Eat It, Virginia!

Katie Stuart is a TikTok star. The bar manager of Richmond restaurant Foo Dog, in the Fan, has more than 170,000 followers on the social media app. While she joined TikTok in 2019, she was able to focus more on content creation when she found herself stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic. "The lockdown happened and I didn't have a job anymore," she said. "I was stuck inside with my roommate who was also a bartender. So, it was a way for me to pass the time and stay creative." Using the handle BarDaddy_, a nickname she earned behind the bar at now-defunct Richmond restaurant Fatty Smokes, Stuart posted drink recipes and funny skits to keep herself and her growing fan base entertained. "It was a hobby at first," she said. "Now it's a whole tax form. Now it's a responsibility. I have contracts. I have deadlines. Stuff that I never really expected to happen." Brands reach out to Katie now, hoping she will review their product or create a recipe using their spirit. It seems to be working as BarDa