Virtual Dining Concepts

Virtual Dining Concepts was co-founded by Robert Earl and his son Robbie Earl in 2018. Robert Earl is best known for co-founding the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain in 1991 and later buying the Buca di Beppo group. He brought that celebrity-licensing and themed-dining expertise into the ghost-kitchen model.

MrBeast Burger is a delivery-only restaurant concept launched in December 2020 by YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson and VDC. The brand operated out of more than 1,700 host kitchens globally, with menus executed by independent restaurants and chains. In August 2023, Donaldson sued VDC, citing quality issues and seeking to end the arrangement. The dispute remains the most visible stress test of the firm's licensing model.

VDC creates restaurant brands — typically fronted by a celebrity or influencer — and licenses them to existing commercial kitchens, hotels, and restaurant chains. Those host kitchens prepare and deliver the food using VDC's proprietary recipes, packaging, and supply-chain specifications. Orders flow through major delivery apps, and VDC collects a revenue share without operating physical storefronts.

No. The firm is entirely asset-light. It does not build, lease, or manage kitchen facilities. All food production happens in partner kitchens that have excess capacity. VDC's capital is deployed into brand development, menu engineering, supply-chain coordination, and delivery-platform integration rather than real estate.

The firm's portfolio has included Mariah's Cookies (Mariah Carey), Tyga Bites (Tyga), Mario's Tortas Lopez (Mario Lopez), Pauly D's Italian Subs (DJ Pauly D), and NASCAR Refuel, among others. These concepts follow the same delivery-only licensing model, though none reached MrBeast Burger's scale.

VDC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with its network extending across North America and into select international markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. At its peak, the firm supported over 3,000 active kitchen locations across these territories.

As of mid-2024, the litigation between Jimmy Donaldson and VDC was ongoing, with both parties trading allegations. VDC has continued to operate its broader portfolio of virtual restaurant brands, but the loss of its largest brand — if the termination proceeds — would materially reshape the firm's revenue base and market profile.