Burger King's Mac n' Cheetos reveal a dark secret in the food industry
Burger KingAlmost a year before Burger King debuted Mac n' Cheetos, a nearly identical dish was created by an internet chef.
In September 2015, the Vulgar Chef released a YouTube video on how to create "Cheetos Crusted Mac N Cheese Fries" - a dish that looks almost exactly like the limited time Burger King released in June.
The Vulgar Chef, whose real name is Kyle Marcoux, thinks that the similarities between the dishes are too much to be coincidental.
"If I could write an open letter to the fast food b------ I would tell them I love them and their artery clogging food, and if they want any help creating new exotic menu items to drop me a f---ing email," he told FoodBeast. "Don't just skim through my blog and try to sneak one over on me. All of us food bloggers want at the end of the day is credit."
Here's the Vulgar Chef's original video, for comparison:
Burger King didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
It is entirely possible that Burger King and Cheetos' parent company PepsiCo came up with the Mac n' Cheetos idea independent of the Vulgar Chef. However, it's also possible that an executive saw the video, and drew inspiration from it.
In any case, restaurant chains are increasingly drawing inspiration - both directly and indirectly - from internet celebrity chefs known for their over-the-top creations. It's time that the chefs began getting some of the credit.