Yahoo Lifestyle The TikTok pizzas, doughnuts and desserts going viral
It is a typical day for Dee Pizza, as the woodfire oven heats up, toppings are sliced and the marketing manager gets ready to record another video for their TikTok account.
The restaurant in Llangollen, Denbighshire, has surpassed 700,000 followers on the platform and their videos regularly get more than a million views.
On the Instagram page, it is not a pizza that catches your eye, but a plaque from YouTube, which they received after passing 100,000 subscribers.
Angel Angelov, who owns Dee's, thinks the food is still the most important thing.
But can you still achieve success in the food industry without a strong social media presence?
Dee Pizza opened in 2017 but staff noticed a "massive boost" after setting up a social media account for the restaurant last year.
"A friend of mine works for us full-time now. He's like our marketing manager, and a really big part of what we do," Angel explained.
Their most notable viral hit is the "first is free" series in which the first customer of the day gets a free meal.
The daily offering has become so popular on TikTok that it is not uncommon for people to be queuing outside before it opens.
Dee's popularity on social media is helping to bring customers from all parts of the UK.
"People are willing to travel from Edinburgh," Angel said.
"We had a gentleman from Birmingham. He put his kids to bed and drove for two hours just to have a pizza."
No business understands the importance of a thriving online presence more than Scott Magill, owner of WhoCult, who believes that a strong social media presence is "everything".
The coffee and doughnut shop in Bridgend stepped up its "social media game" after the enforced Covid-19 closure.
"We didn't hire a dedicated social media manager," he said.
"Our core team handles all aspects of content.
"Our brand lives and breathes in the real world, but our story spreads online."
Scott has "seen the impact" a viral moment can have in the store as well as online.
"It create spikes in foot traffic, online orders, and overall brand awareness," he said.
"But the real win is turning those viral moments into long-term community growth."
Scott said it was "tough" for food businesses to survive without a social media presence, adding: "Food is emotional, visual, and shareable - exactly what social media thrives on.
"If you're not showing up online, you're missing out on a huge slice of your audience."
It has helped WhoCult to "reach and open many doors" according to Scott.
"We focus on making share-worthy content that reflects our brand and feels fun, relatable, and 'craveable'," he said.
The Whocult team recently created custom doughnuts celebrating the Gavin and Stacey finale which set a Christmas Day record for viewing figures.
"They were ordered by the show's director as a surprise for them. The post exploded, reaching just under one million views," said Scott.
So did anyone ask to have a bite of the Nessa?
"We had loads of people asking about them, which brought more footfall to the store. It shows the power of social media," he said.
Ultimately, Scott thinks taste will "always be king", adding: "A pretty picture can get someone in the door, but the quality of the product keeps them coming back."
Kazi Raihaan Ahmed is the owner of Little Dessert Shop in Cardiff.
A franchise that proudly displays in its Instagram bio, and on the store window, that it is the "UK's Most Viral Desserts" business.
Kazi said he has a "responsibility" to give the customers a good experience.
"Of course I feel the pressure, it's extremely difficult. However, it is an honour to bring joy to our customers," he said.
He has donated to fundraisers, catered at weddings and even attended anniversary parties.
Kazi said this helps the business to "create a story" with people from the community.
The Little Dessert Shops, in Cardiff and Llandudno, will implement their own social media accounts this year as part of the companies growth strategy.
Kazi said they are considering influencer collaborations as part of this, but in the short term, the role will be carried out by staff members at the shop.
He hopes it will foster a "personal relationship" that other large brands struggle to create.
"I want to ensure the content is localised to the culture of the community in Wales," said Kazi.
