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Template:Infobox Burger King

When the predecessor of international fast food restaurant chain Burger King (BK) first opened in Jacksonville, Florida in 1953, its menu consisted predominantly of basic hamburgers, french fries, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. After being acquired by its Miami, Florida franchisees and renamed to its current moniker in 1954, BK began expanding the breadth of its menu by adding the Whopper sandwich in 1957, and has since added non-beef items such as chicken, fish and vegetarian offerings including salads and meatless sandwiches. Other additions include a breakfast menu and such non-soft drink beverages such as Icees, juices and bottled waters. Additionally, as the company expanded both inside and outside the United States, it introduced localized versions of its products that conform to regional tastes and cultural or religious beliefs. To generate additional sales, BK will occasionally introduce limited time offers (LTO) of special versions of its products or bring out completely new products intended for either long or short term sales. Not all of these products and services have been successful; in 1993, Burger King introduced limited table service and special dinner platters, but this concept failed to generate interest and was discontinued.

1978 saw the introduction of breakfast items and an expanded menu featuring the introduction of the company's "Specialty Sandwich" product line. The products were some of the first by a fast food restaurant chain designed to capture the adult-oriented market, members of which would be willing spend more on a higher quality product. The new product launch was part of a plan by the then-company president Donald N. Smith to expand Burger King's menu to reach the broadest demographic market possible in order to better compete with McDonald's and fend off then newcomer Wendy's growing market share. The plan was successful and the company's sales increased by 15 percent.

Despite a second major menu expansion in 1985, during much of the 1980s and 1990s the company's market gains diminished due to neglect of the brand at the hands of then-parent Pillsbury and its successors Grand Metropolitan and Diageo. Upon the sale of the company to a group led by TPG Capital in 2004, the trend of targeting an expanded audience was renewed under a plan by its then-CEO Brad Blum. During Blum's tenure, the company added several products that featured higher quality ingredients such as whole chicken breast, non-process cheeses such as cheddar and pepper jack, and other menu fare that attempted to appeal to the adult palate and demographic. As in the past, not all of these products met corporate sales expectations, or in the case of several of its larger offerings resulted in negative publicity due to nutritional concerns.

History

Main article: History of Burger King

Sandwiches and entrées

The Whopper sandwich, Burger King's signature product

When the predecessor to the modern Burger King, Insta-Burger King, opened in 1953, the company's menu consisted predominantly of hamburgers, french fries, soft drinks, and desserts. Insta-Burger King was acquired in 1954 by two of its franchisees, James McLamore and David Edgerton, who renamed it to Burger King. Under its new ownership, the company continued to develop its core menu, cooking techniques and equipment. In 1957 BK added its signature item, the Whopper, a larger 4 oz (110 g) hamburger with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, pickle and ketchup priced at 29¢ that was created by McLamore and Edgerton as a way to differentiate BK from other burger outlets at the time. The sandwich was designed to give the customer a larger product with better value than competitors who were selling burgers with an average price of 15¢.[1][2] Now Burger King's flagship product, the Whopper has expanded into a line of sandwiches all made with the same ingredients. Additionally, the Whopper sandwich has undergone several modifications in its recipe since being added to the menu, with a change from a plain bun to a sesame seed roll in the early 1970s and a temporary increase in weight to a third pound, 5.3 oz (150 g), in the mid 1980s being two of the most notable.[3] Since its inception, the Whopper has become synonymous with Burger King and become the focus of much of its advertising.[4] The company has even named its new kiosk-style restaurants Whopper Bars.[5]

In 1978, Donald N. Smith was hired from McDonald's to help restructure the Burger King's corporate operations in order to better compete against his former company as well as then up and coming chain Wendy's. One of his first changes was to modify the menu with the addition of the Burger King specialty sandwich line in 1979, which significantly expanded the breadth of the BK menu with many non-hamburger sandwiches including new chicken and fish offerings. The new line was one of the first attempts by a major fast food chain to target a specific demographic, in this case adults aged between 18 and 34 years, members of which were presumably willing spend more on a higher quality product.[6] The new products were successful and the company's sales increased by 15 percent.[7] While most of the line has since been discontinued, the company's Original Chicken Sandwich is still offered in all of its global markets and the ham and cheese sandwich is a regional offering.[8]

BK Chicken Tenders officially made their debut in a menu revision and expansion in 1985 to address the absence of a chicken-based finger product akin to McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. At the time the product had to be withdrawn over limited availability of chicken meat from producers, the product was re-introduced about six months later.[9] Originally made with sliced fillets of chicken, the product was reformulated into a formed, chopped-chicken product several years later.[10] A related product, Fish Tenders, was introduced to complement Chicken Tenders during another menu expansion in 1989. The product was an order of fish sticks sold in the same style container as the Chicken Tenders with a Tartar sauce package for dipping. Portion sizes corresponded to the Chicken Tenders. It was discontinued in 1990.[10]

1990 saw the introduction of the company's first broiled chicken product, the BK Broiler. The sandwich was the first broiled chicken the company sold; it included a dill-ranch mayonnaise served on an oat bran roll.[11][12] In 1988, BK reformulated the BK Broiler into a larger, more male-oriented sandwich served on a Whopper bun, increasing its patty size while changing the sauce to mayonnaise. In 2002, BK changed the name of the sandwich to Chicken Whopper and added a smaller Chicken Whopper Jr. sandwich.[13][14] The company replaced the Chicken Whopper line with another broiled sandwich line in 2003, the BK Baguette line. The main selling points behind the Baguette line was that they were served on a fresh cooked baguette roll, and came in several varieties, all of which were topped with a series of ingredients that were low in fat. They were sold in the US at one time but are now only sold in the European market.[15] After the failure of the Baguette line in North America, the sandwich was replaced with its current grilled chicken iteration, the TenderGrill sandwich.[16]

In order to appeal to as many demographic groups as possible and to better compete with its fast food competitor Wendy's, Burger King added a value menu in 1998 with items priced at 99¢ (USD).[17] This menu featured seven products: Whopper Jr., five-piece Chicken Tenders, a bacon cheeseburger, medium sized french fries, medium soft drink, medium onion rings and small milkshake. In 2002 and 2006, BK revamped its value menu by adding and removing several products such as chili and its Rodeo Cheeseburger.[18] Many of these items, such as Chili, tacos, the Sourdough burger (Similar to the Whopper Jr., with sourdough bread) and Chicken Tender sandwiches have since been discontinued, modified or relegated to a regional menu option.[BK 1]

To better appeal to an adult palate, BK introduced several new products to its menu in 2003, including new or revamped chicken products, a new salad line and its BK Joe brand of coffee. The first of these items was the TenderCrisp chicken sandwich,[19] an entirely new sandwich which featured a fried 5.2 oz (150 g) whole muscle chicken breast on a new corn-dusted roll. This new sandwich was part of then-CEO Greg Brennamen's plans to bolster the company's "Have it your way" advertising program designed to draw younger people to its stores.[20] Some items, including the Enormous Omelet Sandwich line and the BK Stacker line, brought negative attention due the large portion size, amounts of unhealthy fats and trans-fats.[21][22][23] At the time, many of the products featured higher quality ingredients like whole chicken breast, Angus beef, Cheddar cheese and Pepper jack cheese.[24][25] Again, not all these products, such as the BK Baguette line, met corporate sales expectations.[26] Others products, such as Burger King's line of "indulgent" burgers originally called the Angus Burger,[27] have undergone multiple reformulations. The Angus Steak burger was originally based around a 5 oz (140 g) frozen patty; despite high expectations from the company the sandwich fared poorly when introduced.[28] After a reformulating program, it was relaunched as the 5 oz (140 g) Angus Steakhouse burger introduced in 2008.[29] With the introduction of the new broilers in 2009, Burger King replaced the Angus Steakhouse burger with the 7 oz (200 g) Steakhouse XT burger.[28]

Ancillaries

Burger King zesty onion ring dipping sauce.

