A YouTube star who is known for staging massive charitable “stunts” — such as buying and giving away all the cars on a dealership’s lot, and ordering a pizza and giving the driver a house as a tip — MrBeast Burger founder Jimmy Donaldson has launched a chain of 300 ghost kitchens across the U.S., including one in Pasadena.
Donaldson, better known to his 48.5 million YouTube subscribers as “MrBeast,” announced the endeavor over the weekend via social media.
“I just launched 300 restaurants nationwide! Just go on your favorite delivery app and order a MrBeast Burger! WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR FOREVER AND I’M SO EXCITED!” Donaldson wrote in a tweet.
MrBeast Burger is partnering with existing restaurants, allowing customers to order food from them using a downloadable app. In Pasadena, MrBeast Burger has joined up with Buca di Beppo.
Known for his “over-the-top stunts and charitable endeavors,” Donaldson has teamed with Virtual Dining Concepts to create the virtual restaurant brand, according to a statement on the company’s website.
“MrBeast Burger operates out of existing restaurant kitchens, allowing restaurateurs to add a new source of revenue without impacting the operation,” the statement said. “Customers can only order MrBeast Burger via the proprietary app or through major food delivery service apps. MrBeast Burger is available for restaurants to prepare out of their existing kitchens as a way to generate a new revenue stream — the menu is accessed only via apps and it is delivered directly to your door.”
Management at Bucca di Beppo could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The app-based service has been popular, although somewhat disorganized in its inaugural days.
Shortly after announcing the new burger brand on Saturday, Donaldson again took to Twitter to announce the app’s servers had been updated after tens of thousands of simultaneous orders caused repeated crashes.
“We upgraded the servers so it should be fine now!” he posted.
The idea had its roots on a charitable stunt pulled by Donaldson last month in his home state of North Carolina, in which he opened a restaurant that not only gave away free food but also paid those who stopped by $100 each. Video of the event can be viewed at youtu.be/dg2Ag3e8W-Q.
More information, including links to download MrBeast Burger to Apple or Android devices, as well as hours of operation at specific locations, is available online at https://mrbeastburger.com.
