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MrBeast has changed countless lives on his YouTube channel. With more than 130 million subscribers, he was able to go to extremes for his fan base. From giving away 40 different cars to one lucky fan, to funding surgeries to help 1,000 people with eye problems, it’s easy to see why so many people have subscribed to MrBeast.
But that doesn’t stop there for the entrepreneur, and in 2020 he opened his own “virtual concept” restaurant, famously named MrBeast Burger. He’s not the only celebrity to break into the food world, but is he the first to succeed?
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MrBeast became an overnight viral sensation
Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, quickly rose to fame by pioneering a new media genre on the YouTube platform. His content focuses on expensive challenges with his friends and incredible charities for his fans.
His most viewed video reached over 350 million views, a real version of Squid Games where the winner earns $456,000. He is one of the top earners in the YouTube world and made $54 million in 2020 and his fan base is growing almost daily.
However, this wasn’t enough for the blossoming MrBeast. He wanted to reach his fans on a more accessible level and provide a service that everyone can enjoy. In 2020, he partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts to reach his fans through their stomachs.
MrBeast Burger has 1,000 locations worldwide
MrBeast has been able to open a thousand locations in just a few years of owning his restaurant, and each location is making at least $500 in profit per night. How does he manage to achieve the almost impossible when even reality star Kim Kardashian’s “Famous Cupcakes” failed drastically before year one?
By offering a “virtual dining experience” in so-called “ghost kitchens,” MrBeast Burger doesn’t need a thousand physical locations, just the one in its home state of North Carolina.
A fan can order a meal from MrBeast Burger through the website, and restaurants such as Buca di Peppo and Handcraft Kitchen + Cocktails will prepare the meal from MrBeast Burger’s menu. It is then sent out for delivery via services like Doordash and Grubhub.
These are known as “ghost franchises” because they’re already separate businesses, but with a profitable side business.
Through the ingenuity of his partnership with Virtual Dining Concept, MrBeast is able to reach almost – if not all – of his fans worldwide without the added expense of running a chain of fast food restaurants. The MrBeast Burger app currently has a 4.3-star rating, and he’s reported that the burger chain supposedly deserved it over $100 million in sales.
The MrBeast Burger menu isn’t overly complicated either, and it’s easy to find something for everyone. Even the pickiest of fans can order a chocolate chip cookie to support their favorite YouTube channel, or those looking for a challenge can try eating the Beast Style Burger.
MrBeast isn’t the first celebrity with a restaurant dream
In fact, he comes very late to the game! However, unlike MrBeast, celebs like Flavor Flav haven’t been as successful with their ventures; Despite opening numerous fried chicken restaurants and all closing within a year, Flavor Flav is now worth just $2 million.
But what about the other celebrities with the same concept as MrBeast Burger? With the advent of virtual dining and the pandemic keeping everyone locked in their homes, MrBeast wasn’t the only one wanting to offer his foodie fans a dining experience that comes right to their doorstep.
Wiz Khalifa has opened and recently rebranded his own version of a “ghost kitchen” called Packed Bowls. It only has seven locations and is another example of a “ghost franchise” that follows the same virtual concept.
George Lopez, a famous comedian, also has his own take on the virtual dining experience with George Lopez Tacos, which has 80 locations open nationwide.
These celebrities’ careers stretch miles longer than MrBeast’s, but while they’ve had loyal fan bases for decades, they haven’t quite cracked the virtual restaurant code like MrBeast Burger.
Which makes MrBeast Burger a delicious hit
Its YouTube fame and wide accessibility of the dining experience is why it became a huge hit, or maybe its fans continue to place orders hoping to gain access to a MrBeast challenge like they did with his shop have done with chocolate bars.
In 2021, he repeated the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory experience for his fans, and a handful of lucky winners found a golden ticket in their chocolate bar. They have been invited to try their luck in a challenge to win the MrBeast Chocolate Factory and so far seven fans have won ten grand.
It’s entirely possible he’ll come up with a similar concept with MrBeast Burger, but even if he doesn’t, the restaurant is already a hit with his fans.