Photo: Henry Horenstein/Getty Images
Through her viral reaction to a bussin’ chicken salad, Tanisha “Nisha” Godfrey changed the game for 81st Deli. Now, she’s dishing on how the TikTok changed her life as well.
The video of Nisha began gracing the internet back in August, and it simply showed her praising a meal from a beloved establishment. Specifically, she was showing love to a chicken salad she ordered from 81st Deli, located on Superior Ave. in Cleveland, Ohio.
While enjoying her meal, Nisha straight up tells viewers, “Y’all better come up here and get one of these.”
She then says the line that captured everyone’s attention.
“Issa chicken salad. From 81st Deli, Superior.”
When prompted to share what was in the chicken salad, Nisha gladly lets viewers in on how she orders the dish.
“I got chicken, pickles, banana peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion.”
The upload was a hit, and “Issa chicken salad” soon became a widely-used TikTok sound. During a sit-down with News 5 Cleveland, Nisha reacted to the hype around the video.
“They say that my voice is comforting, like ‘Oh my gosh, I love you,’ ‘I can’t stop watching this video,’ people are making songs out of this video. It’s so funny.”
Additionally, Wael Herbawi—the owner of the establishment—remarked that the TikTok had great results for business.
“You couldn’t even walk in here yesterday… [People from] Chicago, Atlanta, California Las Vegas, New York, all over and all over Ohio.”
Now, Nisha is speaking on how her life has been changed for the better on account of the upload.
Nisha told Insider that she was overcome with emotion after seeing all the love she’d get online.
“I would read the comments and get emotional because I was like, ‘These people love me.’ Then I was just so confused because I’m like, ‘I was just eating a salad.'”
She also received warm praise from her daughter.
“It was like her eyes got glossy, and she was just like, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ It was genuine. She was just so happy. And it felt good.”
Regarding the success of the TikTok, Nisha added, “It was a win-win for both of us. They were able to make money, now I’m able to grab brand deals.”
Speaking of brand deals, Nisha notably linked up with Weight Watchers to cook up a chicken salad recipe of her own.
“They reached out to me and asked me to create a chicken salad recipe for their app. It was fun. Even at the home office with them, it didn’t feel like work. I definitely enjoyed it.”
On top of creating the dish, dubbed “The Nisha Chicken Salad,” the opportunity allowed her to go to New York City for the first time. She was also able to attain a new sense of financial security.
“I was working check to check, and now I have extra income coming in. It’s a beautiful feeling. I’m grateful.”
However, things haven’t been totally easy, and Nisha is booked and busy!
“It’s not easy at all. I feel bad because my coworkers have to pick up my slack even though they understand. Once I’m off, I may have to meet up with someone to do a podcast, or I might have to meet someone to create content. I probably get about three to four hours of sleep a day.”
She also took the opportunity to call out “big-name companies” that have tried to low-ball her.
“I had a lot of big-name companies reach out to me, and they were just trying to play me. I’m still learning how to work TikTok…but I’m not dumb. When you say what you want to buy my sound and offer me $500, it’s a f**king problem.”
Ultimately, though, Nisha’s just out here doing her thing, and she hopes others can get a bag, too!
“I want everyone to be blessed. It’s a lot of money out here, and it’s enough for everybody.”
Shoutout to Nisha Godfrey, and we wish her well in her future pursuits!
