Food Tour Guide

Tour Guide (Independent Contractor) — Viral Food Tours (NYC, West Village) About Viral Food Tours

Viral Food Tours is New York City’s first tour dedicated entirely to the city’s most viral restaurants — the ones with lines down the block and millions of views online. We make it possible to experience 5-7 of NYC’s trendiest spots in 2.5 hours without waiting in line.

We’re looking for charismatic, food-loving guides to lead our West Village tours. You’ll bring energy, humor, and local insight to each stop while helping guests experience NYC’s food scene like true insiders.

• Lead ~2.5 hour walking tours featuring 5-7 viral restaurants and tastings
• Share stories about NYC’s food culture, restaurant history, and neighborhood landmarks
• Coordinate seamlessly with partner restaurants to ensure smooth logistics
• Capture and upload photos and videos during tours for marketing and documentation

• Tours most frequently run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, starting at 10:30 am or 12 pm. Availability for at least 2 of these days from 9:45 am - 2:30 pm is a requirement for this role.
• Each tour includes roughly 30–60 minutes of prep, ~2.5 hours of guiding, and a brief wrap-up afterward.
• We are also launching evening tours at 6 pm on Thursdays and Saturdays, offer occasional daytime tours at 10:30 am or 12 pm Tuesdays-Thursdays, and have occasional private and corporate events throughout the week.
• Guides choose which tours to accept. We simply ask for reliability once a tour is confirmed.

• $140 / tour (approximately 3.5 hours / tour, equivalent to $40 / hour)
• $150–$200 - Private or corporate tours (varies by size & customization)
• Guides may also receive tips directly from guests at their discretion.
• Guides are eligible for cash bonuses for being mentioned in 5 star reviews
• Guides are welcome to enjoy plenty of amazing leftover food on and after the tour as well!

New guides complete a paid onboarding process to learn our routes, restaurant partnerships, and tour flow:

• One-hour orientation session — $35
• Several 4-hour “training tours” — $140 each, including prep, live observation, and debrief. Before leading tours independently, guides typically complete 3-4 paid training tours (some shadowing, some co-led with the Viral Food Tours team)
• Additional consulting work for supporting tour operations and improvements may be available on an ad hoc basis for $35 / hour

• Licensed (or license-eligible) NYC Sightseeing Guide preferred
• Confident speaking to groups up to 12 guests
• Passionate about NYC’s food scene and great storytelling
• Friendly, punctual, and detail-oriented
• Experience in hospitality, performance, or tourism is a plus

Guides are encouraged to wear Viral Food Tours–branded shirts or apparel during tours to create a consistent, professional guest experience. Shirts are provided by the company at no cost.

Independent contractor (1099). Flexible schedule, paid per tour, no guaranteed minimum hours. As Viral Food Tours grows, there may be opportunities to transition into part-time employee roles for those interested.

If you’re the kind of person who can make people laugh and make them hungry — we’d love to hear from you!