The Krystal Square Off was the official World Hamburger Eating Championship, taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee and as sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). In this event, contestants ate as many Krystal hamburgers as possible in eight minutes.
The sole difference between the hamburgers consumed for the Square Off and the hamburgers purchased from Krystal restaurants is that the pickles were removed from the hamburgers consumed for the event to minimize the risk of choking.
The Krystal Square Off consisted of a qualifying tour and a world championship. In the qualifying tour, amateur eaters competed with professional eaters for a spot at the world championship. In 2004, the first year of the event, local amateurs Sam Vise and Jeff Hicks defeated professionals to earn a position at the world championship.
The two-minute qualifier record stands at 39 Krystals eaten by "Humble" Bob Shoudt in Nashville, 2007.
Citing "significant" demands on company resources, the company cancelled the event in 2010, looking to shift its "marketing focus and efforts" to new products and new store locations.
Read more about Krystal Square Off: List of Winners, History
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