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Would You Eat Burger King's Windows 7 Whopper?

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:15:00 -0700

Last month, many of you said you'd chomp down on Red Robin's Wise Guy Burger, which includes not only a burger patty, but also mozzarella sticks and pepperoni slices. But what would you do if faced with Burger King Japan's Windows 7 Whopper?

To promote the new operating system, the limited-edition burger - available for seven days only - includes seven beef patties for the cost of ¥777 (about $8.50). Could you tackle this tall order?

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Burger King Gets a Makeover

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:15:47 -0700

While one fast food chain is temporarily closing stores, another has begun remodeling them. Hoping a facelift will invigorate sales, Burger King announced a major effort to redesign its 12,000 worldwide locations.

Burger King is betting that rotating red flame chandeliers, LCD menus, and corrugated metal and brick walls will encourage customers to sit down and enjoy a meal rather than simply passing through.According to Chairman and CEO John Chidsey, who describes the overhaul as "contemporary, edgy, futuristic . . . like an upscale restaurant," the 60 outlets that have already been revamped have generated 12 to 15 percent more sales.

The "20/20" design transformation, as it's called, is a huge risk for Burger King. The overhaul will take several years to complete worldwide, and will cost franchisees a whopping $300,000 to $600,000 per restaurant. Check out new store pictures. Could a redesign coax you into buying more BK?

Burger King Battles Controversy, Contemplates Menu Changes

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:00:24 -0700

Burger King has found itself in the spotlight again after offending a religious group and most recently contemplating major menu changes. The number two fast food chain has upset Hindus worldwide with a new Spanish print campaign that features the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi, sitting atop a meat sandwich with the caption, "A snack that's sacred," in Spanish.

The Hindu religion, which has the highest proportion of vegetarians among major denominations, frowns upon showing meat with a revered goddess, as well as exploiting one of its sacred symbols. Although the Hindu American Foundation has demanded that Burger King pull the ad, so far, BK has declined to comment. Perhaps the chain's executives were focused on other developments. Today, Burger King store operators are voting on a measure to slash the price of its double cheeseburger to $1 this Summer, in an effort to win over competitors' customers - and at a time when top rival McDonald's has been focusing on premium offerings. Last year, rising costs forced the world's biggest burger chain to remove its trademark Double Cheeseburger from its Dollar Menu.

Do you feel that Burger King has made two major missteps, by offending members of a religious community, and focusing on low-end items? Should the advertisement be withdrawn, and an apology issued? Would you be more likely to eat at Burger King than McDonald's if the company offered a $1 double cheeseburger?

Photo by flickr user Neubie

Burger King to Add Pork Ribs to Menu

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:00:20 -0700

Since all things pig - from chicharrones to bacon everything to whole hog dinners - are the rage right now, it only makes sense that the fast food industry wants a piece of the pork pie. At this week's World Pork Expo, Burger King announced that it's testing out "Fire-Grilled Ribs" in four different markets and hopes to expand by next year.The ribs are now available in Las Vegas, NV, Indianapolis, IN, Greensboro, NC, and Orlando, FL. The St. Louis-style ribs will be portioned into 2-inch pieces, offered in three-, six-, or eight-piece servings, and served with a dipping sauce. The fast food company has spent more than a year developing this new product with the National Pork Board. According to the board's president Steve Weaver, Burger King's goal is to offer the product in nearly half of its US restaurants in 2010.

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While Casual Chains Drop Prices, Fast Food Trades Up

YumSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:00:37 -0700

Regardless of its location, price point, or popularity, no restaurant has remained untouched by the deteriorating economy. While many high-end restaurants have made adjustments, some of the most drastic changes taking place are happening between fast and casual food chains.

Casual restaurant chains such as Applebee's, Chili's, and TGI Friday's have desperately tried to keep sales steady with bargain deals. Applebee's started the trend by appealing to cash-strapped diners with a limited-time offer for a large appetizer with two entrees for just $20. Chili's joined in soon after with a "ten under $7" value menu. Earlier this week, TGI Friday's slashed the prices of all sandwiches and salads to a mere $5.Ironically enough, fast food chains have focused on premium items. Late last year, Burger King aimed to go higher-end with a new line of ribs, and this August, McDonald's is coming out with a one-third-pound Angus beef burger that's priced at $3.99. The number one fast food chain has also been selling specialty coffee drinks at its McCafé stores.

As both segments expand their food offerings, the casual chain and fast food sectors have become somewhat redundant. Have you frequented more fast food or casual chains lately? Which do you think has a better business model?

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Burger King Apologizes For Controversial Commercial

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:00:21 -0700

Burger King announced yesterday that it was revising controversial ads for its Texican Whopper in England and Spain after Mexico's ambassador spoke out against the campaign, calling it offensive. The commercials promoted the Europe-only Texican Whopper, a burger with chili con carne, jalapeños, onion, lettuce, a wheat bun, and Cajun mayonnaise. They featured an American cowboy and a pocket-sized wrestler wearing a cape that resembles the Mexican flag. Jorge Zermeno, the Mexican ambassador to Spain, called the chain's ads damaging to the country's image and its flag.

