MrBeast, the YouTuber who bit more burger than he could chew
It's September 4, 2022, and around 10,000 people are shouting "Beast, Beast, Beast" in a shopping mall in New Jersey: YouTuber MrBeast is on his way to launch his first burger restaurant, and the crowd is hysterical.
MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, was building out his global MrBeast Burger business from its origins as a product made in "ghost kitchens" available only on delivery apps.
But he has since had a dramatic change of heart.
Donaldson, 25, recently crowned the world's most popular YouTuber with more than 170 million subscribers, launched a legal case in late July against the suppliers of the burgers to end the deal.
The court filings include choice quotes from customers: "One New York reviewer, echoing the sentiments of thousands, stated that MrBeast Burger was 'the absolute worst burger I've ever eaten in my entire life! It was like eating spoonfuls of garlic powder'."
The ghost kitchen firm, Virtual Dining Concepts, countersued last week for $100 million in damages.
"This court case is a signal for a lot of other influencers," said Jess Flack, founder of influencer marketing agency Ubiquitous.
She said it marked the fizzling out of influencers' relationships with ghost kitchens, forged during the pandemic when lockdowns kept millions at home and closed restaurants across the world.
Analysts predicted ghost kitchens were the next big thing. Market research outfit Euromonitor International suggested the sector could be worth $1 trillion by 2030.
Forecasts like this might have egged on Donaldson, especially as the path from entertainment to catering is well trodden.
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