BK revamped its french fries in North America in 1997. The improved fries were coated with a layer of potato-based starch that gave the fries a crisp shell that would maintain its texture longer. The company introduced them in a series of advertisements that claimed the new fries tested better in consumer taste comparisons against McDonald's fries. The fries were in research and development for over two years and already had been available in several markets.[30] Additionally, other ads were released featured Mr. Potato Head in a series of demographic targeted commercials.[31] In Turkey and Europe, they also sell potato wedges, a type of French fry that is thick-cut and wedge-shaped. In 1991, the company introduced Twister fries, spiral cut fries with a spicy coating, as part of a promotional push. Part of the product's appeal was they were served in a paper drink cup as opposed to the normal fry carton the company was using at the time. The product was designed as a short term promotion that would be periodically reintroduced.[32]

In 2002, Burger King offered "Shake 'em up Fries", an order of its fries that included a spice packet that the customer added to a bag with the French fries. The customer then was expected to shake them until the fries were coated with the spices.[33][34]

Beyond French fries, the company has introduced several other side products over the course of it existence. Onion rings have been part of its menu for the majority of its history. Originally made from whole, sliced onions, they were reformulated into a formed product made from onion paste in 2001 as part of another menu revamp.[35] In the same 2001 menu revamp, the company added an onion ring-specific dipping sauce, emphasizing it again during its 99¢ BK Value Menu introduction in 2002.[36] As part of its BK Cravers value menu introduction in 2005, the company briefly sold jalapeño poppers accompanied by a side of ranch dressing as part of its national menu. The same menu also added mozzarella sticks with a side of marinara sauce; the mozzarella sticks have since been relegated as a regional menu item in the US but are sold on the national menu in Canada.[37][BK 1][BK 2]

Breakfast

One of Smith's other significant contributions to the menu was the addition of a breakfast product line as part of the 1978 product line expansion. For the sum total of its history, breakfast was not a market Burger King had served.[6] Besides the addition of the Croissan'Wich in 1983, the breakfast menu remained almost identical to the McDonald's offerings until another menu revamp in 1986.[7] This expansion introduced BK's A.M. Express product line which included French toast sticks and Mini-muffins.[38] The new breakfast line was designed to be portable because studies had shown that an increasing percent of consumers were eating breakfast on the go.[39] Shortly after the introduction of the french toast stick products, BK partnered with Lender's Bagels to introduce a bagel breakfast sandwich. The new product was designed to drive sales during the morning sales period by piquing customer's curiosity with a new taste. The product was tested for several months in BK's home territory of Miami before a national roll-out.[40]

The late 1990s saw the co-branding several of it breakfast products with former parent Pillsbury; a new fresh baked biscuit bread in 1996 and the addition of mini-sized cinnamon rolls called Cini-Minis in 1998. As part of the "caché" built into the products, Burger King advertises that products are cooked fresh in the restaurant each morning.[41][42][43]

With the effects of the late-2000s recession weighing down breakfast traffic, Burger King announced that it would be making its first wholesale changes to it breakfast line up in many years.[44] The first announced change was the introduction of a new coffee line that will replace its BK Joe coffee line. Through the end of summer of 2010, BK will be adding several new coffee-based products that will be built on the new coffee line to bring in more customers during the morning sales period.[45] The new coffee products, including flavored coffees and iced coffee drinks, will also be available as full-time menu items in order to compete with McDonald's McCafé coffee line.[46]

In 2010, Burger King added an egg muffin to their formerly croissant-dominated breakfast sandwich lineup.[47] The company followed this foray into the traditional territory of McDonald's with commercials making light of the "theft" of the idea, their iconic King mascot depicted carrying out a Hollywood-style break-in at a McDonald's restaurant to steal the plans for their breakfast flagship Egg McMuffin sandwich.

Regionalization

A Kosher Burger King in Jerusalem

As the company expanded both inside and outside the United States, it introduced localized versions of its products that conform to regional tastes and cultural or religious beliefs. In countries with predominantly Islamic populations, such as Saudi Arabia, pork is not served due to Muslim dietary laws. Additionally, in Muslim countries, meat is slaughtered in the halal method and labeled as such.[48][49] Similar adaptations also occur in Israel where kosher dietary laws forbid the mixture of meat and dairy products; because of this, cheeseburgers are not popular. Many BKs in Israel are fully kosher.[50]

In many international markets, BK will offer products or condiments that fit the local taste. For example, in Canada, BK offers poutine gravy and vinegar for its french fries and peri-peri sauce is available as a sandwich topping in the United Kingdom. Hungry Jack's, Burger King's Australian franchise, offers the "Aussie burger" with fried egg, beetroot and other Australian flavors.[51] In Asian markets, dark meat chicken is preferred over the white meat and poultry products sold in these markets often are advertised as such.[BK 3][52] One of the more regionally differentiated lines of products is the company's dessert offerings. Domestically, BK offers several desserts including Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate-chip cookies, apple pie slices, Hershey's Sundae pie slices (a type of chocolate creme pie) and a rotating pie type, usually a flavor of cheesecake as part of its dessert menu.[53][BK 4] Internationally the company sells turnovers, tortas, Cini-Minis, muffins, brownies, vanilla soft-serve ice cream in cones and sundaes. In most markets where BK sells ice cream, it also sells a mix-in dessert under various names.[BK 5][BK 6][BK 7] Additionally, some of these international dessert products differ from the domestic products in terms of preparation, a primary example is the pies sold in Asian countries that are fried, turnover-style instead of the deep-dish tart-type associated with American sweet-filled pies.[BK 8]

Preparation methods

Burger King cooks its foods in one of four ways: broiling, deep frying, baking or microwaving. As per its mottos and advertisements, BK cooks its burgers and grilled chicken on an automated grill,[54] while its other chicken products, fish, sides and breakfast sausage are deep-fried in vegetable oil.[BK 9] BK prepares its eggs, biscuits, Cini-Minis and cookies by baking in a convection oven and microwaves its BK Veggie (US) burger patty.[55][56]

