In 2022, if you’re not on social media, do you even exist? It’s no longer acceptable for only individuals to be on TikTok and the ‘gram, businesses need to, too. This was evidenced by a small Cleveland deli which is doing the best business of its life, thanks to a TikTok post.
East 81st St. Deli has been around for 25 years and professes to have the best salads and sandwiches in town. Whether or not that is true, thousands have now flocked to try the shop’s chicken salad after a video featuring it went viral on the social media platform.
Tanisha Godfrey often frequented the deli, but had never before tried the chicken salad. And so, on the day she did, owner Wael Herbawi decided to record it.
@81stdeli ♬ original sound – 81stdeli
“Because it was hot, I was like, I don’t want anything heavy,” Godfrey says. “So I stopped at the store like I normally do. And I was like, ‘Hey, you guys make salad now, right? And [Herbawi] was like, ‘Yes.’ So I was like, ‘Can I get a chicken salad?’ and I gave him the extra things to put in. And once he was done, it was a beautiful salad. So he said, ‘Hey, let’s make a TikTok.’ And that’s where it started.”
The now-viral clip features the Cleveland native saying, “Y’all better come up here and get one of these… It’s a chicken salad. I got chicken, pickles, banana peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions…”
Godfrey’s voice saying “It’s a chicken salad” has now been used by Lizzo, Tia Mowry, and others to make their own videos.
As for the deli, Herbawi says that his daily chicken salad orders have increased from 40 to more than 300, and he has had to hire five more employees to keep up!
