Last November, one of Los Angeles' most anticipated pizzerias opened its doors in a prime area of West Hollywood real estate. Crowds of customers lined Sunset Boulevard, surrounding several blocks and threatening to disrupt traffic.
They were hungry, not for pizza, but to see David Dobrik.
Better known for his comedy sketches than his culinary skills, Dobrik is an internet personality who rose to fame on platforms like Vine and YouTube. Together with his friend and fellow social media star Ilya Fedorovich, they founded Doughbrik's Pizza as an homage to the Chicago-style pizza they grew up eating. But his foray into the restaurant industry was preceded by controversy, including allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying involving Dobrik's team of content creators (Dobrik has denied all allegations). Despite the allegations, Doughbrik's continues to draw crowds almost a year later; Whether the restaurant owes its popularity to pizza or the celebrity of its founder (he has more than 26 million followers on TikTok alone), the restaurant shows the power wielded by creators.
In fashion, beauty, interior design and other industries, creators have turned their digital presence into physical spaces. Now they're entering the culinary realm, riding the wave of celebrity-endorsed establishments that proliferated in Los Angeles in the early aughts.
For years, Hollywood celebrities have leveraged their capital and influence to open restaurants, a tradition that dates back to once-popular spots like Eva Longoria's Beso and Jennifer Lopez's Madre's. Remember Ashton Kutcher's Ketchup and Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante? In the heyday of these venues, crowds flocked, drawn by the celebrity connection and the chance to glimpse their favorite stars in person. But when the food and service were not up to par, many of these restaurants, including the aforementioned one, eventually went bankrupt.
These setbacks have not deterred the rich and famous from supporting restaurants, and a few have been successful. Travis Barker invested in Los Angeles institution Crossroads Kitchen a decade ago, while Ryan Gosling has been the quiet co-owner of Tagine for 15 years. More recently, Cristiano Ronaldo's Tatel and Evan Ross and Ryan Philippe's The Hideaway premiered in Beverly Hills.
Reality stars have followed suit, especially “Real Housewives” icon Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, restaurateur Ken Todd. But not even frequent appearances on reality shows could save Villa Blanca, which closed in 2020, or Pump, which closed last summer. SUR and TomTom remain part of the Vanderpump restaurant empire.
Unlike the broader celebrity appeal that the old guard of star-centric establishments relied on, the latest generation of influential restaurants is run by creators with a culinary focus. Take ĐiĐi, a high-end Vietnamese concept in West Hollywood from Tuệ Nguyễn, a TikTok culinary sensation with nearly 700,000 followers, and the group h.wood, known for its lively nightlife spots like Delilah and Harriet's Rooftop. After an initial collaboration with Nguyễn on a pop-up event, co-founders John Terzian and Brian Toll recognized the potential for a long-term partnership.
A variety of dishes from DiDi, a modern Vietnamese restaurant in West Hollywood by TikTok influencer Tue Nguyen.
(Kathryn Ballay)
“We did two nights at Petit Taqueria and it was sold out both nights,” explains Toll. “People asked us for tickets on social networks; The demand really blew us away. “After that, we decided to rebrand and create a new restaurant concept together with Tuệ.”
Recognizing that ĐiĐi could not rely solely on his fans to fill his tables, Nguyễn worked to offer a distinctive dining experience that filled a gap in modern Vietnamese cuisine. Along the way, Nguyễn documented some of the menu's research and development and posted delicious trailers, creating content that channeled her passion and ultimately resonated with diners. Some of ĐiĐi's most memorable dishes, like honey-glazed prawns with Vietnamese fish sauce or bánh-xèo-inspired coconut tacos that nod to L.A. taco culture, aren't traditional, but they're made. with Vietnamese ingredients.
“People come back again and again not only for the atmosphere, but also for the food,” Toll says.
