A Los Angeles street vendor with a dedicated following on TikTok has found a way to feed hundreds of people on Skid Row, giving back to those facing the hardships he himself has experienced.
“Six months ago I was homeless,” said Christopher Bailey, known on TikTok as Clover King, “and I just want to give back.”
Christopher Bailey, a street vendor who goes by the name Clover King on TikTok, provides free food to people on Skid Row using donations from his followers on the platform.
Bailey has amassed more than 88,000 followers after livestreaming himself cooking his signature breakfast burritos outside the Van Nuys courthouse. His shop, called Munchies, has exploded in popularity as TikTok users flock to his Valley store, where he spends his mornings five days a week.
Now he’s connecting his patrons, himself, and other street vendors to find ways to help his fellow Angelenos, providing hot meals to people in an area of Downtown Los Angeles known as an encampment for those living on the city’s sidewalks.
He decided to buy and grill 200 hot dogs for Skid Row residents, putting sautéed onions and peppers on the charred hot dogs and topping them with ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. From there, people started donating. Last weekend, he served 400 hot dogs. He returned to the neighborhood on Friday, this time with other vendors and much more food.
“I invited every TikTok vendor I know,” Bailey said. “It seems like TikTok street food is all the rage right now. People are meeting each other through livestreams and sometimes even connecting and competing against each other in person.”
Twenty DoorDash drivers delivered groceries and other supplies ordered and paid for by Bailey’s TikTok followers and fans. The deliveries included “buns, mayonnaise, hot dogs, burgers, aluminum foil, plates, everything you can think of,” Bailey said. By Friday afternoon, Bailey and other drivers had delivered 1,000 hot dogs and tons of burgers.
A street vendor is serving free food to people on Skid Row as part of a collaboration with other vendors on TikTok. The food was cooked with donations from the platform’s followers. KCAL News
“If they want to send food, I’ll keep cooking for as long as they want,” Bailey said.
He says he feels “fortunate” to be able to make a living through the homes he found on social platforms, and that after years of struggling to make ends meet, the past few months have transformed his life.
“I was homeless on and off for probably five years,” Bailey said, “and then I started a little street food business that’s been doing really well thanks to TikTok.”
“I’ve pretty much made it to the point where I can get by without worrying about paying the bills. I’m almost there,” he said.
As he continues to grow, he wants to help others overcome challenges in life.
“Giving to those in need is one of the most satisfying things you can do,” Bailey said.
“It’s not hard to be kind, and I’m blessed right now.”
Marissa Wentzke