In a letter to Burger King's Spanish division, Zermeno asked that the commercials be removed from the air because they "improperly used the stereotyped image of a Mexican.” In response, the burger chain released a statement saying it was revamping its campaign: "The revised campaign will focuses solely on the Texican Whopper sandwich and will not feature any characters or the use of the Mexican flag. The revised campaign will be on air and in restaurants as soon as commercially possible.”

I don't find this commercial shocking or surprising, given Burger King's track record of eyebrow raising advertisements, from the recent Sir Mix-a-Lot spot to last year's Whopper Virgins. After watching the video below, tell me: Do you think Burger King made the right move?

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Yummy Links: From Peep Straws to Sour Cream

partysugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:50:10 -0700

This Easter, sip your cocktail from a Peeps straw! - Alcademics
Make shredded red chicken curry with rice noodles for dinner tonight. - Serious Eats
For perfect buttermilk fried chicken, follow these eight simple steps. - Chow
What do you think of the new Sir Mix-a-Lot/SpongeBob SquarePants-themed Burger King ad? - Eat Me Daily
Is vegetarianism in teens really an eating disorder? - The Epi-Log
Five things to do with leftover sour cream. - The Kitchn

Taste Test: BK Burger Shots

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:00:11 -0700

Last month, Burger King revealed that sliders would be the newest addition to the chain's regular menu. When I sampled the fast-food company's limited-edition Angry Whopper, I tried the pint-sized versions of the chain's flame-broiled burger as well. To see what I thought of them, read more.

BK Burger Shots, as the sliders are called, are yet another attempt by Burger King to be budget friendly at a time when fast-food joints have had to adjust prices and consumers have been shorter on cash. If you're looking for a snack-sized serving, a pair of the miniature burgers will set you back only $1.39. For a larger serving, a six-pack costs $4.09. Not a bad price, considering the size of the meal.

Unfortunately, what virtues the BK Shots earn in price get canceled out when it comes to flavor. While it is flame-broiled like the other burgers on the menu, the BK shots don't come with the Whopper's ratio of condiments (ketchup, but no mayo), and the toasted sesame seed bun has been replaced by a plain bun that isn't firm enough in the hands and sticks to the roof of the mouth. It is a slider at its worst: squishy, mushy, and slippery, without any of the melt-in-your-mouth virtues of its classic counterpart, the White Castle slider.

In the future, I'll pass on this - I'd rather cut a Whopper into six pieces instead. Have you tried the BK Burger Shots? What did you think of them?

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Hoping to Heat Up Sales, Chains Turn to Jalapeno Burgers

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:00:01 -0800

Last month, we got acquainted with Burger King's Angry Whopper, a spicy take on the chain's bestselling burger. But as it turns out, the highly anticipated, spicy-hot sandwich available for a limited time only isn't quite as unique as it might seem. Restaurant chains across the country have enhanced their menus with jalapeno-laden specials, hoping consumers' fiery appetites will lead to sizzling sales at the cash register.

In addition to the Angry Whopper, which is available in stores through the end of March, casual chain Red Robin recently unveiled its new Burnin' Love Burger, which includes, among other things, pepper-jack cheese, salsa, and fried jalapenos. Because good things can't last forever, the spicy creation is only around through April 5. Fast-food spicy burgers are nothing new, last year Wendy's aimed for something similar with its Spicy Baconator, a twist on its highly successful Baconator sandwich that included pepper-jack cheese, chipotle ranch sauce, and - what else? - jalapenos. The Spicy Baconator was available across all Wendy's locations in the US, but only for about a month.

Have you noticed any other restaurant chains with peppery new sandwich offerings? Do you think the fact that they're all seemingly limited-edition items makes them more coveted?

Taste Test: Burger King's Angry Whopper

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:00:41 -0800

Most of us hoped to start 2009 on a positive note, but Burger King was seemingly in a furious state of mind: At the beginning of January, the fast food chain introduced the Angry Whopper to its US menus. News of the limited-edition burger, purportedly only available through the end of March, took the Internet by storm. So after hearing the incessant hype surrounding it, I decided to put the burger to the test. To find out how it tastes and see additional photos, read more.

For the suggested retail price of $3.69, the Angry Whopper features everything that's on the joint's original Whopper (flame-broiled patty, lettuce, tomatoes, sesame bun) - as well as "sizzling angry onions," jalapenos, a slice of pepper-jack cheese, bacon, and "angry sauce." Others have proclaimed that the Angry Whopper isn't spicy enough, and while I have to agree that it doesn't really live up to its notorious moniker, it's pretty darn delicious.

The jalapenos provide the only real spice kick, while the "angry sauce" and jack give a nice element of creaminess. Add sizzling onions (really glorified onion rings) for crunch, a few slices of bacon (who can say no to bacon?), and you've got a winning burger - one that I would choose any day over its original counterpart. I had grand lunch plans ahead of me, so I only meant to take a bite or two of the burger, but I admittedly had at least a third of it.

Continuing its strategy of controversial food marketing, Burger King also launched a humorous website in conjunction with the release of the Angry Whopper. It features - you guessed it - an angry Whopper that fans can employ to rebuke annoying friends. The talking burger isn't the only thing that's salty: so is the Angry Whopper itself, with 880 calories and a whopping (pardon the pun) 1670 milligrams of sodium. Does the Angry Whopper sound like something that you would try? If you've tasted it, what did you think?

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