Pearland: Keith Lee surprises 'The Puddery' owner with $50K

TikTok-famous food critic Keith Lee gave a sweet surprise to a Pearland dessert shop that he gave a raving review for in 2024.

Keith Lee's surprise for The Puddery

What we know:

On Tuesday, Keith Lee shared his surprise visit to The Puddery on Instagram.

The former MMA fighter turned food reviewer announced that he is giving the shop $50,000 through a partnership with the restaurant platform Toast.

The money will be used to help The Puddery move into a new and improved location to expand her brand.

"You deserve it more than the word deserve means," Lee said in the video. "I am honored to call you my friend and the fact that we are in this moment."

Janel Prator, the restaurant's founder, broke down in tears as she heard the announcement.

"Thank you soooooooo much for all you’ve done for me, my business and my family. This was a hugggggggge surprise. I appreciate it so much and plan to do great things with the gift you all have given us," Prator wrote in a comment.

Lee's first visit to The Puddery

The backstory:

Last year, Prator tagged Lee hundreds of times hoping for a review of her desserts.

In a video she sent to the influencer, Prator said she was struggling to pay the bills and on the verge of closing.

Lee says The Puddery has the best banana pudding that he has ever tasted.

The review led to hundreds of customers making the trip to Pearland.

Lee, Toast giving away $50,000

What's next:

Lee and Toast will give another restaurant $50,000.

Social media users can tag their favorite places with the hashtag "#itsthelittlethings" and "#ToastContest."

The person who tages the winner will get $25,000 of their own.

The Source: Information in this article comes from an Instagram post by Keith Lee.

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