Broiling

See also: History of Burger King

The predecessor to Burger King, Insta-Burger King, began deploying the original broiling device in 1952 when its owners, Matthew Burns and Kieth Kramer, acquired the rights to George Read's Inst-Shake and Insta-Broiler machines. The Insta-Broiler cooked the burgers in a wire basket between two broilers, allowing the burgers to be cooked from both sides simultaneously. The machine was capable of cooking over 400 patties per hour, and allowed the company to grow rapidly. When McLamore and Edgarton opened their first Insta-Burger King location in Miami, they revamped the unit into what they called a "flame broiler" – the forerunner of the modern unit used by Burger King today.[57] After the acquisition of Insta-Burger King in 1954, the pair contracted the construction of the newly designed flame broilers to the SaniServ company of Indianapolis, Indiana for the initial run of broilers.[1] Eventually, the company moved the manufacturing contract for the broiler units to Nieco Automatic Broilers of Windsor, California, who manufactured all subsequent units until the start of the 2000s.[58]

When the time came for the company to develop a new broiler, it turned to its equipment manufacturer Nieco, and St. Louis, Missouri-based Duke Manufacturing. Burger King's goal was to maintain the company's trademark flame broiling method while allowing more product options on a flexible cooking platform. The solutions that Nieco and Duke devised met that goal by using control features during cooking. The cooking methods employed by the two manufacturing companies vary in their methods; Nieco employed two chains, one that maintained a single speed and cooking temperature and another that had a flexible speed setting and variable temperature control. Duke's solution utilizes an oven that cooks according to preset parameters for time and temperature, one heterogeneous product batch at a time.[58] These two newly designed broilers have continued an idea of a flexible, multipurpose broiler the company had been working on as far back as 1999. The first batch-style broiler was introduced in April 1999 and deployed as part of an in-store test of the new device in central Wisconsin during the summer of 1999.[59]

Beyond the flexibility of the new broilers, the new equipment has several features intended to decrease operational costs. A more efficient design of the burners in the Nieco units produces a 30 percent reduction in energy consumption. The Duke units produce a $4,000 -$5,000 (USD) annual savings on energy for the compared to the original units which ran approximately at full capacity all day. The units are so fuel-efficient that in many US states the company and its franchises qualify for energy-efficiency rebates.[58]

Kitchen equipment

A Burger King kitchen in Italy featuring the company's product holding cabinets.

Before any products are sold, the company pre-cooks the ingredients and holds them in a heated holding cabinet. To insure that product consistency is maintained and to reduce the amount of products discarded as waste, Burger King utilizes a computerized monitoring system created by Integrated Control Corp, or ICC. The system, called Kitchen Minder, monitors time and temperature in the cabinets and notifies staff and managers when to prepare more food and discard older products. Initially developed during a period from 1998 to 2000, the system is designed to work with its holding cabinet system that was also developed by Duke. The initial test designs were time consuming to program because each bay in the holding units had to be programmed manually, requiring several minutes for each product or several hours to program up to six units with eight bays each. When BK finally deployed the system in 2001,[60] the updated units utilized a Palm Pilot to configure the units using a custom program designed to easily configure the units via IR or serial port.[61] A kitchen flow software system that helps centralize information about the system was deployed in 2007, combined with the new equipment further helped streamline costs for the company and its franchises.[62] Along with the holding system, Burger King deployed newer high-speed toasters to decrease make times; the new toasters, while faster, require more maintenance, increasing overall labor costs.[63]

Sandwich preparation

During periods of high volume sales, BK will pre-prepare high demand items such as hamburgers and cheeseburgers; during slower periods all sandwiches are made to order. The Whopper sandwiches, Angus burgers, TenderGrill and TenderCrisp chicken sandwiches and BK Veggies are all made when ordered.[64][65] Usage of microwaves in sandwich preparation is limited to maintaining sandwich heat and not used to cook the product, except for the BK Veggie. BK prepares its salads in-store daily, as well as cookies and biscuits. Most of its biscuits are pre-made and frozen while some US stores do prepare them fresh.[BK 10]

Demographic targeting

Value

Further information: [[:Value meal]] and [[:value theory articles]]

BK targets "value-oriented" customers with its BK Value Menu. In the US, this menu contains products that are usually priced in the $1.00 to $1.49 range. In non-US markets, the BK Value Menu typically takes on a different name with prices set to reflect the approximate value of one US dollar. The naming of the value menu will vary for each market. Internationally, the company is standardizing its value menu under the King Deals banners that features items for sale at €1.00 in the E.U. and 1 dirham in Dubai.[66] Regardless of which market, the value menu usually includes smaller sandwiches and entrées, small-sized side orders, small-sized drinks and desserts. In the US, the value menu now has a breakfast offering, again in the same format as the lunch/dinner value menu.[67]

Children

See also: Burger King advertising article, Children's advertising section

As with all major fast food vendors, BK has a menu that specifically targets children. The company formerly introduced its child-oriented product line in North America during the summer of 1990 with an advertising program called the Burger King Kid's Club. In the US, the meal itself is called the Kids Club Meal and it is primarily positioned against the popular Happy Meal from McDonald's.[11] The meal includes an entrée, a side order, beverage and a toy. The toy is usually a product tie-in with a movie or popular television show. The entrée and side offerings differ from market to market, as will portion size.

In the North American market, BK further divides its children's menu into three segments: toddler, kids and "tween". The only difference between the first two groups is the prize offering; the toddler will receive an age-appropriate toy. The toys were originally designed by Kentwood, Michigan-based Sassy Inc., and were introduced in 2000 as a supplement to the company's existing children's line.[68] Burger King changed toddler toy designer to Hudson, Ohio-based Little Tikes in 2003.[69]

The tween offering was introduced in 1999 and is called the Big Kids Meal.[70] The Big Kids Meals consist of a double hamburger, a double cheeseburger or a six-piece serving of Chicken Tenders plus a small order of fries, and a 16-ounce drink and a toy. Further additions to the line included a six-piece serving of the company's Chicken Fries product. The introduction of the Big Kids Meal was not without controversy. McDonald's challenged Burger King's use of the name in a federal suit that claimed McDonald's had used the name first.[71] According to the filing, McDonald's stated the company had used the term in a limited manner in Michigan in 1998 as part of a promotion in Detroit.[70] The suit was judged to be without merit and dismissed in a summary judgment.[72]

