Burger King appears to be overshadowed by viral McDonald’s taste test
After McDonald’s CEO Christopher Kempczinski’s Big Arch taste test went viral, other fast food bosses decided to get in on the fun.
As McDonald’s and Burger King compete, Wendy’s president Pete Serken is taking a hands-on approach, recently participating in a Baconator taste test.
In the days since the internet began heckling McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski over his less than convincing endorsement of the new Big Arch Burger and Burger King’s subsequent cheeky response, Wendy’s has stood its ground.
Wendy’s seemed to allude to “beef” in a March 4 post that included a clip of Suerken eating at least four bites of a Baconator and said, “We’ve been chatting a lot about burgers this week.”
Wendy’s added, “We wanted to remind everyone what a fresh, never-frozen burger tastes like. Our President, Pete Serken, knows when a burger is worth two bites.” “What’s your favorite way to eat a Wendy’s hamburger?”
Here’s what you need to know about the ongoing burger war.
Wendy’s gives Mickey D a little poke
While Burger King kept it classy and told USA TODAY that its flavor was just a “fun way” to highlight its new and improved Whopper, Suerken took a moment to criticize Mickey D’s while preparing the Frosty.
“Of course you should have a Frosty with your burger,” Suelken says in the clip. “Is this the setup for today? Oh, wait, our machines are always running.”
Of course, Mr. Suelken was referring to the old joke about McDonald’s ice cream machines frequently, if not always, stopping.
Appearing to be prepared and eaten in a Wendy’s kitchen, Suaken combines baconators with fries, a drink, and a chocolate frosty.
“I’ve been waiting for this all day,” Suerken said as he unwrapped the Baconator. “Wendy’s fresh, never-frozen beef, applewood-smoked bacon, a brand new bun, and a square burger cooked on a flat grill. Amazing. Truly amazing.”
“This is a burger. This is what a great burger should be,” Suelken concluded.
McDonald’s shares cheeky response
In an attempt to take back control of the narrative, McDonald’s responded to the “beef” with a cheeky response on social media.
“Take a taste of our new product,” McDonald’s said in a March 3 post, referencing a buzzword that caught the internet’s attention after Kempczinski’s review.
“I love this product,” Kempczinski says in the clip before sampling the burger. “It’s very delicious. I’m going to try it now, but I’m going to have this for lunch, just to be sure.”
While the samples may have been shared to generate buzz for Big Arch Burger’s upcoming release, Kempczinski’s reviews, especially the comments, garnered more attention than the “product” he was trying to promote.
The CEO’s comments and burger bite led to parody and ridicule from people on social media.
McDonald’s did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY on March 3.
Contributor: Kate Perez, USA TODAY
