If a small business unexpectedly goes viral on social media, the sudden fame can be overwhelming. Owners have to pivot quickly. If successful, the fame can boost their business for years. John Philis, a third-generation owner of the Lexington Candy Shop, prepares a Coke float at the luncheonette, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in New York. The old school business met the new world when Nicolas Heller, a TikToker and Instagrammer with 1.2 million followers, popped in for a traditional Coke float.
He sprinkled Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in some of them, inspired by his daughter’s love of hot chips. By 2020, Elreda had worked hard to develop his restaurant’s social media presence, shooting videos with music. But after a TikToker dubbed @misohungry postedLines to get into the restaurant ballooned to two to three hours – for months. At first, the store wasn’t ready for the influx.
“Social media can make you or break you,” he said. “It catapulted us to starting to franchise and getting the name out there. It’s been a blessing.” “We were ill prepared for exactly what happened over the next two weeks of our business,” he said. “We were hiring staff on the spot. I cooked more than I ever have in my entire life.”
“We refer to everything as pre-Chimetime and post-Chimetime,” he said. “What Mr. Chimetime did for our small business changed the fabric of what we are for forever.” “We were looking to try and find what are the ‘must do’s’ in this beautiful city,” he said. “And the diner was one that just was constantly being recommended as iconic via YouTube, TikTok. ... So we just had to come and try it out.”