Adult

BK Chicken Fries and sauce

To appeal to the adult market, BK offers several sandwiches and other products made with higher quality ingredients such as whole-breast chicken fillets, Angus beef, and other "premium" ingredients.[73] These sandwiches are usually served on a better quality roll, such as baguettes or corn-dusted potato rolls. Through 2009 and 2010, the company intends to add other higher end product such as barbecued ribs, grilled fish, an improved grilled chicken sandwich, kebabs and an extra thick burger.[58][74] It is believed that these new offerings will disrupt the differentiations between the fast-food and casual-dining markets with a combination of taste, competitive pricing, speed of service and convenience.[74] Further, the adult-oriented products of Burger King and it competitors have been criticized by restaurant industry commentators as a temporary blip. The "indulgent" products are seen as blurring the lines between the fast-food and casual-dining market segments and, while they draw in newer customers looking for value, the effect may only be temporary. Once the economic instabilities of the late-2000s recession fade, customers may return to such casual chains as Chili's and leave the fast food chains back where they started in terms of customer numbers and profits.[75]

Within the adult market, BK targets specific sub-groups within the adult market with products like the BK Stacker and BK XXL lines at late teen to young adult males or health conscious individuals with products such as salads, grilled chicken and veggie burgers.[76][77] Products such as the BK Veggie, a meatless burger initially introduced in 2002,[78] target the female and more health oriented demographic using a co-branded marketing program utilizing a patty produced by the Kellogg Company's Morningstar Farms division.[79][80] Another sub-market in this group is on-the-go parents and commuters; The company's BK Chicken Fries, French-fry cut pieces of breaded chicken, is specifically targeted to this segment.[81][82] First introduced in 2005, the product was successful enough that Burger King eventually expanded the marketing of chicken fries to the children's demographic with a kid's meal version of the product in 2007. The meal was launched with a cross promotion with Nickelodeon's SpongeBob Squarepants using a series of commercials that raised the ire of the American Family Association due to perceived nudity concerns.[83]

The "Superfan"

See also: The Burger King

One particular market target of importance to the company is identified as the Superfan. The superfan is a demographic group that includes individuals that are 18 to 49 years old, primarily male, visits a fast food restaurant five times a month and eat fast food 16 times a month.[84] Burger King, and other vendors, hope to attract this group because of the large sums of money that they represent, thus increase sales and drive an increase in global sales.[85] While superfans account for less than 20 percent of Burger King's customer base, they account for nearly 50 percent of the company's business. By focusing on this demographic group, the company can increase sales because of the ease in generating repeat visits by the demographic versus coaxing new customers from other chains such as Panera Bread. The company has used advertising featuring its mascot the Burger King in tandem with new product rollouts such as its BK Wrapper product to help generate the increased number of visits by the client segment.[86]

With the slowing of the global economy due to the financial crisis of 2007-2010, the company has seen the downside of focusing so much of its attention on this demographic group. The high unemployment of the recession, coupled with healthier eating habits, has driven many customers away from fast food towards the fast-casual segment or forced them to stop eating out in general. Analysts have stated that by focusing its marketing and advertising programs towards men has alienated women, children and other customers. Morgan Stanley analyst John Glass went so far as to state "Maybe catering to the super fan was the correct strategy to kick-start the business, but maybe they relied on that for too long..."[87]

To help counter the perceived male bias of its superfan target group, the company expanded the definition in early 2010 to cover individuals of both sexes, all ages and households who frequent fast food within the stated time frame. Throughout 2010, the company will add newer calorie-conscious "Positive Steps" combo meals that will be advertised in female oriented media as well as a continuing cross promotional tie-in with the female-oriented Twilight film series.[84]

Nutrition

See also: Burger King legal issues article, Nutrition section

One of the company's first forays into healthier products, salads, was in 1983 with introduction of its salad bar. The salad bar was met with light to moderate success at the time, but the company's franchises complained of high operating costs and poor return on investment.[88] Part of the product, a pita salad, was quickly dropped from the salad bar, as were plans to use the bar unit to boost breakfast sales.[89] In 1987 the company augmented its salad bar with a test line of prepackaged salads including chef and garden salads.[90] The salad bar was eventually eliminated in favor of packaged salads with the 1990 introduction of another new salad line that was accompanied by a licensing agreement with Paul Newman's Newman's Own, Inc., for its salad dressings to accompany the products.[91] Burger King again revamped its salad line in 2004 with the introduction of its Fire Grilled Salad products.[92] Burger King sought to differentiate this line of salads by packaging the warm meat toppings, a choice of grilled shrimp or broiled chicken, separately from the cold salad which added the appearance of an additional layer of freshness in the presentation of the product.[93] Currently in the United States, the salads are pre-made off site and sold with just two toppings and Ken's Foods Ken's Steakhouse brand salad dressing. Internationally, the salads vary in composition and style from market to market. In all markets, salads are one of their female and health conscious targeted menu items. In parts of Europe, these are sold under the "King Delight" or "LA Range" banner.[94][95]

The new Burger King healthier Kids' Club meal including Kraft macaroni and cheese, apples and chocolate milk.

In response to recent trends in obesity in the US and other nations, Burger King has begun to modify its menu and practices in regards to its food preparation and product offerings. In addition to offering lower fat menu item such as salads, the company has recently modified its nutrition guides to include dietary guidelines and other nutritional data. Unlike McDonald's in the US, BK does not print nutritional data on its product packaging. One of its reactions to the concerns over trans-fats was to initiate a program in January 2008 to phase out the added trans-fat in its products as well as switch its cooking oils and shortenings which are used in the manufacturing and cooking of their foods to pure vegetable oils that are free of hydrogenated fats.[96] The program ended in early 2009 with the complete change over to the new oils. Most, but not all, of the products contain no added trans-fats; products such as the beef used in the hamburgers still contain naturally occurring trans-fats.[97][BK 10]

To address concerns over the increase in childhood obesity in Western nations and accusations of unhealthy offerings for children by groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest,[98] the company created a nutritional program called BK Positive Steps that is aimed at children and their families.[99] The program began with the introduction products such as broiled Chicken Tenders, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and apple "fries" which are french cut apples served in a fry box that will be featured in a new low fat Kid's Club Meal.[100][101] According to a statement by Burger King the new Kid's Club meals will contain no more than 560 calories per meal, less than 30 percent of calories from fat, less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, no added trans fats and no more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.[102][103] Additional changes to its menu were announced in May 2009, including reduced sodium levels in its Chicken Tenders product by approximately 33 percent, switching its milk products in the U.S. to non-fat and adding calcium fortified apple juice to its beverage line up.[99][104] The broiled Chicken Tenders product is only sold in the UK/Ireland market; additionally the product line has been expanded to include a boiled mini chicken sandwich for the company's kids meals in this region.[BK 5]

A spicy bean burger, a vegetarian sandwich sold in European Burger King locations.

