SWANSEA, MASS. (WHDH) - A 13-year-old boy from Swansea received a special surpise from Burger King after the company got word he and his father visited dozens of the fast food chain locations all over the world.
Max Panarello said he has “visited around 40 to 70” Burger King locations with his father Matthew Panarello, collecting the iconic paper crowns along the way.
“I have, like, 10,000 of them,” Max said of the crowns.
Max, who is a picky eater, began his obsession with the fast food chain a few years ago. Matthew said it sounds crazy to most people, but the most important thing is that his son is happy.
“They wonder if we’re okay, but it’s fun,” Matthew said. “He has a good time.”
When a new Burger King opened in Swansea, the Panarello pair were first in line for the grand opening.
“That morning it was probably 20 degrees outside. We got folding chairs and sat right out here for them to open up,” Matthew said.
After that adventure, they decided to visit as many as possible.
“It started with road trips,” Matthew said. “We did different Burger Kings along the road, but once we were going on cruises we started hunting down different foreign locations.”
“It’s been like a dream trying to do a journey of food,” Max said.
While on Spring break in Florida this year, Max got a big surprise from the company – he was invited to Burger King’s corporate headquarters in Miami. He was surprised at their hotel room with decorations and swag before getting a tour of the facility.
“He got to meet Tom the president,” Matthew said. “He couldn’t have been a nicer person, just super down to earth, a big corporation but with even a bigger heart. They’re really just genuinely nice people.”
Max said that he and his father plan to continue with their mission to visit more restaurants.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)