McDonald’s CEO’s clumsy taste test draws online ridicule, with critics quipping “His aura screams kale salad.”

Business executives are increasingly appearing on camera to seem more approachable to an audience that lives on social media. When the effort succeeds, it can generate a lot of attention; when it fails, it can invite online mockery.

That is the situation facing Chris Kempczinski, the chief executive of McDonald’s.

A clip of the fast‑food chain’s leader sampling a new menu item has spread widely, with internet users and comedians ridiculing his uneasy tasting and suggesting he did not enjoy his own company’s burger.

The video, posted in February but gaining traction over the weekend, shows Kempczinski praising the new Big Arch burger, which he refers to as the “product” – an odd term for a sandwich.

He then outlines the offering: two quarter‑pound beef patties, three slices of melted white cheddar, crispy onions and a signature tangy “Big Arch” sauce.

“I’m going to do a tasting right now, but I’m going to eat this for my lunch, just so you know,” he says. He glances at the burger and admits, “I don’t even know how to attack it, there’s so much to it.”

He finally takes a small bite and holds the camera up to display the shallow dent he creates.

Viewers were swift to point out the video’s seemingly forced tone. One wrote, “Man’s aura screams kale salad.” Another observed, “That was the smallest first bite I’ve ever seen.” A third mocked the corporate jargon: “It scares me when you call the food ‘product.’”

A Reddit commenter offered a blunt suggestion: “If McDonald’s cares about its future, they need to make sure [Kempczinski is] anywhere but in front of a camera.”

The Big Arch burger is slated to roll out nationwide in the United States for a limited run beginning 3 March.

Kempczinski has led McDonald’s as president and CEO since 2019, taking over from Steve Easterbrook, who was dismissed after an inappropriate relationship with a senior female employee. In 2023, Easterbrook, a Briton, was fined $400,000 (£328,000) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for concealing the extent of his misconduct.