America got a welcome distraction from the deadly serious issues of the day when a video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski not exactly chowing down on the new Big Arch offering from the Golden Arches went viral. And not for reasons Team McD would have preferred.
Numerous very-online folks made merciless fun of Kempczinski for nibbling daintily, some even said reluctantly, at that legitimately hefty burger. It didn’t help that Kempczinksi in the video referred to the tasty-looking offering as McDonald’s latest “product” more than once. Not the most appetizing of terms.
Arch-rival Burger King (you might even call them McDonald’s “Big Arch” rival — we’ll see ourselves out) subsequently offered up a short video of CEO Tom Curtis taking a carnivorous chomp of a flame-grilled Whopper. He was fully prepared, donning an apron, and had so many blobs of sauce on his face afterward that he bemoaned not having a napkin at hand to wipe them off.
Social media had itself a very tasty time in reaction, with Curtis getting plaudits for demonstrating how properly to consume a burger (with zest) and Kempczinski getting roasted and accused (wrongly, we’re sure) of only pretending to enjoy McDonald’s latest concoction.
To his credit, Kempczinski seems to be taking the moment in stride, with McDonald’s poking fun at itself afterward.
We’re on Kempczinski’s side here.
Let’s consider the scene. He’s at work. And, unlike his Burger King counterpart, he isn’t wearing an apron so he faces down a clear and present danger.
How many times have any of us picked up a messy sandwich of some sort while at work and taken a big bite, only to find condiments of various sorts dribbling onto our nice clothes and envisioning an irritating dry cleaning bill in our near-term future and some humiliating stares at an afternoon meeting? Eating carefully so as not to make a mess of yourself in such a setting is a trait we applaud, especially in those lucky enough to lead large organizations. Like, say, the CEO of McDonald’s.
Speaking of which, whether one approves of Kempczinski’s burger-eating technique or not, the bottom line is what ultimately matters. (As far as we know, burger-eating technique is not on the standard list of CEO qualifications). So here is how that section of the burger-war arena plays out: Since Kempczinski became McDonald’s boss in late 2019, the Chicago-based fast-food giant’s stock is up about 74%, as of late Friday afternoon. Stock of Burger King’s parent company in that period has risen a scant 14%.
If you’re a shareholder of McDonald’s, you can buy yourself a whole lot more of whichever food “product” you prefer — the Big Arch or the Whopper — with those sorts of returns.
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