Keith Lee is not a chef, not a restaurant owner, not even a critic in the traditional sense. But when he posts a review, the effect is seismic. A single TikTok can send hundreds of people to a small business’s door, transforming family spots into citywide destinations overnight. For the owners, that kind of sudden fame can be both a gift and a grind.
According to the QuickBooks Small Business Report (2023), 76 percent of small business owners say they don’t have time for their personal lives. It’s a statistic that plays out daily in kitchens and dining rooms across America — places where exhaustion can creep in just as quickly as success.
That’s the tension powering Season 2 of The Reheat, Lee’s video series with Microsoft. The new episodes, rolling out this month on TikTok and Instagram, revisit three Chicago restaurants Lee helped put on the map — Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, Tacotlan, and Soul Prime. This time, the spotlight isn’t just on long lines or viral buzz. It’s on what happens after. How do you keep a business growing without burning yourself out?
Lee puts it bluntly: “I know the pressure of chasing your dreams while balancing life—it can be a lot. Season 2 of The Reheat with Microsoft is about showing that success doesn’t have to mean sacrificing what matters most.”
Microsoft’s answer comes in the form of Copilot, an AI assistant built to handle the endless admin tasks — scheduling, reporting, research — that eat away at an owner’s time. The show positions Copilot as less of a flashy gadget and more of a quiet partner, one that can make the difference between a 14-hour day and a manageable one.
At Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, owner Kristen Harper says the tools have helped her scale without spiraling. “Since Keith’s review, we have expanded into three locations across the city which I am so grateful for, but it can be a lot to manage,” she says. “Copilot has helped me to build my confidence and manage my growth in a way that still allows me the time to recharge.”
Tacotlan’s owners, Jessica Perjes and Everardo Marcias, point to language accessibility as a game-changer: “It was so great being able to test out the Copilot Voice in both English and Spanish. It was so natural and easy to use.”
And at Soul Prime, chef-owner Royce Williams is hoping to shift from pure survival mode. “As the lead chef and owner of the restaurant I am often wearing many hats. Whether it’s getting in early to prep before service or finding time to make healthy meals for myself, it’s been difficult to juggle all the many responsibilities I have while finding time for myself. It will be nice to have a Copilot to work through my to-do list and help me prioritize myself too.”
Anthony Kerr, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, frames it as a simple trade-off: “As entrepreneurs juggle the demands of business and life, AI can be a powerful tool to help them manage growth and reduce burnout. Partnering with Keith Lee lets us meet business owners where they are, with real solutions that make a difference.”
For Lee, that balance is the real story. Yes, his reviews can generate a rush of customers and revenue. But The Reheat is about what comes next: building systems, avoiding burnout, and making sure the people behind the food aren’t running themselves into the ground.
Episodes of The Reheat Season 2 are out now: Cleo’s Southern Cuisine (Sept. 8), Soul Prime (Sept. 10), and Tacotlan (Sept. 12).