What happens when a multi-millionaire CEO tries to act like a commoner? It doesn’t end well. That, at least, appears to be the emphatic answer after the CEO of McDonald’s, Chris Kempczinski, filmed himself eating the chain’s new Big Arch burger, and became the internet’s new entrée in the process.
In an Instagram video shared last month, which went viral over the weekend, Kempczinski told viewers how “unique” the burger was. He described how the sesame and poppy seed bun was packed with two quarter-pound beef patties, crispy onions, three slices of cheese, onions, pickles, lettuce and a tangy sauce.
“I don’t even know how to attack it, there’s so much to it,” he said, while holding the burger in his hands and taking a bite.
“That’s a big bite for a Big Arch,” he said, as he showed the burger to the camera. “It’s distinctively McDonald’s. Only McDonald’s could do this type of burger, but it’s also unlike anything else on our menu. It’s a delicious product.”
Needless to say, the comments were ruthless, pointing out how uncomfortable Kempczinski looked while eating the burger and suggesting that dining at the chain was not a regular occurrence for the executive.
“What a delicious product my fellow humans!” one person joked of Kempczinski’s on-camera delivery.
“What a great ad for Burger King,” quipped another.
“He acts like he’s never seen a burger before. Impressed by sesame seeds,” added a third, while a fourth suggested: “Man’s aura screams kale salad.”
Kempczinski has been the President and CEO of McDonald’s since 2019, after joining the company in 2015 as part of the strategy team.
Before that, he worked with PepsiCo on its corporate strategy & development group and Kraft Foods as Executive Vice President of Growth Initiatives and President of Kraft International.
In a 2020 interview with the Financial Times, Kempczinski said he ate McDonald’s twice a day and stays trim by running at least 50 miles a week and ordering his Filet-O-Fish without tartar sauce and his Egg McMuffins with no bacon.
Although his current salary at McDonald’s is not public, Kempczinski made $19.2 million in 2023 from his salary, bonuses and stock, according to federal securities filings viewed by Restaurant Business. His pay packet marked an eight percent bump from what he took home in 2022.
The Big Arch launches in the U.S. this week. Prices vary by location, ranging from $6.89 to $10.19 for the 1,020-calorie burger. It is not yet clear how long the item will remain on menus nationwide.
The fast food giant’s “most McDonald’s, McDonald’s burger,” as it calls it, was previously tested in Canada and countries across Europe, but is already a permanent menu fixture in the U.K. and Ireland.
“We began to pilot Big Arch about a year and a half ago, and it’s shown strong traction across several markets,” said Jill McDonald, the chain’s Global Chief Restaurant Experience Officer, during a fourth-quarter earnings call earlier this month. “Customers are responding to this more satisfying burger that meets demand for something heartier while still feeling distinctly McDonald’s.
“Its performance helped it earn a permanent spot on the U.K. menu, and we see potential to continue scaling this platform as we strengthen our position within this tier of the beef category,” McDonald said.
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