McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski has attributed the viral backlash over his awkward bite of the new Big Arch burger to his mother's etiquette training. In a February video, Kempczinski took a minuscule bite of the burger while discussing it, leading to widespread mockery online.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Kempczinski said he was following his mother's advice not to talk with his mouth full. 'I blame it all on my mom because she told me, “Don’t talk with your mouth full,”' he remarked. He added that perhaps he should have ignored the advice and 'just dive right in.'
The CEO then recorded another video eating a chicken nugget, but social media users were unimpressed. Comments on Instagram and TikTok criticised his eating style, with one user saying the nugget bite 'was worse than the burger one.' Another noted, 'He still looks like he does not want to eat his own “products.”'
The original Big Arch video went viral in late February and early March, with users mocking Kempczinski's description of the burger as a 'product' and his hesitant bite. Despite the online ridicule, McDonald's stock has risen about 3% over the past year.
Kempczinski, who joined McDonald's in 2015 and became CEO in 2019, is part of a trend of business leaders appearing on camera to seem relatable. While this strategy can pay off, it also risks digital mockery when it backfires.
