Cheat Meal: Virginia Beach

Cheat Meal is a joyful, over-the-top culinary road show created for the YouTube generation. Designed as snackable content that fuses food, fun, and travel, the show features real-life couple Tyler and Monica as they criss-cross the country delivering indulgent “spa days for the taste buds.”

In the Virginia Beach episode—the series debut—our hosts hit iconic local spots to craft the ultimate one-of-a-kind cheat meal for a deserving local. The result? A heartfelt food adventure that delighted viewers and exceeded all performance expectations.

 

The Concept

Each episode of Cheat Meal follows Tyler and Monica as they:

1. Meet a local recipient nominated for a well-deserved food celebration
2. Explore the destination’s top eateries to discover iconic and unexpected flavors
3. Curate and reveal a custom, over-the-top cheat meal that’s equal parts heartwarming and delicious

 

For Virginia Beach, that meant digging into the area’s culinary identity—coffee, cocktails, comfort food, and creative local flair—and turning it into an unforgettable platter of love and carbs. Think Uncle Buck’s gigantic breakfast meets the heart of a travel doc.

 

Tone & Style

Cheat Meal is vibrant, quirky, and deeply human. Its visual style leans into fun, larger-than-life food moments, creative camera angles, and cinematic presentations—all while showcasing the destination’s personality in the background.

 

This mix of high-energy storytelling and authentic local flavor proved magnetic for audiences—especially younger viewers on YouTube and Instagram looking for bite-sized entertainment with heart.

 

Distribution & Reach

The episode was released on the Places.Travel YouTube channel and supported by a limited earned media campaign. Despite no additional paid promotion, the show outperformed all expectations—surpassing projected viewership by nearly 300% and delivering a 7:01 average view duration, far exceeding the 2-minute benchmark.

 

Why It Matters

Cheat Meal: Virginia Beach proved the format’s appeal with high engagement, strong viewer retention, and zero drop-off in post-launch interest. It demonstrated that food-focused content—when done with heart, humor, and a sense of place—can become a powerful storytelling tool for destinations.