The company has adapted it menu to accommodate different dietary lifestyles. For those who do not eat meat, the company has added several vegetarian options, including salads, the BK Veggie Burger sandwich, and its deep-fried Spicy Bean Burger that is sold in Burger King's international locations.[105][BK 1][BK 10] The majority of these products do not qualify as vegan due to the presence of egg or dairy products;[BK 9] an example of this is the BK Veggie Burger which is approved by the British Vegetarian Society; Society guidelines do not require their approved products to be vegan, and allows ovo-lacto-vegetarian ingredients.[106] The Veggie Burger is also widely sold in other countries, sometimes under different names (e.g. as "Country Burger" in Germany). On the other end of the spectrum, Burger King has added low-carb variants of several of its products that are in accordance with high protein diets, such as the Atkins Nutritional Approach (Atkins Diet) or the South Beach Diet.[107] Low-carbohydrate preparation consists of eliminating bread and certain condiments, such as ketchup, during preparation and serving the product as a salad.[BK 11]

In January 2010, BK began to publish a list of products that contain gluten and menu options designed to help those affected with Celiac disease. Part of its "Positive Steps" nutrition program, a company representative stated that it understands that its guests have individual dietary needs, and as part of its ‘Have It Your Way’ brand promise, Burger King Corp. offers menu items for individuals with gluten sensitivity.[108][109] BK food is prepared with several known food allergens, including wheat, milk, soy and eggs.[BK 9]

Products

An in-store advertisement for Burger King's Burgers for Breakfast program.

The range of products sold usually depends on the time of day. Lunch items such as hamburgers and fries are traditionally not served during breakfast time, however some BK stores do sell food under their "Burgers for Breakfast" program.[110] Breakfast operational hours vary but are usually from store open (and anywhere from 2:00 to 4:00 am in 24-hour stores) to 10:30 am on weekdays or 11:00 am on weekends. In some 24-hour restaurants, such as airports and service plazas, many items are already available for immediate take away. Breakfast items are not served at any time except breakfast, but there are some exceptions; the Cheesy Tots are always available upon request at most US BK restaurants. Food prices vary by region and country.[111]

Packaging

Burger King's product packaging has undergone many changes over the years. Unlike McDonald's, the company never used the clamshell style box made of Styrofoam, so when the environmental concerns over Styrofoam came to a head in the late 1980s, the company was allowed to tout its use of paperboard boxes for its sandwiches.[112][113] When McDonald's moved to eliminate it styrofoam packaging, Burger king ran several sarcastically worded ads in national newspapers stating that it had always wraped its sandwiches in waxed paper and welcomed McDonald's "to the club".[113] To cut back on the amount of paper that the company used, the paperboard box was mostly eliminated in 1991 and was replaced with waxed paper.[32] Paperboard boxes are still used for its "finger food" products like Chicken Tenders and Fries, French toast sticks and desserts.[114]

In 2004, the company committed itself to a redesign of its entire packaging line that tied the packaging into its irreverent advertising campaign created by Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. Each of its product packaging began including some sort of tongue and cheek commentary about the product itself. Alex Bogusky, partner and executive creative director of CP+B, stated that BK decided "to create a dialogue with the consumer" by utilizing the large areas of white space found on its packaging at the time. All of its sandwich wrappers, cartons, tray liners, bags, breakfast platters, chili cups, condiments, and regional product packaging received what was described as "quirky ad copy" specifically targeting the 18-34 year-old male demographic segment. Besides the humorous commentary, the company also created sniglet-type names for things that would appear in its products such as a "ringer" – a single onion ring that had been accidentally included in an order of fries.[115][116]

The FryPod and BK Chicken Fries products, two examples of Burger King's packaging designed to fit in a cup holder.

Starting with the introduction of its BK Chicken Fries product in 2005, BK began adapting some of its product packaging so that it could be placed in an automotive cup holder. The BK Chicken Fry box, while square in shape, will sit comfortably in the cup holder and its top, when opened, forms a small tray that is designed to hold dipping sauce. Burger King accredits the design of this box with helping to make its Chicken Fries the most popular adult-oriented chicken product in the US.[117] It has since added a trademarked and patented round french fry container which it calls the FryPod, a play on the Apple iPod name, which is a paper cup made from 50 percent recycled materials that is also designed to fit in an automotive cup holder.[118] The package design won honorable mention in an packaging industry design competition.[119] Additionally, BK's large and King sized beverage containers are made from molded HDPE plastic with a funnel-like shaped bottom that allows the over sized cups to fit in the smaller sized cup holders.

Union Packaging, a minority owned, Philadelphia based paper products company, has supplied much of the packaging for Burger King's North American operations since winning its first contract in 2000. The original $15 million contract was for paperboard "clamshell" containers and covered approximately 1250 BK locations in the United States.[114] Union was instrumental in the development of the FryPod carton, and its efforts earned the company a supplier of the year award from Burger King in 2007.[120]

Reformulations

Over time, the company will reformulate various products in an attempt to boost sales of the product or to improve the taste, appearance an/or physical consistency of the product. One such example of this is the BK Big Fish, the company's fish sandwich offering in North America. Burger King's original fish sandwich, introduced in the 1970s, was called the Whaler; it was a smaller fish sandwich made with tartar sauce and lettuce served on the small sesame seed roll BK used for their hamburgers. When Burger King introduced its broiled chicken sandwich in 1990, the BK Broiler, it changed the fish sandwich's breading to a panko style, began serving it on an oatmeal dusted roll that was used for the broiled chicken sandwich and renamed the product from the Whaler to the Ocean Catch sandwich.[121] When BK reformulated the BK Broiler, the company also reformulated the Ocean Catch as the BK Big Fish in its current configuration.[122] The sandwich was again briefly reformulated after the phase out of the Baguette sandwiches and was reintroduced as the Big Fish in 2005.[123]

Limited time offers

The Windows 7 Whopper, A Whopper sandwich with seven patties that was an LTO product tie-in with Microsoft in Japan for the introduction of Windows 7.

To generate additional sales, BK will occasionally introduce limited time offers (LTO) that are versions of its core products or new products intended for either long or short term sales. Many of these LTO products focus on its core menu products such as the Whopper which has featured variations such as the Texas Double Whopper with added jalapeños, bacon and pepperjack cheese; all new sandwiches like the Chick'n Crisp sandwich (now a permanent item in many regions) or test products such as the company's Great American Burger, which was another attempt at a premium sandwich in 2003. It was made with a Whopper patty and several new ingredients, including a bakery-style bun; peppered bacon; whole-leaf, as opposed to shredded, lettuce; seasoned mustard; and special sauce. The burger also had American cheese, mayonnaise, tomato and onions.[124] A similar burger was tested in Wisconsin in 1999. That Great American burger featured a single 8 oz (230 g) burger patty and different toppings. It was designed to be cooked on a forerunner of the current batch broiler.[59]

Other LTO product sought to expand existing product lines with new base ingredients. The company's 1993 offering, a Meatloaf Specialty Sandwich, was introduced as part of a push into limited table service.[125][126] Other LTO variants in its Specialty Sandwich line included an Italian sausage sandwich served in one of three ways: with onions and peppers, parmigiana style with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce or all four ingredients; one of two steak sandwiches made from steak fillets or later, restructured beef; A ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato; and a veal parmigiana sandwich.[127]

Trends

The company is not above following trends within the fast food and fast casual industry, two of its more recent products are examples of this type of product. The company introduced its first wrap product called a BK Wrapper in North America as a breakfast option in April 2008, with a lunch/dinner version later that year in September.[128] These products were in response to industry trends for products that are easier to consume on the go,[129] in addition to trends that began to emerge in 2007 regarding smaller foods.[130] Originally a limited time offer,[128] the lunch/dinner version of this product was sold as regional item through late-2009 when they were eliminated due to weakening sales. The 2009 introduction of BK Burger Shots, which are Burger King's version of sliders - smaller, "bite size" hamburgers similar to the Slyders product sold at White Castle and Krystal,[3] is part of a wider trend in the restaurant industry for this type of sandwich.[131][132] European locations sell them as the BK Six Pack, while in the UK and Ireland it is a variation on the Angus burger called the Angus 6 Pack, which contains six small burgers attached together.[133] In the United States they are based its Burger Bundles/Burger Buddies product from the 1980s.[3][134]

Licensed products

File:French toast sticks bag.jpg
A picture of a bag of Burger King French Toast Sticks, a licensed product sold by the Inventure Group.

