As the nation emerges from pandemic shutdowns and capacity limits, local restaurants around the country are getting an eggstra boost from a popular menu mainstay — the incredible egg — and a healthy dose of hometown competition. Igniting America’s passion for eating out, the American Egg Board (AEB) has partnered with celebrity chef Connie Lovely Jackson, aka ‘Chef Lovely,’ and ten TikTok influencers across the country to showcase eggceptional dishes at their favourite local restaurants in the nation’s first #EggDishChallenge.

Led by Chef Lovely, host of Lovely Bites on The Oprah Winfrey Network & Discovery+ (OWN), now through Tuesday, July 6th, noteworthy TikTok food influencers will create and share videos taken inside local restaurants, championing their pick for the best egg dish in their city and challenging their followers to do the same. Markets span Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.

Every restaurant tagged in a TikTok with the #EggDishChallenge hashtag will be entered for a chance to be granted one of ten $10,000 donations to help that winning restaurant with post-pandemic improvements. Chef Lovely will help choose the 10 deserving restaurants.

Watch a selection of the videos here:

• @cheflovely 

• @hungryhotline (Arizona)

• @kolby_kash (Texas)

• @jackcohen (New York) 

• @thehungerdiaries (Minnesota)

• @teaspoonofyum (Seattle)

• @jennymartinezzz (California)

• @coriinthecity (Illinois)

• @aldentediva (New Jersey)

• @cookiterica (North Carolina)

• @stickaforkinme (Florida)


“Now that the country is reopening, it’s time to support our local restaurants in their great comeback. By investing in influencers and generating excitement using one of the most popular and versatile foods on the menu — the incredible egg — we hope to help drive traffic back to local restaurants this summer and make these favourite local spots and their egg dishes famous,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board.

The campaign was created in partnership with creative advertising agency Energy BBDO. The campaign is the first TikTok influencer campaign to be led entirely by the agency, from selection to contracting to media buying. The agency worked closely with the influencers to co-create compelling content. The agency also created its first original TikTok audio piece to help tie the challenge together.

Restaurants are also encouraged to support one another by nominating their peers with standout egg dishes for consideration. To participate, simply post a video of the dish with the hashtag #EggDishChallenge on a public TikTok profile. For added visibility, select the campaign audio and be sure to tag @cheflovely.

Find more information on the #EggDishChallenge and the AEB’s foodservice recovery programs here.