TCU opens first ghost kitchen featuring celebrity endorsed meals

The ghost kitchen is located inside of The King Family Commons. (TCU 360 file photo)

By Hanna Landa, Staff Writer

TCU opened its first ghost kitchen at O’Brien’s in the King Family Commons featuring meals created by popular celebrities and social media personalities earlier this semester.

Ghost kitchens are restaurants with no storefront, and all orders are placed and processed online.

The offerings include the MrBeast Burger, Pardon My Cheesesteak and Mariah Carey Cookies

The sandwich prices range from $6.99 to $9.99, while fries are $3.99 to $6.29. O’Brien’s takes Campus Cash and Frog Bucks.

The MrBeast Burger was created by YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson. Known by his channel name MrBeast, the fifth most subscribed channel on YouTube has over 104 million subscribers.

The new set up at O’Brien’s, where students are instructed to order through the Everyday app and pick up their food at the window. (Hanna Landa/ Staff Writer)

Donaldson introduced the burger in a YouTube video where he handed out free burgers, cash and Apple products to customers. He announced to subscribers that there were 300 locations across the country where they could get the MrBeast Burger.

Pardon My Cheesesteak is a spin on the name “Pardon My Take,” the biggest sports podcast in the country. The creators partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts to make a line of cheesesteaks.

Mariah Carey also partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts on the cookies. 

Sophomore Nathan Cross, a sports broadcasting major, said his first order included a burger, fries and a grilled cheese. He has ordered at the ghost kitchen three other times.

“It’s still a decent sandwich and a nice change from other options on campus,” Cross said.

Tia Ellis, a member of the TCU Dining staff, decided to try out the burger on her lunch break while working at Union Grounds in the Brown-Lupton University Union building.

“I had never had a burger before, but it was close to where I was working so I decided to give it a try,” Ellis said. “It looks good to me.” 

O’Brien’s requires the Everyday app for the celebrity meals, which are pickup only.