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CBS News Minnesota Covers Josh Liljenquist's Lotus Visit

WCCO-TV / CBS News Minnesota · CBS News Minnesota

Watch CBS News Minnesota's report on Josh Liljenquist's Lotus visit, 20 egg rolls for people in need, and the restaurant's viral boost.

WCCO-TV / CBS News MinnesotaCBS News MinnesotaDecember 20, 20232:21Television/video

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Tik-Tok star goes viral for making large order at Minneapolis restaurant

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Unique editorial summary

CBS News Minnesota reporter Reg Chapman covered Josh Liljenquist's December 2023 visit to Lotus in Minneapolis, where Liljenquist says he ordered 20 egg rolls—at a significant discount from the restaurant—to provide food to 20 people experiencing homelessness. The report follows Liljenquist's effort to combine direct food assistance with support for a local business. Yoom Nguyen, who had not met Liljenquist before the visit, agreed to help and brought him into the kitchen to learn how the food was prepared. Liljenquist explains that revenue from views is reinvested into community projects and that the videos are intended to create human connection as well as provide meals. At the time, CBS reported that the original video had more than 12 million TikTok views and several million additional views on other social platforms. Nguyen told CBS that Lotus's business was up 90% and staff tips were up 250% after one day. In the report and later first-party context, Liljenquist said that he and Nguyen became close friends after the story.

Direct answers

What did Josh Liljenquist do at Lotus in Minneapolis?

Josh says he ordered 20 egg rolls, with a significant discount from Lotus, and provided food to 20 people experiencing homelessness. CBS News Minnesota covered how the visit also brought attention to the local restaurant.

What happened to Lotus after the video went viral?

Yoom Nguyen told CBS News Minnesota that Lotus's business was up 90% and staff tips were up 250% after one day. Those figures are presented as Nguyen's on-air account, not as independently audited results.

Clearly attributed first-party follow-up

Later context from Josh Liljenquist: Josh says he did not know Yoom Nguyen before the Lotus visit. In later first-party context, he said that they became close friends afterward.

Key facts

Original publisher title
Tik-Tok star goes viral for making large order at Minneapolis restaurant
Outlet
WCCO-TV / CBS News Minnesota
Program
CBS News Minnesota
Source family
WCCO Lotus 2023

Human-reviewed public-readable transcript

Transcript

Unresolved passages labeled

This supplied transcript was reviewed and approved for website publication by Josh Liljenquist on August 8, 2026. Bracketed labels preserve wording or speaker identities that could not be verified reliably from the available source. This is not a certified verbatim transcript.

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CBS News Minnesota Lotus transcript

Transcript note: This human-reviewed transcript has been lightly edited for readability by removing non-substantive verbal fillers and adding punctuation. The meaning and sequence of the original broadcast have not been intentionally changed. Bracketed labels identify passages or speakers that could not be verified reliably from the available source. This is not a certified verbatim transcript.

00:00 — CBS News Minnesota introduces the Lotus story

CBS NEWS MINNESOTA ANCHOR [identity not verified]: [Opening wording unclear.] Egg rolls. A local TikTok star is going viral—a 25-year-old making it his mission to take a bite out of hunger and help small businesses.

YOOM NGUYEN [IN ORIGINAL SOCIAL VIDEO]: The guy that was in here?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Yep.

YOOM NGUYEN: He's homeless?

00:25 — Food as a way to show people they matter

REG CHAPMAN, REPORTER: A chance meeting between two people who specialize in helping others has gone viral. This is video of Josh Liljenquist.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: My new mission is trying to be the best version of myself.

REG CHAPMAN: Josh says it's all about wrapping your arms around people and showing true love and concern for them.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I give them food, but to me it's more than food. It's a conversation. It's saying you're there for them. You hug them, because some people there, they don't get love.

00:58 — Helping people and supporting local businesses

REG CHAPMAN: He also wants to draw attention to small business owners, many of whom are struggling.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: If I can touch local restaurants, feed people who are hungry, take care of myself, and build a community who cares, you got three birds with one stone.

01:14 — Josh Liljenquist meets Yoom Nguyen at Lotus

REG CHAPMAN: Josh's cameras were rolling when he walked into Lotus.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: You go to the restaurant, order a big amount of food, see if they can do it, and then usually give the workers or the people who are making it—whatever it may be—$100, $200, pay for the food, unless the company wants to pay for it themselves.

REG CHAPMAN: Yoom Nguyen knew Josh was someone he was meant to help.

YOOM NGUYEN: If he's a real helper like this, let's do this.

01:49 — Preparing the food and reaching millions of viewers

CBS NEWS MINNESOTA REPORTER [identity not verified]: Nguyen took Liljenquist to the kitchen, teaching him how to prepare what he planned to hand out to people on the street or living in shelters.

REG CHAPMAN: The video has more than 12 million views on TikTok and a few million more on other social media platforms.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I make the money from views that people watch my stuff, and then you put it right back out into the community.

02:08 — Yoom Nguyen describes the effect on Lotus

YOOM NGUYEN: Our business is up 90%. Yesterday, tips are up 250% for the staff. Amazing, after one day.

REG CHAPMAN: It's a win-win: a boost for small business and helping the hungry.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: The way I look at it is, I'm a vessel for other people to share what their goals are. And I'll just support anyone who has a good heart and has the same mission as me.

CBS NEWS MINNESOTA REPORTER [identity not verified]: [Closing wording unclear.] Reg Chapman, WCCO News.

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Original publisher title: Tik-Tok star goes viral for making large order at Minneapolis restaurant

Tik-Tok star goes viral for making large order at Minneapolis restaurant

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