More Than 50% of Millennial TikTok Users Visited or Ordered Food From Restaurants After Seeing It On TikTok

MGH revealed the findings of a new nationwide poll of TikTok users concerning the social media platform’s effect on their dining habits on October 25th, 2022. According to the report, more than half (53%) of TikTok’s millennial users in the United States had visited and/or order meals from a restaurant after seeing it on TikTok.

Furthermore, 38% of TikTok users in the United States across all generations have visited or ordered meals from a restaurant after viewing a TikTok video about it, corresponding to about 51.8 million U.S. restaurant-goers inspired by the platform. TikTok presently has 136 million users in the United States and 1 billion users worldwide.

The report also revealed that TikTok videos influenced consumers to travel longer distances for new eating experiences, as well as spend more money than they would normally spend on restaurants. Thirty percent of TikTok users questioned had gone further than usual to visit a restaurant after seeing it on TikTok, and 28% have visited a restaurant that was somewhat more costly than usual after seeing it on TikTok.

“What this survey shows is that this once-dismissed social network, TikTok, has completely changed the way people behave, where they spend their time, and more importantly, how they spend their money,” said Ryan Goff, EVP, Social Media Marketing Director at MGH. “TikTok truly is a restaurant marketer’s dream come true. There aren’t many other tools we have left in our marketing toolbox that can drive the sort of impact promised by TikTok through this survey.”

The nationwide assessment also identified the factors that influenced TikTok users to visit a restaurant after viewing it on the platform:

• 72% said the meal looked good.
• 45% thought it was a unique menu item.
• 42% thought it appeared to be a fun spot to visit with friends or family.
• 38% said it demonstrated a creative approach to serving food or drink.
• 37% thought it had a cool environment, while 30% thought it had a nice view.

The findings are based on a nationwide assessment of 1,139 TikTok users in the United States.