2023 Recap

Molly Schuyler Captures a Record 9th Title Downing 34 Burgers In 10 Minutes at 14th Annual Z-Burger

Independence Burger Eating Championship

2022 Runner-up Dan “Killer” Kennedy grabs second again with 32

WASHINGTON, DC (July 3, 2022) – Cheered on by a large crowd clearly showing their love, Molly Schuyler today claimed her 9th trophy, devouring 34 burgers in 10 minutes to win the 14th Annual Z-Burger Independence Burger Eating Championship this afternoon (Monday, July 3) at the Tenleytown Z-Burger in Northwest Washington, DC.

Dan “Killer” Kennedy downed 32 hamburgers in 10 minutes to earn his fifth runner-up title in 14 years. His best finish was in 2021, when he claimed the title with Schuyler.

Schuyler, a 43-year-old mother of four from Harwood, Maryland takes home $2,000, while Kennedy (West Decatur, PA), the #4 ranked competitive eater in the world, pocketed $1,250.

Canada’s top-ranked competitive eater Joel Hansen returned for his second visit to DC, and once again finished in third place, adding an additional burger to his total, with 27 burgers good for the US $1,000 prize money.

The other top finishers for the afternoon were Andrew Puhl (Shippenville, PA) in fourth place for the third straight year (he finished third in 2019 & 2020) with 26 burgers, Sean Yeager (Phoenixville, PA) in fifth with 25 burgers (bettering his 2022 total of 19), and, in sixth, first time competitive eating entry Robert McGee (New York) with 13 burgers.

Puhl earned $750, with $500 for Yeager and $400 for McGee.

“The Z-Burger Independence Day Burger Eating Contest is truly a major event on the competitive food eating landscape, each year adding exciting new elements for the crowds and the competitors,” said founder Peter Tabibian, proprietor of four Z-Burger retail locations and the popular Z-Burger food truck.  “We are thrilled to once again welcome a full field of competitors and an enthusiastic crowd of spectators.  There’s always great anticipation leading up to our event, with inquiries from across the country from many of those within the competitive eating community. They consider us one of the real ‘go-to’ events of the year.”