When a major company stumbles in the public eye, smaller brands often seize the moment to stand out—and this time, a beloved Texas burger chain made the most of it. Patrick Terry, founder of Austin-based P. Terry’s Burger Stand, joined the viral conversation surrounding burger CEOs this week. But instead of simply adding to the pile-on, he took a different approach. While many fast-food chains rushed to mock McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, Terry opened his video with a more measured tone.
Terry immediately set himself apart from every other chain that had piled on McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski. Terry opened, “By now you’ve seen the CEO of McDonald’s try and eat a hamburger, and yes, it was embarrassing, and the competition made fun of him. I get it. But I don’t wanna do that today.”
So, Terry just grabbed his usual lunch and took everyone step by step through what he eats every day. He had a double cheeseburger, made from all-natural Black Angus beef, no hormones or antibiotics, two slices of cheese melting over the patties, crisp lettuce, tomato, and their special sauce.
Fries are fresh Idaho potatoes, delivered to every P. Terry’s every couple of days, then hand-cut right there. And to top it off, a strawberry shake with zero artificial colors or ingredients.
But the best part came at the end. Terry admitted eating on camera made him “a little uncomfortable,” so he did something different: a giveaway. He asked people to comment, said he would pick ten names, and promised to meet them for lunch at their favorite P. Terry’s. Bring your friends, he said, lunch is on him.
People loved Terry’s no-nonsense style. They called it the most refreshing thing to come out of this whole burger CEO saga. While billion-dollar chains traded snarky corporate shots, a Texas CEO quietly stepped up and showed everyone what a burger should really be about: real ingredients, nothing to be embarrassed about, and an open invite to grab lunch.
Internet Reacts to Texas-Based P. Terry’s Joining Burger Wars
The moment quickly ignited debate online, with many users mocking the backlash. “The McDonald’s CEO is taking some serious heat over that bite. Who knew one bite could cause so much damage? Bet he’d take the biggest bite ever now after all this backlash,” one person wrote.
Some commenters used the moment to promote smaller restaurants. “Time to support and bring back small burger stands across America,” a user said. Another added, “Never heard of P Terry’s but for my cheat meal I wouldn’t mind trying them. I mean, if they actually are angus, free of dyes/coloring, etc I would try them for sure.”
Others debated food quality and ingredients. “Just because u hand cut them in a store doesn’t mean their not sprayed with chemicals beforehand how stupid can people be,” one comment read. Another asked, “Are your fries cooked in beef tallow? Is your bun made with organic round up free wheat? That’s important for your fast food to pass the health test.”
A few reactions were more charitable toward the executive. “Another CEO who I believe eats his own ‘product’ but actually enjoys it,” one person added.
This so-called burger CEO war has given these brands more free publicity than they could ever pay for, turning a simple back-and-forth into a full-blown online spectacle. Every comment, every reaction, and every repost only pushed the bigger names further into the spotlight, whether they earned it or not. But while the national chains and headline-chasing executives were busy competing for attention, P. Terry’s quietly stayed in its own lane and did what it has always done best. Instead of trying to win the loudest argument or manufacture a viral moment, P. Terry’s reminded Texas, and now pretty much everyone online, that not every brand needs to shout to make a point. Sometimes confidence looks like keeping the grill hot, serving the food people already love, and letting loyal customers do the talking. In a world where every company seems desperate to jump into the conversation, there is something refreshing about a place that understands the power of simplicity. The smart move was not a flashy comeback, a dramatic statement, or some overproduced marketing stunt. It was much simpler than that: just eat your lunch, stay focused on what you do well, and let the food speak for itself. And in this case, that quiet approach may have said more than any CEO feud ever could.
