Kevin Wilkey on Launching Socialfork: Real City Guides for a World Tired of Fake

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Kevin Wilkey has never been afraid of the grind. With more than 25 years in entertainment and hospitality, he’s had his hands in some of the world’s flashiest brands Harrah’s Entertainment, MGM, Harley-Davidson, Playboy building experiences designed to pull people in and keep them there. And behind the career runs a lifelong passion for food, wine, cocktails, and travel. Now he’s taking all that know-how and that personal obsession and pointing it at something most of us wrestle with every weekend: where the hell to go. The result is Socialfork, a video-driven city guide that promises no fake reviews, no influencer B.S., and no pay-to-play. Think of Socialfork as TikTok for local discovery. It launches later this year in Phoenix, a city Wilkey calls “the perfect test kitchen for what’s next.”

Q&A with Kevin Wilkey, Founder of Socialfork

Q: You’ve worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. Why launch something like Socialfork?

Kevin Wilkey: My daughter and I were bouncing around Europe for a month chasing the best food and cocktails we could find, but instead of enjoying the moment, we kept getting sucked into this black hole of endless reviews — scrolling, filtering, second-guessing. Half the time, the write-ups didn’t include the details that actually mattered — the vibe, the must-try dish, who’s behind the bar, even basics like the address or hours. And the other half? Total letdowns once we showed up. At some point I thought, why is this so damn hard? People don’t want to dig through fake reviews and influencer fluff. They want real recommendations that are quick to consume, straight to the point, and actually reflect what they’re going to walk into. That’s when the lightbulb went off. Socialfork wasn’t about building “just another app” — it was about fixing a broken system, and giving people back the confidence to say, “Yeah, let’s go there tonight.”

Q: Everyone’s chasing “authenticity.” What makes Socialfork actually different?

Wilkey: Because we’re not selling anyone out. Businesses don’t pay us to show up. Influencers don’t get to stage a vibe. Everything comes from locals who actually know their city — food, cocktails, nightlife, all of it. And its video, so you see it before you walk in. No filters, no fakes, no buried agendas. On top of that, we handpick lifestyle experts in each city — people who live it, breathe it, and can tell the story in a way that’s both stylish and fun. It’s not just about showing you the best spots, it’s about entertaining you along the way.

Q: Why Phoenix first?

Wilkey: Phoenix is wild right now — the food, the nightlife, the music. It’s not the city most people immediately think of when they talk about hotspots, but that’s exactly the point. You’ve got chefs doing fearless things in the kitchen, a cocktail scene that can hold its own against L.A., and a nightlife scene that’s scrappy, diverse, and on the rise. And Phoenix is where it all started for us the first market we cast, the first community were building, the testing ground for everything Socialfork will become. Launching here isn’t just strategy, it’s part of our story.

Q: How do you think the industry will react to this approach?

Wilkey: Honestly, I thought it would be a fast embrace. Take reservations for example we figured the dominant platforms would want to partner with us so guests could book right off our platform. But they haven’t been as receptive as we expected. So, screw it — we’re going to build our own platform — and make it free for businesses. Next year, we’re going to work directly with partners in each market to figure out what they actually need in a system. Then we’ll build it, test it, and refine it. We want something simple, clean, responsive — and free.

Q: Where does this go next?

Wilkey: Fast. 2026 is all about strategic growth. After Phoenix, we’re rolling into San Diego, L.A., Vegas, Dallas — and then London. These markets weren’t picked at random. They’re feeder markets for each other, deeply connected by travel, business, and culture. People bounce between them constantly, which means Socialfork can grow in a networked way, not just as isolated launches. London is the leap across the pond, but its strategic. We want to be live before the summer travel season so people traveling from our home markets can use Socialfork on their trip to London. That way, they’re not just experiencing the app at home, they’re stress-testing it abroad and giving us feedback on what works and what doesn’t. That feedback becomes our playbook as we gear up for a larger rollout across Europe. Expansion isn’t just about planting flags; it’s about building a system that scales, feeds itself, and gets sharper with every new market.

Q: What makes the user experience stand out? Wilkey: We’re not just redefining discovery, we’re building community. It’s not just about finding the best cocktail bar — it’s about being part of something. We’re talking about pop-up events, private concerts, and curated experiences you can’t buy off Eventbrite. If you’re part of Socialfork, you’re in the room. Period.

Q: Will Socialfork feature local news or other content outside of discovery?

Wilkey: No. That’s not us. Socialfork is about experiences that bring people together — food, drinks, nightlife, travel, events. No hard news, no politics, no negativity. There are a million places for that. We’re about connection, not division.

Q: You’re building this with your daughter. What’s that like?

Wilkey: Starting a company takes everything you’ve got — your time, your focus, your sanity. You bleed for it. But here’s the difference: I get to do it with my daughter, who’s also my co-founder. Isabella isn’t just along for the ride she shares my passion for food, wine, cocktails, and travel, and she brings her own voice and vision to Socialfork. That makes the grind worth it. Spending all those long days and late nights with your best friend, building something you both believe in, that’s the part nobody sees and honestly, it’s the best part.

No Ads. No Bullshit. Just Real Discovery. Socialfork isn’t here to play by the old rules. It’s here to blow them up.

“We’re not here to change local discovery were here to rebuild it” Wilkey says.

“We’re building a movement one city at a time, one story at a time, one night out that actually lives up to the hype.”

Follow the ride at: www.socialfork.com

Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinwilkey/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialForkPhoenix Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialfork/