TikTok Adds Option To Review Restaurants—Is Yelp in Trouble?

TikTok has introduced a new feature allowing users to rate and review restaurants directly on the app. When you tag a restaurant’s account after visiting, a 5-star rating prompt appears, letting you rate your experience. A 4-star rating signifies “good,” 5 stars means “great,” and 3 stars likely represents “okay,” and so on.

After selecting your rating, a new screen appears, where you can write a detailed review, complete with emojis. The feature is reminiscent of Yelp’s location-based reviews and Google Maps’ Timeline, which track your visits and allow you to save locations, routes, and review experiences. Unlike Yelp, which integrates with Apple Maps, and Google Maps, it’s unclear whether TikTok’s system uses a map service or relies solely on tagged accounts.

Regardless, this feature offers businesses another way to boost visibility. Research shows that 87% of customers trust businesses with 3-4 star ratings on Google (WiserNotify), and a 1-star increase on Yelp can boost revenue by 5-9% (Wordstream). TikTok’s rating system could be a game-changer for both consumers and businesses.