The barbecue chef who looks like Elon Musk Photo: Screenshot from media reports

A barbecue chef at a restaurant has shot to fame for his striking resemblance to tech billionaire Elon Musk. By coincidence, his surname Ma shares the exact phonetic resemblance of Musk, and his likeness has given the restaurant a modest boost in customers.

A netizen posted a short video of a restaurant employee in Tongchuan, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, who bears a striking resemblance to Musk. The clip quickly attracted widespread attention online.

Li, a business partner of the restaurant, said that the staff member, surnamed Ma, is in his 40s and works as the restaurant's barbecue chef, domestic media outlet Qilu Evening News reported on Tuesday.

After the video garnered attention, some local netizens have called the restaurant specifically to ask about the barbecue chef dubbed the "Musk-lookalike chef," according to the report.

Ma said that after the clip went viral, more than a dozen visitors showed up asking for photos, and the number of diners had also increased slightly than usual, the report said.

When asked about his sudden fame, Ma said he felt "a little nervous."

Li added that even before the video went viral, customers had often asked to take photos with Ma because of his resemblance to Musk.

Following his rise to online fame, several companies have approached him about potential business collaborations. Ma said that he plans to launch a personal social media account, but said he is still unfamiliar with livestream e-commerce. 

As for future plans, he said he would be open to exploring new opportunities, per the report.

Global Times