# Reformatted Gourmet Burgers Mark Hayes and a Friend Turn a McDonald's Meal into Fine Fast Food By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-08-04 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fine-fast-food References: [designtaxi](http://designtaxi.com/news/367945/LOL-Two-Men-Create-Their-Own-Gourmet-Dinners-Using-A-Big-Mac-Meal/) & [reddit](http://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/2cgsf6/my_friend_i_competed_to_see_who_could_make_the/) With a friend, [Reddit](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/good-gather-ultrafiltered-milk) user Mark Hayes decided to have a [competition to see who could](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-king-6) turn a [McDonald's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-remix-menu) Big Mac meal into some fine fast food. Rather than eating a greasy burger right out of a flimsy box, the pair transformed the burger and fries into the kind of meal you might find at an upscale restaurant. The transformation involved slicing up the food items into tiny pieces, so that the portions were bite-sized and looked much more presentable. One of the finished meals turns a pile of fries into an interesting Jenga-like tower, set beside a mini burger that's stacked just as high. The sauce from the Big Mac serves as a garnish to top it all off. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.9/10 - Popularity: 16% | Activity: 3% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Gourmet Fast Food:** Opportunity for creating high-end, visually appealing fast food meals from traditional fast food ingredients. - **Upscale Food Presentation:** Disruptive potential for transforming traditional fast food into elegant, visually stunning dishes. - **Creative Food Garnishes:** Innovation opportunity in using condiments as decorative elements in food presentation. ### Where This Applies - **Fast Food:** Potential for fast food chains to incorporate upscale presentation and garnishes to elevate their menu offerings. - **Food Styling & Presentation:** Opportunity for food stylists and chefs to explore new ways of presenting and garnishing fast food. - **Food Delivery:** Disruptive potential for food delivery services to offer high-end, inventive menu options featuring gourmet fast food. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Luxe Fast Food Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-truffle-table.md) - [Remixed QSR Meal Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-remix-menu.md) - [Juicy Retro-Inspired Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-1955-burger.md) - [Gamified Fast Food Challenges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-side-missions.md) - [Customer-Suggested QSR Menu Items](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/menu-hacks.md) - [Upsized QSR Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/upsized-burger.md) - [Tourism-Inspired Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/square-burgers.md) - [Deconstructed Cheeseburger Bowls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheese-burger-don.md) - [Macaroni and Cheese Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scorchin-hot-mac-cheese.md)