🍔 MrBeast sues, says burger partner trademarked his name unpaid

MrBeast Burger drew complaints about undercooked food and botched orders almost from the start, and the friction eventually reached a courtroom. On July 31, 2023, Jimmy Donaldson - the YouTuber known as MrBeast - filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Virtual Dining Concepts, LLC, the company he partnered with to run the chain, NBC News reported. The complaint says Virtual Dining Concepts trademarked the name "MrBeast" without his knowledge and that he has never been compensated for the use of it.

"I'll be the first to admit we are not perfect!...[S]ome people had problems and I will gladly refund them and do what I have to to make it right!"

Donaldson, on Twitter, responding to complaints about MrBeast Burger orders in December 2020

The deal he wanted out of

The lawsuit followed a public preview of his frustration. On June 17, 2023, after a fan noted that the original MrBeast Burger launch video had been deleted, Donaldson replied that he was "moving on from MrBeast Burger" to focus on his chocolate brand, Feastables, Dexerto reported. He said he regretted signing "a bad deal" with Virtual Dining Concepts and that the company "won't let me stop even though it's terrible for my brand." The replies were deleted soon after they were posted.

The filing and the counterpunch

Donaldson's complaint argues Virtual Dining Concepts prioritized its own growth over the quality of the product bearing his name. The case was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York - the federal trial court covering Manhattan.

"riddled with false statements and inaccuracies"

Virtual Dining Concepts' lawyers at Greenberg Traurig, responding to the lawsuit

The firm said Donaldson had recently tried to negotiate a new deal and accused him of using "bullying tactics" to escape his contractual obligations, calling the suit "ill-advised and meritless." Virtual Dining Concepts said it would file its own claims against him, and it did: it countersued, alleging Donaldson "walked away from a promising deal" and failed to meet contractual obligations, including promotional appearances for the brand.

Not the only name on the docket

The Donaldson-versus-VDC fight isn't the chain's only litigation on record. On October 7, 2021, customer Christopher Hedgecock filed a class action complaint against Virtual Dining Concepts claiming he was overcharged $3.16 in sales tax on a Beast Style Burger Combo, arguing Oregon law bars a sales tax on fast food.

Both sides frame the same deal as a betrayal, which is the most predictable plot twist a contract dispute can produce. Business Insider reported in 2026 that the fight could go to trial later that year, built on thousands of pages of contracts, messages and depositions. MrViral isn't reading that as a verdict - it just means the docket is still open.