From TikTok to Target, This Is the Tabitha Brown Effect

You don’t have to be vegan to know Tabitha Brown. At the time of penning this article, Brown had accrued 3.3 million followers on Facebook, another 4.4 million on Instagram, and over 315,000 more on Twitter, all of which are shadowed by her prolific presence on TikTok which attracts 5.1 million to her feed. Vegan or not, people flock to this actress, host, and foodie influencer like moths to a candle flame.

Without a doubt, social media stardom has served as a catapult for Brown’s influence. Her name is now attached to a medley of vegan ads and entertainment, from Dunkin’ Donuts’ 2020 debut of oat milk to her own collection with Target. But what makes this vivacious woman so captivating? Here is what we call the Tabitha Brown Effect.

Tabitha Brown

Who is Tabitha Brown?

In 2004, Brown moved to Los Angeles to perform stand-up comedy. In interviews she’s done with other outlets, she notes that she was hoping to land a role on a TV series, but when that didn’t pan out, she sought work elsewhere. Brown became an Uber driver, and it was during one of her driving shifts in December 2017 that she stopped at Whole Foods and recorded the now-famous video that kicked off her wildly successful career as a vegan influencer.

In the video, which she posted on Facebook, she unapologetically and authentically raves about the sandwich she just purchased—a TTLA (tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, avocado) sandwich (with a pickle) from Whole Foods.

“Have a good day, and even if you can’t, don’t go messing up nobody else’s.” — Tabitha Brown

“Y’all, Lord have mercy, I know I can’t sing, but this made me sing Whole Foods,” she says while sitting in the driver’s seat of her car, her video rolling for over three minutes. “When I think of the goodness—my soul cries out.” People were drawn to her effervescent enthusiasm, and in just one day, the video accumulated 50,000 views. The next morning, they shot up to over 100,000. And in just one week, it had accrued a whopping 1 million views. And, as a result of the overwhelmingly successful viral video, Whole Foods made the TTLA a permanent offering.

@nekac_g/Instagram

How did Tabitha Brown become a vegan?

Brown hasn’t always followed a vegan diet. Before her video went viral, she decided to transition to a plant-based diet for the first time. She had been battling depression, chronic head and neck pain, and anxiety prior to making the switch. But the hit documentary What the Health, also released in 2017, set her on a 30-day vegan challenge, and she never looked back. She started making real-time videos to share what she was eating as a vegan, and her enthusiasm ultimately captured hundreds of thousands of viewers.  Thanks to vegan food, Brown had finally found her place on the screen, and this set the stage for the next stage of her career: plant-based domination.

The unofficial vegan food spokeswoman

In the years that have passed since that video, Brown has used her voice, charisma, and personality to turn the world onto vegan food. Often accompanied by her husband, daughter, and son, the Browns are a dynamic force that make vegan living oh-so-appealing.

Dozens of food companies have latched onto the Tabitha Brown Effect. Not surprisingly, she served as a brand ambassador for Whole Foods and starred in a 2018 marketing campaign for the grocer. She also struck a deal with Dunkin’ in 2020 to announce the chain’s nationwide rollout of oat milk. Sabra sought out Brown’s endorsement for its hummus, and she appeared in a ‘Snack to School’ kid-friendly video series which included her own hummus-inspired recipes.

RELATED: From DIY Chili Stations to Vegan Ranch: How Tabitha Brown Does Tailgating Season: “Baby, It’s Very Good.”

The whole Brown clan was involved in the marketing of The Pizza Plant—the first plant-based and organic frozen pizza to debut at Whole Foods. Not to be outdone, Brown secured her own spice blend under McCormick’s label. The Sunshine All Purpose Seasoning—a unique blend of garlic, allspice, thyme, turmeric, cayenne pepper, mango, and pineapple—is a salt-free blend that adds a punch of Caribbean flavor to any plant-based dish.

All this isn’t to say that Brown only eats out or relies on convenience foods. She can definitely cook. Her TikTok videos show off her culinary skills, and many of them are captivating enough to set off viral food trends (hello, carrot bacon). If you’re wondering “what’s for dinner?” a quick scroll through Brown’s feed should answer your question. Or you can buy her first cookbook, Cooking from the Spirit, which was released in October 2022 and, in keeping with the rest of her success, made the New York Times bestseller list. 

Tab Time

Tabitha Brown in the spotlight

For a woman who once dreamed of having audiences to entertain, Brown has found plenty of avenues to showcase her dynamic personality outside of promotional campaigns. In 2020, she snagged her own web series titled All Love with Tabitha Brown on Ellen DeGeneres’ network. Brown also made regular appearances on Vogue’s Instagram account where she cooked up vegan dishes as a part of the outlet’s cooking series.

Brown’s influence has earned her more than just followers and commercial gigs. In 2021, she won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for her first book, Feeding the Soul [Because It’s My Business], in which she shared her life lessons and stories with readers. In the same year, she was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality, and she was named Tiktok’s top creator of 2020 and PETA’s 2020 Person of the Year. In fact, her voice is so soothing and uplifting, fans petitioned for her to become the voice of Siri. 

Two years later, Brown’s career continued to soar. In August 2022, It’s CompliPlated premiered on Food Network—officially becoming the network’s first vegan cooking competition show—with Brown as the host. And that fall, the superstar received not one, but two Emmy nominations for Tab Time, a YouTube Original series created for preschoolers. 

Where to buy Tabitha Brown’s food

It’s safe to say, right now, everyone wants a slice of Brown. And lucky for her many adoring fans, that’s actually possible.

After her wildly successful, limited time collaboration with Target back in 2023, Brown and the big-box retailer teamed up once more to bring the collection back in 2024, with several items becoming permanent additions.

Brown’s collection includes cookware and other kitchen essentials, like tableware, as well as vegan food. There’s Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Organic Popcorn, for example, Strawberry Cream Cheese Style Spread, Potato Salad, and even Mango Basil Plant-Based Sausage. Check out our top picks from the collection here.

Target

If she keeps going in this direction (up, up, up) we can’t wait to see what vegan goodness Brown brings to the world next. But as for now, we’ll leave you with one of Brown’s frequent sayings: “Have a good day, and even if you can’t, don’t go messing up nobody else’s.”