form videos and into the realm of local discovery and recommendation. With over 40 million posts and comments powering the feature, 'Must Eat' has the potential to become a go-to destination for users looking for new restaurants to try. As the feature rolls out to more cities, it will be interesting to see how it competes with established players in the space and how it impacts the way users discover and interact with local businesses.
The 'Must Eat' feature was introduced on Wednesday, and its launch marks a new chapter in TikTok's efforts to become a more comprehensive platform for users. As the platform continues to evolve and expand its features, it will be exciting to see how 'Must Eat' develops and how it contributes to TikTok's growing ecosystem.
