NextSharkNextShark.com
Latest Newsletter🍵 New alcohol/cancer study in AsiansRead

Article

TikTokers ferment kimchi in Dave & Buster’s, threaten to ferment more if demands not met

The jar of fermenting kimchi, Dave and Buster's
via @daveandbusterboys

    Asian America Daily - in under 5 minutes

    Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories, to your inbox daily, for free!

    Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive

    A TikTok account that has promised to “make vids @ Dave & Busters only” recently went viral for a “kimchi challenge” that eventually had the popular restaurant and entertainment chain responding. 

    TikTok creators John Cicco, Christopher Isaacson and Nate Krieger, known collectively as the “Dave and Buster Boys,” decided to ferment a jar of kimchi in a local Dave & Buster’s, as first documented in a video posted on Jan. 25. 

    @daveandbusterboys♬ sonido original – Dave and buster boys

    Isaacson first prepared the kimchi at home and then hid it inside the restaurant, coming back to “burp” it daily until it was fully fermented. The challenge quickly gained popularity on TikTok, with nearly 2 million views on the second video of the series.

    When the kimchi jar was removed from Dave & Buster’s on the third day, Isaacson started over with a new kimchi jar that had also begun fermenting on the same day as the first.

    Dave & Buster’s eventually joined in on the fun and commented on the TikTok video. 

    @daveandbusterboys♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

    “Sir please don’t burp your kimchi here,” the restaurant wrote. “What can we do to make this all go away?” 

    The group proposed that if management gifted them the Dave & Buster’s Whiskey Decanter set from the gift shop, they would stop fermenting kimchi at the restaurant.

    @daveandbusterboys Respuesta a @daveandbusters @daveandbusters ♬ sonido original – Dave and buster boys

    Although the local outlet where the kimchi had been left to ferment declined the request, the Dave & Buster’s social media account suggested that the deal could still be made.

    @daveandbusterboys Respuesta a @daveandbusters @daveandbusters ♬ sonido original – Dave and buster boys

    In one post, a member of the group announced that if the restaurant failed to give them the whiskey set soon, “the fermentation will continue” in all Dave & Buster’s restaurants across the country. 

    @daveandbusterboys Replying to @daveandbusters #ReadySetLift #fyp #ticktock ♬ Dramatic Military – Faid rafanda

    The account also poked fun at the video series by creating a fake “Now This” video documenting the saga.

    @daveandbusterboys♬ sonido original – Dave and buster boys

    The challenge has sparked both amusement and confusion from TikTok commenters, with some users questioning their kimchi preparation. 

    “Kimchi is life but why are you doing this 😭” a TikToker commented.

    “This is not kimchi,” a user wrote. “You’re missing all the best ingredients. Not to mention way too little gochugaru.”

    “How do I get to taste the Dave and Busters kimchi?” one curious user added.

    “All your fans should brew kimchi at their local dave and busters in protest,” another commenter suggested.

    “This is one of my favorite things I’ve gone out of my way to investigate on TikTok,” one user chimed in.

    Support our Journalism with a Contribution

    Many people might not know this, but despite our large and loyal following which we are immensely grateful for, NextShark is still a small bootstrapped startup that runs on no outside funding or loans.

    Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice.

    However, we still face many trials and tribulations in our industry, from figuring out the most sustainable business model for independent media companies to facing the current COVID-19 pandemic decimating advertising revenues across the board.

    We hope you consider making a contribution so we can continue to provide you with quality content that informs, educates and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way.  Thank you for everyone's support. We love you all and can't appreciate you guys enough.

    Support NextShark

    Mastercard, Visa, Amex, Discover, Paypal