McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski wanted to show the world just how good the company’s new Big Arch burger was. What he got instead was a masterclass in how not to eat a hamburger on camera.
A video posted on Mr. Kempczinski’s Instagram last month — and which went viral over the weekend — shows the fast-food giant’s chief executive attempting to taste-test the chain’s newest menu addition. The clip drew widespread mockery online, with commenters suggesting the $19-million-a-year executive may be more comfortable with a kale salad than a quarter-pound beef patty.
In the video, Mr. Kempczinski describes the burger — loaded with two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of white cheddar, crispy onions, pickles, lettuce and a tangy signature sauce on a sesame and poppy seed bun. He referred to the sandwich at various points as “the product” and “this thing,” prompting one commenter to write: “It scares me when you call the food ’product.’”
Then came the bite. Or, more accurately, what one Adweek columnist described as a nibble from the outer edge “like a man defusing something,” consuming approximately 2.3% of the burger before waving the rest around and promising to finish it off-camera. The internet was not impressed.
“Man’s aura screams kale salad,” wrote one commenter. “That was the smallest first bite I’ve ever seen,” added another. Perhaps most damning of all: “What a great ad for Burger King.”
Musician Garron Noone delivered what may be the most succinct verdict: “This man does not eat McDonald’s.”
To his credit, Mr. Kempczinski has claimed in past interviews that he eats McDonald’s twice a day and stays trim by running at least 50 miles a week, ordering his Filet-O-Fish without tartar sauce and his Egg McMuffins without bacon. His $19.2 million compensation package in 2023 — an 8% bump from 2022 — also suggests he’s doing something right.
The Big Arch itself, meanwhile, is a serious product launch for the Golden Arches. The burger debuted across the U.S. on Wednesday, priced between $6.89 and $10.19 depending on location, and clocks in at 1,020 calories. It had already been piloted in Canada and across Europe and earned a permanent spot on menus in the U.K. and Ireland. McDonald’s Global Chief Restaurant Experience Officer Jill McDonald said during a recent earnings call that customers had responded strongly to the burger, calling it “more satisfying” and “distinctly McDonald’s.”
Whether the CEO’s viral moment will hurt or help sales remains to be seen. As one Reddit user put it: “If McDonald’s cares about its future, they need to make sure [Mr. Kempczinski is] anywhere but in front of a camera.”
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
