McDonald's CEO Blames Mom for Tiny Bite That Went Viral

McDonald's chief Chris Kempczinski says his mother's table manners are partly to blame for his now-infamous nibble of the chain's new Big Arch burger. "I think, you know, I blame it all on my mom because she told me, 'Don't talk with your mouth full,'" he told the Wall Street Journal. "And, I think probably in that case, I should have just said, 'You know what? To hell with it. I'm gonna go talk with my mouth full.'" The tiny bite didn't play well online as viewers wondered if he actually eats the food he sells. The brief bite clip sparked a wave of mockery and inspired rival fast-food execs, including from Burger King and Wendy's, to post their own on-camera taste tests.

Kempczinski insists he's not rattled by the backlash, reports USA Today, calling the attention around the Big Arch "great" and saying anyone on social media needs "thick skin." He didn't realize how far the moment had spread until one of his kids called to tell him he'd gone viral "not in a good way," followed by a flood of texts. A follow-up attempt to lean into the joke—an on-camera McNugget bite that quickly racked up views on TikTok—only fueled more criticism, with commenters labeling the performance "painful to watch" and telling the company, "Damage control not working."