In 2007, Burger King began licensing its logo and items to outside companies for non-Burger King products. The licensed products company Broad Street Licensing Group and its manufacturing partner the Inventure Group introduced the first two products, flavored potato crisps, in the fall of that year with two flavors, flame broiled burger and french fries with ketchup. Inventure added a third flavor, onion rings, in 2008.[135] A second licensed product, the company's child-oriented BK Fresh Apple Fries, was licensed for sale in supermarkets in 2009 to the Cruch Pak company.[136] The company has stated while the products are important in providing brand identity, they will not be concentrating their resources on them and will be investing the licensing fees into the company's marketing fund. Industry pundits have criticized the company for this scheme, with Rob Frankel, author of the book The Revenge of Brand X, stating "that just because you can do something does not mean you should..."[135]

The licensing deals have proven so successful, Broad Street has expanded the product line to seventeen countries across the globe while increasing it to more than a half dozen varieties all designed to mimic the flavors of some of Burger Kings core menu products. The success of the product line and licensing deals garnered the companies an award as "Brand Extension of the Year" by License! Global magazine, and earned a nomination for "Best Corporate License of the Year" by the Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA).[137]

ConAgra Foods has also entered into a licensing agreement with Burger King in 2009 for a new line of microwavable french fry products. The new products, King Krinkz, seasoned crinkle-cut fries; King Kolossalz, an extra-large package of fries; and King Wedgez, seasoned potato wedges were slated to be released in September 2009. The packaging is designed to resemble BK's FryPod fry container.[138]

Failed products

A cross section of a Big King sandwich sold by Burger King in Sweden.

Throughout its history, Burger King introduced several new products that performed well in testing, but did not catch on with the public. The failure of the BK Baguette line of sandwiches was just a single example of the company's products that did not meet corporate expectations; another, earlier failure was the Bull's-eye Barbecue Burger. The sandwich consisted of two side-by-side hamburger patties, American cheese and bacon with Bull's-eye Barbecue brand barbecue sauce served on the same 7 in (18 cm) roll as the Specialty Sandwiches. Later it was sold as a traditional style double cheeseburger.[139]

In 1993, during its time under the ownership of Britain-based Grand Metropolitan, Burger King experimented with table service. After 4 p.m., customers would place their order at the counter, and their order would be brought to them at their table. Customers were given complimentary popcorn to eat while waiting for their meal. To coincide with the offering, a series of Meals called the Dinner baskets were introduced. The dinner baskets included the Whopper Dinner Basket, Steak Sandwich Dinner Basket, Fried Chicken Dinner Basket, and Shrimp Dinner Basket. In the New England region of the US, BK sold a Fried clam Basket. The dinner came with two sides, including a choice of a side salad, cole slaw, french fries, or baked potato. Lasting approximately a year, the sit-down restaurant concept was abandoned in 1994 in favor of the original quick-service formula.[140]

Another failed product came under Grand Metropolitan' successor Diageo was the BK Back Porch Grillers line of burgers that featured a spiced and flavored patty served on a bakery style roll. There were two varieties: The Regular served with mayonnaise, whole leaf iceberg lettuce, tomato and grilled onions and the Bacon Cheddar with bacon and smoked cheddar cheese. There was one LTO variety, the Black Stack Griller made with Black Strap Barbecue sauce (a strong molasses flavored sauce), bacon, lettuce and tomato. The Griller patty was flavored so that it had a taste similar to a hamburger that had been grilled over a charcoal fired grill.[141]

One of its international failures was the BK Crown Jewels line of sandwiches originally sold in New Zealand. These larger, adult oriented sandwiches were made with fried and grilled chicken or a Whopper patty and a variety of toppings served on a Kaiser (bulkie) roll. Toppings included a mango lime sauce, avocado, aioli, a Cajun spiced sauce and relish. Originally successful, the sandwiches piqued the interest of Burger King's corporate offices and were being looked for a potential global rollout. However, interest in the product eventually faded and the products were discontinued.[142]

Introduced as direct challenge on corporate rival McDonald's, the Big King was Burger King's response to the Big Mac and had a similar style and taste.[122] The sandwich was originally introduced in 1995 under the name Double Supreme during its testing stage. The name was switched to Big King when it was introduced nationally in 1997, and again to the King Supreme when reintroduced in 2002.[143] The sandwich was eventually discontinued in the North American market but is still sold in many of the company's international markets in several forms.[125][BK 2]

Suppliers and purchasing

Purchasing guidelines for meat

Like many of its competitors, BK has been targeted by various animal welfare groups, such as PETA, over the treatment of the animals it uses in manufacture of its ingredients. In a concession to these groups, BK adopted a series of policies for its suppliers for several of its raw animal products, e.g., establishing a preference for eggs and pork-based products from those suppliers that use cage-free production methods.[144]

2001 Guidelines
  • Conduct announced and unannounced inspections of its slaughterhouses, including chicken slaughterhouses, and take action against facilities that fail inspections
  • Establish animal-handling verification guidelines for all the slaughterhouses of its suppliers;
  • Confine no more than five hens in each battery cage, require that the birds be able to stand fully upright, and require the presence of two water drinkers per cage;
  • Stop purchasing from suppliers who force-molt hens;
  • Develop auditing procedures for the handling of "broiler" chickens;
  • Institute humane handling procedures for chickens at slaughterhouses;
  • Begin purchasing pork from farms that do not confine sows to stalls.

