...
By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Wendy’s has joined the fast‑food CEO burger discourse after a new video featuring a senior company executive tasting a Baconator sparked comparisons with viral clips from McDonald’s and Burger King leaders.
The video, shared on LinkedIn, shows Wendy’s President Pete Suerken visiting the chain’s kitchen to try a Baconator, walking viewers through the ingredients and pairing the burger with fries and a Frosty.
In the Wendy’s video, Suerken emphasized Wendy’s “fresh, never frozen” beef, square patties and Applewood smoked bacon before taking a sizable bite of the burger. He also makes a pointed aside about Wendy’s ice cream machines “always working,” a line many viewers interpreted as a tongue‑in‑cheek reference to McDonald’s long‑running machine issues.
Read More
McDonald’s CEO Goes Viral for How He Eats New Burger ‘Product’3 min read
People Compare How Burger King Boss Eats After McDonald’s Video Goes Viral4 min read
McDonald’s CEO Being ‘Burgermogged’ by Burger King Boss Sparks Viral Frenzy4 min read
Why It Matters
The clip comes as social media users mocked McDonald’s CEO and Chairman Chris Kempczinski online after the chain posted an awkward promotional video of him trying the chain’s new Big Arch Burger.
Viewers criticized Kempczinski’s stiff delivery, small first bite and use of the word “product” to describe the food. Burger King President Tom Curtis later received largely positive feedback for a behind‑the‑scenes video of himself eating a revamped Whopper in response.
Against that backdrop, Wendy’s entry into the conversation appeared to acknowledge the viral moment without explicitly naming competitors.
...
What To Know
In the Wendy’s video, Suerken narrated the experience step by step, describing the Baconator’s components he said: “That’s a burger. This is exactly the way a great hamburger should be.” He ends the clip by pairing the meal with fries and a Frosty, calling the combination “excellent.”
Comments on LinkedIn quickly picked up on what viewers saw as intentional callbacks to the earlier burger videos. One commenter wrote that Wendy’s “played this well,” pointing to the Frosty pairing, the ice cream machine joke and the moment where Suerken visibly sizes up the burger before taking a bite.
Another commenter, who said they previously led social media at a competing chain, praised the execution and said the ice cream machine reference “was not lost on me.”
What People Are Saying
Wendy’s told Newsweek in an email: “That’s it. That’s the flex. When your burger is that good, you don’t need to talk trash about anyone else.”
What Happens Next
With fast‑food executives increasingly turning to social platforms to promote menu items, the viral response to these burger‑tasting videos highlights how quickly marketing moments can become cultural commentary.
While three of the big burger chains have so far stepped in to share top-level members tasting their menu, many will be looking to see if any other chains get involved in the viral tasting.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines