Professional Mixed Martial Artist Keith Lee has managed to garner a massive following on TikTok, not because of his training footage or fitness advice, but because of his candid food reviews. As of this writing, he’s managed to amass an enormous 10.8 million followers on the popular social media platform. His reach is so great that a positive review of a new restaurant can help usher in a wave of customers, something that the owner of Frankensons Pizzeria experienced firsthand after he gave a “completely honest” review of their fare.
So it’s not surprising that big brands are looking to leverage the social media influencer’s online prominence as part of their marketing, like Chipotle. The popular Mexican-style fare chain is now promoting the “Keithadilla” with Keith Lee’s likeness in its marketing.
@sameliterally well hello it’s finally live! @keith_lee125 #keithadilla #chipotle #chipotlehacks ♬ original sound – G3MARAJ
So what’s in a Keithadilla? It’s a Fajita Quesadilla with Steak, Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa, Sour Cream, and Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette.
TikToker @sameliterally posted the news about the new Chipotle menu item, which sparked debate among viewers, who shared their upset with the launch after facing issues ordering the “hack” prior.
Social media is filled with various restaurant “hacks” that either instruct customers on how to make more budget-friendly orders at their favorite eateries, but also possible combinations and substitutions that they may have not otherwise thought of making. The “Keithadilla” is Lee’s custom quesadilla order and is part of new menu items that the franchise announced Feb. 27 in a press release statement.
Another popular TikTok foodie, Alexis Frost, got her own branded item with Chipotle, the “Fajita Quesadilla Hack.”
“To pay homage to Keith Lee and Alexis Frost, Chipotle is also launching Keith Lee’s custom Quesadilla order, the ‘Keithadilla,’ and Alexis Frost’s favorite Quesadilla order, the ‘Fajita Quesadilla Hack,’ on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com for a limited time. These are the exact orders that received “10s” from both Keith and Alexis on TikTok,” the brand’s press release reads.
Lee also expressed his gratitude for the partnership. “I never could have imagined that I’d have my own menu item at Chipotle. I’m blessed to be able to work with Alexis and Chipotle to answer the call from the TikTok community,” he stated. “In my opinion, the new Fajita Quesadilla dipped in the Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette mixed with sour cream is a 10 out of 10.”
While some TikTok users were excited to try out the newest menu item, there were others who lambasted the price of the item, which comes out to $13.
“Did they wait this whole time so they could double the price?” one TikToker vented. “That is ridiculous when they had all the ingredients to start with!”
Some remarked that the Keithadilla’s pricing isn’t all that different from a standard Chipotle quesadilla order. “Y’all saying price is not legit, a regular quesadilla is literally $11, you getting all that snd think they not going to adjust price accordingly?” one commented.
Still, several customers argued that they had no desire to order the new menu items, after experiencing difficulty ordering them when the hacks first went viral online.
As one commenter asked, “After the employees at my chipotle near cursed me out for trying to order this?”
“The hype is gone, many of us learned how to make them and the dressing,” another argued.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Keith Lee and Chipotle via email for further comment.