As part of the guidelines agreement, the company filed a 2002 petition with the Food and Drug Administration requesting the United States Department of Agriculture step up enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958. The USDA agreed with the request, stating "it is granting your petition and is developing a proposed rule that addresses the issue of humane handling." However the USDA failed to indicate when it intended to publish the proposal in the Federal Register and solicit public comment, which would be the first step before the agency drafts a final rule.[145]

2008 Updated guidelines
  • Immediately begin purchasing 10 percent of its pork products from suppliers that do not use gestation crates, metal enclosures that confine sows and restrict the animal's movement, and double that amount by the end of 2008;[146]
  • Immediately begin purchasing 2 percent of eggs laid by hens who are not confined to small wire "battery cages", and more than double that amount by the end of 2008;[146]
  • Issue a statement to its egg suppliers stating that it will give purchasing preference to those that do not use battery cages;
  • Issue a statement to its chicken product suppliers stating that it will give purchasing preference to those that use or switch to controlled atmosphere killing (CAK), which is considered to be a more humane method of chicken and turkey slaughter.[147]

Food

A US value meal including small french fries, a Whopper, Jr., Barq's root beer, and several packets of Heinz ketchup.

The H.J. Heinz Company is a significant supplier of condiments to Burger King.[148] The two companies have worked together on several programs such as the 2001 promotional tie-in with the movie Shrek, with Heinz providing an LTO Blastin’ Green EZ Squirt colored ketchup and an apple flavored "ooze" dipping sauce for distribution with the Shrek-branded kid's meals.[149][150] As Heinz has expanded its manufacturing arms across the globe, it has become a primary supplier of ketchup in the United States, Mexico and Great Britain while supplying various sauces in several European countries.[151][BK 12][BK 13]

Kraft foods has also supplied many of its products to BK over the years. Several of its condiment lines have found their way into BK menu items, two of which were most notably used in direct product tie-ins with the Bull's-Eye BBQ Burger in 2005 and the A1 Steakhouse XT sandwich in 2010. In both cases, Burger King used the the names of the Kraft products, A1 Steak Sauce and Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce, prominently in the names of the sandwich.[28][37] Kraft has also supplied several of Burger King's children's products, including a Jell-O brand dessert during BK's Teletubbies promotion in 1999 and the Kraft macaroni and cheese kid's meals introduced in 2009.[99][152]

Proteins

Tyson Foods (Chicken, beef)

Sides and desserts

McCain Foods became a supplier of potato products to the company in 1998, shortly after an agreement with farmers in Maine to supply potatoes for use in the fast food market.[153]

Beverages

Soft drinks

Traditionally Burger King has sold soft drinks from the Coca-Cola Company in its home market. During 1983, PepsiCo was able to garner the $444 million (US$) beverage supplier contract from its rival, and, despite extreme market debate over the future of the contract, had it renewed for a second term in 1987.[155] The company was able to win the contract by strengthening its marketing and advertising program ties between the Burger King and itself.[156][157] However, the contract only lasted three more years when, partially based upon Pepsi's growth as a restaurant operator with its Tricon Restaurants division, Burger King moved its beverage contract back to Coca-Cola.[158][159]

Since 1990, Burger King has continued using Coca-Cola as its beverage supplier, renewing its contract in several times.[160] Despite extending the contracts several times, the Coca-Cola contract was not with out its problems; The 1999 contract called for the addition of Coca-Cola branded Icee products to be made a permanent menu item in all American locations. After the rollout, it was discovered that Coca-Cola employees had faked product test information to bolster prospective sales numbers to entice franchisees to enroll in a summertime advertising push. When all was said and done, several Coke employees were terminated and Coca-Cola changed in-store promotional materials to emphasize the Icee name.[161] The 2003 contract officially extended the relationship between the two companies so that Coca-Cola was the exclusive supplier of soft drinks for the company.[160] Before this, individual international franchises would field their own contracts with the company of choice. The 2003 contract gave Coca-Cola new access to the three thousand operating or planned restaurants on the Asia-Pacific rim, Europe as well as all of South and Central America.[160]

In 1999, Burger King added a second soft drink supplier contract with a deal with the Dr Pepper Snapple Group to include Dr. Pepper to its beverage line up in North American restaurants.[162]

Burger King's supply contracts for non-carbonated beverages are separate from the one for its sodas. Despite utilizing Coca-Cola for sodas, when the company first chose to introduce a bottled water product it chose Nestlé's Poland Spring brand over Coke's Dasani. When the contract expired in 2003, BK chose to move to Pepsi's Aquafina, the top selling brand at the time.[160] In 2008 Burger King renewed its relationship with Nestlé by entering into an agreement to sell Pure Life bottled water products manufactured by the food conglomerate.[163] However, BK moved away from Pepsi's Tropicana brand juices in 2001 when it went with Coca-Cola's Minute Maid brands for its North America market.[164] With the introduction of its Positive Steps nutrition program for children, the company turned to the Hershey Company to provide Hershey's branded low fat milk in its North American stores. BK is again utilizing a popular brand name to promote its products in a move to draw customers' attention to itself and its meal programs.[165]

Coffee

Produced by Sarah Lee's Douwe Egberts brand,[166] BK Joe is Burger King's coffee line that the Burger King advertises it as being made from Arabica coffee. The line was first introduced in 2001 in North America and parts of Europe later.[166] The product made using Douwe's Cafitesse system, a platform that eschews coffee brewed from ground beans in favor of a beverage made from a coffee concentrate with hot water added.[167][168] The advantage of this system is that each cup of coffee is made at the time of order with minimal waste and labor.[169] The product is not designed to compete with products from companies such as Starbucks, but instead to appeal to those customers who seek a consistent cup of coffee.[46] In other parts of Europe, BK sells Nestlé's Nescafé brand coffee. In other international markets BK sells coffee drinks such as Flat white or Latte.

Despite the investment in the Douwe Egbert product, Burger King announced it would be phasing out the Cafitesse system in the summer of 2010 in favor of Starbucks' Seattle's Best brand coffee. The coffee line will be the basis of a whole new line of coffee drinks designed to both boost breakfast sales and to enter the growing coffee-beverage market. A new line of iced coffee drinks and flavored coffees will be also be part of the new product roll out.[45]

Alcoholic drinks

For many years Burger King has sold beer in several of its international locations such as Germany, but not in its home territory. With the introduction of its BK Whopper Bar limited service concept restaurants in Miami, New York and Los Angeles in 2010, the company has begun to sell beer at these specialized locations. The company will be selling products from SABMiller and Anheuser-Busch including Budweiser, Bud Lite and Miller Lite in aluminum bottles designed to maintain temperature. The move, designed to target the important 30-and-under demographic, has been called risky by industry analysts because of the company is known as a fast food purveyor and not as an alcoholic beverages seller. Other industry consultants have disagreed with the assessment, believing that the move is a practical one because the company is growing with its aging customer base.[170][171][172]

Distributors

For many years Burger King owned and operated its own distribution system, known originally as Distron. Distron, founded shortly after establishment of Burger King, primarily served the company owned stores and approximately 50-60 percent of franchised stores. Franchise groups were free to purchase supplies from one of seventeen independent distribution systems, often operated by larger franchise groups such as Carrols Restaurant Group.[173] The Distron setup remained relatively stable until the time of the company's purchase from Pillsbury by Grand Metropolitan. Grand Met was not happy with the distribution group, originally thinking to sell it before the purchase, reorganized the division. Distron was reorganized into two separate groups for procurement (Burger King Purchasing, BKPS) and distribution (Burger King Distribution Services, BKDS) while laying off over a hundred staff members in the process.[174][175][176]