Influencer-owned restaurants thrive when they appeal to creators' niche markets and carve out distinct identities. Conceived by Jing Gao, founder of modern Chinese food brand Fly by Jing, and Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth, a renowned fashion and beauty content creator, Suá Superette is a Sichuan grab-and-go market bringing Chinese flavors to downtown Los Angeles with a Menu of the Day of pre-packaged offerings prepared with organic produce, sustainable meats and high-quality ingredients, all based on traditional recipes and enhanced by Fly by Jing's flavor-packed condiments.
Sua Superette is a Sichuan takeout market dreamed up by Jing Gao, founder of modern Chinese food brand Fly by Jing, and Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth, an established fashion and beauty content creator.
(Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth)
“We wanted to share Sichuan food, but in a way that expresses our modern Chinese experience in California, like intentionally making sure our products are farm fresh,” Hjelmeseth says.
Like Nguyễn, cooking content paved the way for social media star Anwar Jibawi and his mother, Amal, to open a traditional restaurant in the city center. During the lockdown in early 2020, they launched a popular cooking series on YouTube, making staple Palestinian and Mediterranean dishes that you can now find on Anwar's Kitchen.
“We knew there was a desire for our food when we saw fans replicating my mother's recipes,” says Jibawi, who has 10.1 million subscribers on the platform. “Our restaurant is 100% halal. “My mother is the true master behind the recipes, which have been passed down from generation to generation.”
A mixed shawarma platter from Anwar's Kitchen, with hummus, pita bread, salad, tahini and garlic sauce.
(Trintee Curcio)
But not all culinary creators have the ability to run a restaurant and draw crowds.
“With Tuệ, we really saw his genuine enthusiasm for creating something together at ĐiĐi,” says Terzian. “That's not a passion that all creators have to maintain a successful business. We spent endless hours in the space, tastings, and now she is there every night, running the kitchen and interacting with customers.”
Real-life restaurant experience, not just behind the camera, also helps. Nguyễn attended culinary school and worked at Spago before launching her career as a content creator. Meanwhile, Hjelmeseth has culinary connections that might surprise the 115,000 Instagram followers who are obsessed with her incredibly stylish feed.
“My family has been in the restaurant business my entire life,” he says. “It's a business I'm very familiar with behind the scenes.”
When her parents retired and closed their last business, which she said was the first Sichuan restaurant in Orange County, Hjelmeseth felt a calling to continue their legacy. She reconnected with Gao at an event, where the latter (a chef in his own right) mentioned his dream of opening a Pret A Manger-inspired takeaway cafe, and Suá was born.
Sua Superette, which opened in early November, is a Sichuan takeout market dreamed up by Jing Gao, founder of modern Chinese food brand Fly by Jing, and Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth, an established fashion and beauty content creator .
(Max Mile)
But if an influencer's star power is the main attraction, what happens if, or when, their star declines? Earlier this year, Schwartz & Sandy's, a cocktail lounge from “Vanderpump Rules” stars Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval, addressed the fallout from Scandoval, including an avalanche of negative reviews left by fans angry over Sandoval's affair with a co-star. Although the bar saw a surge in interest following the scandal, it is now struggling to fill tables.
Hjelmeseth believes that having the right approach is the key to longevity. “We created Suá to fill a gap in the market,” she says. “We will intentionally not call it Steph and Jing's Café. “We want Suá to live and breathe on its own, and we feel like that has absolute potential because it is unique.”
Grilled chicken, beef, and gyro are topped with orange slices, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onion at Anwar's Kitchen.
(Trintee Curcio)
Longevity is rare in the restaurant industry, but influencers who take an active role might have a better chance than those who simply attach their name to a business, only to discover they have no control over its execution. Internet personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, recently sued his virtual burger joint partner, alleging quality control issues and inedible food. Shortly after, the company filed its own lawsuit against him.
Jibawi's restaurant bears his own name, but this commitment only intensifies the pressure he feels for his followers to do the right thing. “Being a public figure, guests who come to the kitchen also expect higher quality,” he says. While some influencer restaurants may be vanity projects or simply money-making ventures, Jibawi says sharing his family's recipes and staying true to them is his main motivation.
