An award-winning McDonald’s franchise manager in Canada is telling the world what it’s always wanted to know about the fast food chain’s Grimace.

In 2017, McDonald’s officials attempted to squelch debate on the subject by tweeting that the grinning, gelatinous purple blob was simply Ronald McDonald’s best friend, but speculation has persisted.

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Enter Brian Bates, recently named Outstanding Manager of the Year for his exceptional leadership skills throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, an honor that placed him in the top 10% of managers working at more than 1,400 McDonald’s restaurants across Canada, CBC News reported.

Bates told the network that Grimace literally exists to show how good McDonald’s food tastes.

“(Grimace) is an enormous taste bud, but a taste bud nonetheless,” Bates said.

According to USA Today, this is not the first time Grimace’s true identity as a taste bud has been floated among social media users.

In a 2012 tweet, the corporate account for McDonald’s called Grimace “the embodiment of a milkshake, though others still insist he’s a taste bud” but shifted course slightly in 2017, sharing, “When Grimace first joined McDonaldland, he had four arms and stole everybody’s milk shakes. However, by 1974 he became the big, fuzzy purple fellow that everyone knows and loves today!”

Social media users wasted no time reacting to Bates’ revelation.

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