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What's going on with MrBeast Burger?What's going on with MrBeast Burger?

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

August 2, 2023

 

After announcing in June that he was “moving on from MrBeast Burger” in a series of now-deleted tweets, YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson is suing his virtual restaurant parent company, Virtual Dining Concepts for “material, irreparable harm” to his brand and reputation.

According to the lawsuit filed Monday with the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, when Donaldson signed on with Orlando, Fla.-based ghost kitchen company, Virtual Dining Concepts in 2020 to launch his virtual burger brand, the company began focusing on rapid expansion and pitching the same business model to other celebrities instead of quality control.

Although MrBeast Burger is one of the largest and most recognizable virtual restaurant brands to come out of the pandemic, the lawsuit takes issue with the low-quality food — often delivered in unmarked and unbranded packaging — described by reviewers as “disgusting,” “inedible,” and “the worst burger I ever had.”

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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