McDonald’s C.E.O. Takes Minuscule Bite of Burger

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/business/mcdonalds-ceo-big-arch-burger-video.html

Thursday, March 19th, 2026

Last month, McDonald’s C.E.O., Chris Kempczinski, recorded and posted a video of himself eating a new McDonald’s product, called the Big Arch. The post soon became popular all over social media, racking up thousands of views. However, the reason the video got so popular so quickly wasn’t because of the burger; rather, it was the way Mr. Kempczinski ate it.

While over the years, most ads for fast-food chains have shown the actor eating the product with gusto and excitement, there was none of that for Mr. Kempczinski. Rather, he took a tiny nibble, after which he held up the burger and said: “That’s a big bite for a Big Arch.”

Social media viewers and commenters, being the vultures they were, immediately began to make snarky comments about the video. One commenter wrote under the Instagram post: “We all know you didn’t eat the rest of that, buddy.” Another joked: “Blink twice if you are being held against your will.”

Viewers weren’t the only ones making comments to McDonalds. Other fast-food chains also joined in on the fun. A Burger King account wrote in an Instagram comment, “[We] couldn’t finish it either,” while Wendy’s mused, “lots to unpack here.” Jack in the Box said, “From one CEO to another: eat your product.”

However, McDonalds was unbothered, even joining in the joshing as well. A spokesperson said, “We’re glad the Big Arch has everyone’s attention.” They also added that the sales of the Big Arch sales have been “beating expectations.”