MrBeast Burger

MrBeast Burger is an American Ghost kitchen delivery-only fast-food restaurant chain founded by social media influencer and YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, more commonly known as MrBeast, in partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts, LLC. There are currently 300 locations in the United States, with plans to expand internationally and increase the number of chains exponentially. The chains feature a menu consisting of various burger, French fries, desserts, and canned drinks. Customers can order food from a food delivery app, which in turn is prepared at the brick-and-mortar locations of volunteering restaurants.
Although it is unclear when Donaldson began working on MrBeast Burger, he said on Twitter that he'd been planning on the release, "for forever." Will Hyde, a manager for Donaldson's YouTube channel, said that the project had been in the works for several months, while Reed Duchscher, another manager, stated that it had been planned for over a year. The official Twitter account for MrBeast Burger was created on August 12, 2020, and locations began appearing to users on Food delivery days before the official release. 
=== Official release ===
The first MrBeast Burger location officially opened on November 10, 2020, in Wilson, North Carolina. This location, which was a temporarily-redecorated Burger Boy restaurant, was the only physical location of the store. As part of a YouTube video, Donaldson advertised free food and gave away money, technology, and even a new car to patrons who lined up in the building's drive-through. The event attracted thousands of customers, with the line reaching as far as 20 miles at times. At one point, the amount of customers was so overwhelming that an additional team of chefs were brought in to satisfy demand. Although police worked to control traffic, the line eventually became too long to handle and, at the request of the police department, the line was closed. Donaldson uploaded a video of this event to his YouTube channel on December 19, 2020, where he officially announced the chain's opening with 300 locations across the United States. Donaldson also announced that a portion of each order would be donated to a charities helping to ensure food security worldwide.
MrBeast Burger rapidly rose to popularity after it was announced. Shortly after the video was uploaded, it reached the #1 trending spot on YouTube, and the corresponding MrBeast Burger apps rose to the top spot on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The apps were downloaded at such a rate that servers became overwhelmed, causing temporary service outages for some users. The issue was fixed shortly thereafter. Due to its surge in popularity, almost all of the 300 restaurants reported running out of food on the first night.
=== Quality concerns ===
Upon opening, MrBeast Burger received mixed reviews. Many customers shared their opinions on Twitter, with some praising the chain while others complained of poor service, long wait times, and an unappealing presentation. Additionally, accusations surfaced that chains were serving raw food. Although many customers tried to contact Donaldson to express their complaints directly, others came to Donaldson's defense and redirected the blame to the restaurants preparing the orders. Because the chain is operated as a ghost kitchen, the orders are cooked by staff of the volunteering restaurant, hence the quality of an order can be determinant on the location it was ordered from.
Donaldson addressed the complaints on Twitter, stating, "I’ll be the first to admit we are not perfect!...[S]ome people had problems and I will gladly refund them and do what I have to to make it right!" 
=== Benefit to struggling restaurants ===
MrBeast Burger became a second source of revenue for struggling restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chain featured a menu that easily suits many restaurant kitchens without the need for new equipment or training. One location outside Dallas reported earning over $7,000 on their first day open. Most of the restaurants which MrBeast Burger operates from are Buca di Beppo Betuccini's, and Bravo! Italian Kitchens, but other restaurants can also apply to become a MrBeast Burger location.
==In the media==
<youtube width="300" height="300">MC5h-ShR-S8</youtube>  
<youtube width="300" height="300">QxGVgXf_LNk</youtube>
Category:Companies established in 2020
Category:Fast-food restaurants
Category:Restaurant chains in the United States