Harley Morenstein
A boisterous Canadian force of nature who turned extreme food spectacle into a pioneering digital entertainment empire.
Born 1985 (age 41)·Canadian Internet personality·Birthday: July 20·Millennials
Biography
Harley Morenstein didn't just make a YouTube show; he engineered a calorie-laden cultural moment. A former substitute teacher from Montreal, he launched 'Epic Meal Time' from his kitchen in 2010 with a simple, outrageous premise: construct monstrous, meat-centric feats using absurd quantities of bacon, fast food, and cheese. Morenstein’s persona—a bombastic, bearded ringmaster in a signature tracksuit—was the perfect host for this chaos. The show’s rapid-fire editing, hip-hop soundtrack, and sheer scale of indulgence tapped directly into the early internet's id, quickly amassing millions of subscribers. He successfully translated the digital phenomenon into a television series, 'Epic Meal Empire', that documented the business behind the madness. As the online landscape evolved, Morenstein proved adaptable, shifting into streaming, podcasting, and a more varied content mix while remaining the charismatic anchor of the brand he built from the ground up.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Harley was born in 1985, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harley Was Born
The biggest hits of 1985
#1 Movie
Back to the Future
Best Picture
Out of Africa
#1 TV Show
Dynasty
Harley's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1985Born
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1990Started school
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1998Became a teenager
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Could drive
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2003Could vote
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Turned 21
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2015Turned 30
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 40
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 41 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and hosted 'Epic Meal Time', one of the most popular and influential food channels in YouTube's early history, peaking at over 7 million subscribers.
- Successfully transitioned the web series to a structured television show, 'Epic Meal Empire', on the FYI network.
- Pioneered a distinct, high-energy style of food entertainment that inspired countless imitators and defined a genre of online content.
- Built a sustained brand and production company around the 'Epic Meal Time' concept for over a decade.
Did You Know?
He worked as a substitute high school teacher before 'Epic Meal Time' took off.
Morenstein is a trained improvisational comedian, having studied at the Second City in Toronto.
The show's famous 'Bacon Strips' and 'Bacon Clouds' catchphrase originated from a line in a song by rapper JellyRoll.
He is a partial owner of the esports organization 'Rogue'.
“We made a bacon explosion, and then we just kept making bigger food.”
