MrBeast Burger opens 1st ‘ghost kitchen’ in Puerto Rico
MrBeast Burger, the restaurant business owned by American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, has opened its first “ghost kitchen” in the Condado sector of San Juan, marking its entrance into the Puerto Rico market, News is my Business confirmed.
A source familiar who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the operation began serving up its signature burgers and crinkle fries last week, with orders being delivered by DoorDash.
News is my Business learned that MrBeast Burger partnered with Puerto Rican eatery Sobao for the venture, after confirming that the address that the burger chain posted on its website matches the Puerto Rican operator’s location in the AC Hotel in Condado.
MrBeast Burger is essentially a virtual (delivery-only) concept that partners with local restaurants already in business in the market it is targeting, to establish a “ghost kitchen,” where its menu is prepared.
Once the deal is signed, the existing brick-and-mortar restaurant assigns staff and resources to the burger side-business, which media outlets like Forbes have said is a solid way to boost their own bottom lines based on the massive following that the YouTuber has — 118 million at last count.
MrBeast Burger was launched in late 2020, with about 300 virtual locations across the US mainland. Orders are placed via its app and are available for delivery and pick-up only via food delivery services.
It is not clear how the profits are split between the YouTuber’s operation and the local eatery.
“The movement has been incredible. This influencer is known because you can buy a burger and find $10,000 in the bag. So, it’s become like a lottery in which you can win something for buying,” said the source.
The source who spoke to News is my Business said while the local launching has been low-key — with just a single post on MrBeast’s Facebook page last Friday that as yesterday had been shared more than 3,500 times — response has been such that the local restaurant’s staff has been able to work more hours.
This media outlet also confirmed that the restaurant has been procuring the meat, chicken and produce used for the burgers from local companies, generating a domino-effect in the local market. The only ingredient that MrBeast Burger provides is the seasoning used to make the signature burgers and fries.
The MrBeast Burger menu features three hand-crafted burger options — Beast style, Chandler style and Chris style — two grilled cheese sandwich options, a crispy chicken tender sandwich, a Nashville hot chicken tender sandwich, and Beast-style fries. The menu also includes vegetarian options, based on the Impossible-brand burgers.
News is my Business attempted to place an order on the MrBeast Burger website for Puerto Rico, but as of Tuesday, the delivery area beyond the Condado sector was unavailable.
Attempts to reach representatives at Virtual Dining Concepts, LLC., which operates the MrBeast Burger concept, were unsuccessful.
So, the scope of the delivery area remains unclear as well as if it will be expanding its Puerto Rico footprint with more “ghost kitchens” in areas like Dorado and Rincón, where large numbers of residents from the US mainland live.
