There’s nothing like a viral heartwarming story or trend to get people going. The social space can be a loud place, from once-popular viral food trends to viral protein-packed fast food orders, there’s no shortage of trending content for anyone to check out, at all hours of the day. But this summer, one story really stood out, and a popular restaurant chain took notice. It all started when TikTok user @badvina and her sister created a fake Instagram account, or “finsta,” to spy on other people. The fake account — which featured the two sisters whipping up cakes for a fake bakery business they completely made up — was all fun and games until they actually received orders from multiple customers. Oops!
Luckily, popular food chain and hero of the moment, P.F. Changs — home of famous lettuce wraps and iconic P.F. Chang’s happy hour specials — came to the rescue after slipping into the sisters’ comments section. That comment generated 1.3 million likes and 4 million views. The chain really stepped it up after seeing the response, dropping off five cakes for the sisters to deliver to their “customers,” all within a few hours.
Read more: 10 Items You Should Avoid Ordering From Outback Steakhouse
How a brief internet moment went viral
So how did it go down that P.F. Changs stepped in to save the day? It started with the company’s response to the sister’s cake business. P.F. Chang’s public relations team told Marketing Brew that it is always scanning TikTok and elsewhere for viral opportunities, and their social media team has permission to take advantage when they happen. P.F. Chang’s comment, “I hate when people are funnier than me,” (via PRWeek) generated a huge response.
Later in the day, a Houston-based P.F. Chang’s team hand-delivered five P.F. Chang’s cakes to the sisters’ home so they could stop fulfilling orders, and get back to doing what they started: stalking online. “Thank you besties. Now we can stop stressing about our five orders,” TikTok user @badvina captioned her follow-up video, which now has over 109,000 likes. In the video, the cakes appeared to be The Great Wall of Chocolate, the restaurant’s popular chocolate-frosted six layer cake, covered in semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we’re helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time.
Read the original article on Chowhound.
