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I am the father of a 12-year old YouTube nut!  My son has about half a dozen stars on the video streaming site that he follows religiously.  One of his absolute favorites (and the one I personally like the best) is Mr. Beast.

Who is Mr. Beast?

This guy spends a lot of money, but he usually finds someone to totally overwhelm with cash and/or extremely expensive gifts in the process.  I have to admit, I totally get why my son will watch two or three of his videos in a row - they are addictive!  There are a lot of YouTubers that I would rather my boy steer clear of, but Mr. Beast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) seems to be a pretty good guy.  Just last year, he gave his 40,000,000th subscriber 40 cars!  Check out the video below for the proof!

One of the things I have always wondered is where he gets the money to buy things like a $250,000 mystery box for his videos.  I've been able to determine that through sponsorships and ad dollars generated by his immensely popular YouTube channels, this guy is pulling down some pretty impressive change.  According to Forbes, he's raking in a whopping $24 million per year!

What's a Mr. Beast Burger?

By far the most delicious way he funds these extravagant surprises and giveaways is through his virtual restaurant, Mr. Beast Burger.  Here's where it hits home: My son found out that we have one right here in Bossier City, and it's been hiding in plain sight!

You see, Mr. Beast Burger is a "Ghost Kitchen."  It's part of a growing trend in restaurants that has seen explosive growth during the pandemic due to the popularity of delivery.

Wait a second, what's a "Ghost Kitchen?"

Companies like DoorDash, UberEats, Waitr, and more have created a world in which a "virtual" restaurant can thrive.  That means local restaurants can take advantage of the multi-million dollar ad campaigns these restaurants run by simply using ingredients and instructions provided by these virtual eateries.  The restaurant makes money, companies like Mr. Beast Burger make money, and we get a much greater variety of food to choose from!

So, who actually makes the food?

All of the boxes, cups, and bags may have the Mr. Beast logo on them, but make no mistake - the restaurant that makes Mr. Beast Burger possible is Home Made Meals on Benton Rd. in Bossier City!

I had the pleasure of talking to one of the owners of this delicious-smelling establishment yesterday.  Karl Blake and Zedrick Tinsley regularly serve a huge menu of delectable Louisiana-style dishes like the Creole-style shrimp boil and fried catfish.

Are there more "Virtual Restaurants" coming?

According to Blake, the ghost kitchen is a no-brainer.  He says that the popular burger chain keeps the orders rolling in - and the restaurant is planning to expand these operations.  Karl and Zedrick are currently planning to bring in even more virtual restaurants to the fold - including Mariah Carey's Mariah's Cookies and Tyga's Chicken Bites.

With the popularity of this trend continuing to rise, there is a very good possibility that we will see ghost kitchens like Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen, Pauly D's Italian Subs, Wiz Khalifa's "Hotbox," and more.