Popular Tik Tok food reviewer Keith Lee is teaming up with Pepsi to find the best Black-owned restaurants in the U.S.

Lee, who has more than 12 million followers, rose to prominence for his honest, wholesome approach to food reviewing during the pandemic, saving many struggling businesses with his popular videos.

“I’m fortunate that people’s response to my honest food reviews has turned into a platform that has made a difference for local businesses (in the U.S.) I’m excited to pay that forward for Black-owned restaurants with Pepsi Dig In. The Restaurant Royalty program is about spreading the word to celebrate great food and boosting businesses. I can’t wait to see what people recommend and discover more new spots to try,” Lee said in a statement.

The partnership, designed to bolster Pepsi’s Dig In Restaurant Royalty program, which recognizes the country’s best Black-owned businesses, will see fans submit their favourite eatery. Patrons who attend participating restaurants can earn prizes, including a $1,000 gift card.

The idea, the beverage company says, is to promote Black-owned restaurants and broaden connections between foodies.

In addition to the grand prize, 10 participants will have the chance to receive additional marketing and promotion across Pepsi Dig In and EatOkra’s social channels. EatOkra is a mobile food delivery platform for Black-owned businesses.

“Restaurant Royalty is an integral part of the larger Pepsi Dig In platform and is designed to spotlight and support Black-owned restaurants year-round by tapping into their key audience: engaged foodies,” Scott Finlow, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice, said in a statement. “Social media can be transformative for restaurateurs and food lovers like Keith Lee, reinforcing the life-changing impact an individual and their platform can make. Our goal with Restaurant Royalty is to get even more diners excited to support Black-owned restaurants and use Pepsi’s network, partners, and scale to help grow these local businesses.”

The “Restaurant Royals” will also be enrolled in Black Restaurants Deliver. The eight-week program offers personalized expert consulting services to support restaurants in building online ordering capabilities and search presence.

Five business owners will also have the chance to receive $10,000 in digital media buys for their businesses, a statement reads.

Moreover, one grand prize winner will be awarded a trip for two to Las Vegas in February 2024, plus tickets to the NFL's Super Bowl on February 11 and a chance to dine at Pepsi Dig In’s Restaurant Royalty residency at MGM Resorts International.

And one first-prize winner will be awarded a trip for two to New York City for an exclusive experience at Platform by the James Beard Foundation – a brand new show kitchen, educational hub, and event space for culinary arts programming at Pier 57’s newly launched Market 57 food hall, featuring Black chefs from across the country.

To nominate your favourite Black-owned restaurants, visit DigInShowLove.com.