Americans are increasingly paying ‘line sitters’ to queue for viral food, as TikTok and Instagram turn particular dishes and shops into must-visit destinations. The practice reflects how social-media popularity can create lengthy queues and make convenience services more attractive, especially in major cities.

Also known as line waiting or line standing, the service has long been used for tickets, new phones and sought-after restaurant tables in places such as New York and Los Angeles. Food-related demand is now helping to expand it, with customers outsourcing the time-consuming wait to try highly publicised items.