- Fans are flaming the CEO of McDonald’s after taking a notably small bite of the new Big Arch Burger.
- Burger King posted a shady indirect response to the controversy on social media, where the chain’s president took a generous bite of a Whopper.
- Both posts are going viral, with fans comparing each of the executives’ on-camera charisma.
Today, McDonald’s is finally bringing one of its biggest menu innovations to American menus. The highly anticipated Big Arch burger features two Quarter Pounder patties, slivered onions, crispy onions, three slices of white cheddar, and a brand-new Big Arch sauce. To celebrate the launch, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a video on LinkedIn last month to give fans a sneak peek of the new burger. But viewers are focusing more on Kempczinski’s bite than on the Big Arch itself.
The video quickly went viral, with social media users arguing that the CEO seemed reluctant to try it, at best. Kempczinski turned the partially-eaten burger to the camera and described it as a “big bite for a Big Arch.” One user on TikTok was less than convinced: “The gaslighting of ‘big bite’ is diabolical.” Another commenter on Reddit guessed that “he definitely didn’t finish after the camera went down.”
And now, another critic has entered the chat: the President of Burger King, Tom Curtis. The burger chain has been in the midst of its own marketing campaign, where guests were given a direct line to share menu feedback with Curtis.
According to the brand, after fans shared their thoughts, BK unveiled a new-and-improved Whopper with sturdier packaging, a better bun, and higher-quality mayonnaise. And yesterday, the chain posted a video of Curtis taking a bite of the burger. Fans have been quick to draw comparisons.
Unlike Kempczinski’s, let’s say, delicate bite of the Big Arch, Curtis went all in. The president pulled away with mayonnaise dotted at the corners of his mouth and said the only thing missing from the new Whopper is a napkin. “Now that’s a real bite,” one user on Instagram wrote. On X, another person described the videos as “CEOs competing in the most corporate way possible.”
And if you think it’s simply a coincidence, think again. The outlet Pop Crave posted both burger taste tests side by side, and Burger King’s official X account replied with, “When it’s flame-grilled, you don’t hesitate.” Another commenter responded, “So petty, I love it.”
It’s clear that McDonald’s and Burger King are beefing, but if the outcome is bigger, better burgers—everyone wins.
