TikTok online food service to bring viral culinary trends to fans

San Francisco, Dec 20 (IANS) Chinese short-video making app TikTok is entering the online food business, and has officially tied up with US-based Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC), an industry leader in the virtual dining space, to launch 'TikTok Kitchen'.

The menu will be inspired by the hottest viral food trends on TikTok, an extremely popular category on their platform.

TikTok, with over 1 billion users, provides a space for creators to post food videos -- from innovative recipes to cooking hacks.

The menu will celebrate creators while offering restaurants across the country the opportunity to opt-in and become a market partner, the company announced in a statement.

TikTok and VDC will reportedly open around 300 locations across the US to start, but plan on expanding to around 1,000 by the end of 2022.

"Working with the team at TikTok on development of the menu and the whole vibe of this brand has been so energising, and I am thrilled to reveal our newest VDC concept today, TikTok Kitchen, which will be our first with an ever-changing menu," said VDC co-founder, Robert Earl.

"When we launched MrBeast Burger last December, we were in uncharted territory. Now, one year in, MrBeast Burger is seen as the absolute prime mover in the virtual space, with locations continuing to open throughout the US and internationally, and we believe TikTok Kitchen is right up there in the same stratosphere," he added.

Proceeds from TikTok Kitchen sales will go to both support the creators who inspired the menu item, and to encourage and assist other creators to express themselves on the platform in keeping with TikTok's mission to inspire creativity and bring joy to its users.

The menu will draw upon the most popular viral food posts on TikTok and is designed to respond to demand for the hottest current trends, therefore it will be updated quarterly so the brand remains fresh and relevant.

Once approved to carry TikTok Kitchen, restaurants will receive the training materials, recipes, packaging, and more, the company said.