The mcdonald's ceo burger clip began when McDonald’s chief executive Chris Kempczinski posted a video of himself eating the chain’s new Big Arch burger and saying "That’s a big bite for a Big Arch," while promoting the item.
The clip showed Kempczinski holding a sesame and poppy seed bun stacked with two quarter‑pound beef patties, crispy onions, three slices of cheese, onions, pickles, lettuce and a tangy sauce, and it quickly circulated online.
Rival chains answered with their own senior executives filmed eating signature sandwiches, turning the posts into a wider marketing moment across platforms, and prompting outlets to call it a fast food "burger battle."
Burger King reposted a video of president Tom Curtis eating the Whopper, Wendy’s posted footage of U.S. President Pete Suerken trying a Baconator, and A&W shared a clip of Canadian commercial personality Allen Lulu sampling the Teen Burger.
Wendy’s used LinkedIn to highlight its "fresh, never frozen" promise and posted on X that its executive genuinely enjoyed the product, while A&W and Burger King shared short taste‑test videos to join the online conversation.
Reactions And Wider Context
The social response mixed promotion with ridicule, with commenters and news outlets noting Kempczinski’s apparent unease on camera and mocking his delivery; some social users coined the playful title "chief eating officer" in response.
The Independent reported harsh comments and described the post as cringeworthy, noting viewers suggested the CEO did not seem to eat at the chain regularly and some called his on‑camera performance "terrible acting."
The Independent also reported that the Big Arch launches in the U.S. this week, priced between $6.89 and $10.19 and clocking about 1,020 calories, while McDonald’s has piloted the product in other markets and placed it permanently on some menus.
Coverage of executive taste tests amplified discussion about fast food marketing, with Yahoo Finance framing the moment as "Burger CEO taste‑test season" and online users imagining an escalated "World War Burger" style rivalry in jest.
Independent reporting noted Kempczinski’s background and pay, reporting he earned $19.2 million in 2023 according to federal securities filings viewed by Restaurant Business, and quoted McDonald’s executives saying the Big Arch met demand for a heartier offering.