In 1992, Burger King and its franchises formed Restaurant Services Inc. (RSI), an independent purchasing cooperative, which covered 100 percent of BK stores in the United States. The creation of RSI was based on a proposal by then-CEO Dave Gibbons create an organization that would be autonomous from BK corporate operations, provide full financial disclosure to participants on pricing issues and revenues while enjoying the participation of the entire chain for the maximum benefits of volume purchasing. The format of RSI was based on the system employed by KFC for its distribution system and operated in a similar manner.[175] Two weeks after the formation of the co-operative, Grand Met sold the physical assets of BKDS to Canadian-based buyout firm Onex Corporation and folded BKP into RSI.[176]

Currently the company utilizes independent distributors such as Maines Paper and Food Service and Sysco for supplying North American stores with food and paper products.[177][178][179]

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  52. ^ Knowledge@Emory (2007-11-27). "Burger King CEO John Chidsey on Innovation, Trust, and "The King"". Emory University. Retrieved 2008-03-01. When ordering chicken in China, take note. The Chinese prefer dark meat chicken, not white. "We definitely have to be cognizant of the local market and provide what the local market wants", he John Chidsey, CEO of BK says.
  53. ^ "Burger King adds its 99 cents worth". Restaurant Business magazine. AllBusiness.com. 2002-09-17. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  54. ^ Earl, Employee of the Month advertisement by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, 2006
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  56. ^ "BK taps Lang as convection-oven supplier". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. 1996-02-12. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  57. ^ Smith, Andrew F. (August 30, 2006). Encyclopedia of junk food and fast food (First ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 27–28. ISBN 0313335273. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  58. ^ a b c d Hoyland, Christa (2009-04-07). "Burger King menu to get creative". QSRWeb.com. Retrieved 2009-06-06. With its old conveyor broiler, the chain's research and development team was limited to rolling out products that fit the speed of the conveyor chain.
  59. ^ a b "Burger King Goes To The Heartland Of The USA To Test The Next Big Thing -- The Great American Burger" (Press release). 1999-09-28. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  60. ^ Reckert, John (2001-01-01). "A Whopper of a Wireless Solution". Wireless Business and Technologies. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
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  63. ^ Sherer, Mike (May 2003). "What it really costs". Foodservice Equipment Reports. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  64. ^ Cohen, Deborah (1998-06-04). "McDonald's new system is `Made for You'". Journal Record (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma). Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2009-06-08. For one thing, McDonald's is playing catch-up with Diageo unit Burger King and Wendy's, which have offered made-to-order sandwiches for years.
  65. ^ "Burger King Corporation Debuts New Premium Great-Tasting TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich" (Press release). 1999-04-14. Retrieved 2009-06-06. The new made-to-order, indulgent TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich...
  66. ^ "Burger King Corp.'s Bold New Global Restaurant Design Takes Flight At Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport" (Press release). 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  67. ^ Meghann Marco (2007-02-16). "Burger King Breakfast Value Menu Starts Monday". The Consumerist. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
  68. ^ "Burger King's Youngest Customers Appeased". QSR Magazine. 2000-12-12. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  69. ^ "Burger King Corporation Announces Partnership With Little Tikes For Under-Three Kids Premiums". HispanicBusiness.com. 2003-11-21. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  70. ^ a b Cebrzynski, Gregg (1999-05-19). "McDonald's sues Burger King in Big Kids Meal dispute". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  71. ^ "Court Rules In Kids Meals Case". QSR Magazine. 2000-06-16. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  72. ^ Zuber, Amy (2001-04-02). "McD aims 'Mighty Kids' meal at preteens, combats BK initiative". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07. Burger King, shortly after launching its new meal, was sued by McDonald's for unfair competition. In the lawsuit McDonald's challenged BK's use of the term "Big Kids Meal," claiming that it was the same name McDonald's had used the previous summer during a three-week meal promotion in southeastern Michigan. A federal court judge in Detroit eventually ruled that "kids meal" was a generic term and that Burger King, a division of London-based Diageo PLC, could use it.
  73. ^ "New menus, P. Diddy ad crown Burger King rebound". GMANews.TV. Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-06-06. Success has come from new "premium" flame-broiled products with high profit margins, quality chicken products and value menus...
  74. ^ a b "Burger King Pays Premium to Promote Premium Menu Offerings". QSR Magazine. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2009-06-06. Some of these new products include a "game-changing" extra-thick burger, bone-in-ribs, grilled fish sandwiches, and a new grilled chicken sandwich.
  75. ^ Glover, Katherine (2009-02-23). "From Burger King to Ruby Tuesday, Restaurants Struggle to Find 'Just Right'". BNet.com. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved 2009-10-27. But though those lines may be blurred, they're far from broken. A premium burger still doesn't turn Burger King into a sit-down restaurant with table service. It may work for now, but when Goldilocks gets back on her feet again, her version of "just right" may return to where it was.
  76. ^ "Burger King of Cool?". USA Today. 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  77. ^ Martin, Andrew (2008-02-10). percent20Stacker&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1256342652-ht4tcOrMFLqxfEuBm/pnXQ "Gulp! Burger King Is on the Rebound". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-24. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  78. ^ Amy Zuber (2001-12-17). "Listen up, Mac: BK aims to reign supreme, orders menu changes". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2007-12-04. The menu overhaul is part of a chain-wide effort led by chairman and chief executive John Dasburg to reverse declining sales and traffic trends in preparation for Burger King's much-anticipated separation from London-based parent Diageo PLC.
  79. ^ "Burger King Partners With Kellogg on Veggie Burger". Convenience Store News. 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2007-12-04. ...it seems that the King is shooting for the best of both worlds with its new BK Veggie Burger, which has vegetarian patties from Kellogg's Morningstar Farms.
  80. ^ Steven Mallas (2005-05-17). "Kellogg's Royal Partner". Motley Fool. Retrieved 2007-12-04. It's good to be king. But, if you can't be king, then it's good to be associated with the King. Kellogg NYSE: K has decided to go for the latter. {{cite news}}: External link in |quote= (help)
  81. ^ Boone, Louis E. (2008-01-04). "2". In Calhoun, Jack W. (ed.). Contemporary Marketing (in Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{lang-en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead.) (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western College Pub. p. 175. ISBN 0324580215. Retrieved 2009-10-29. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  82. ^ "Burger Chains Get Chicken". Motley Fool. 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2007-12-03. The Chicken Fries are coming. Yes, I said Chicken Fries. Tomorrow, Burger King officially rolls out its latest fast-food creation. The chain is hoping that its latest clever menu entry -- chicken breast meat rolled into the shape of a french fry, then breaded and fried -- will win over new fans in the brutally competitive fast-food wars.
  83. ^ Garfield, Bob (2009-04-16). "Burger King's 'No Pants' Spot vs. American Family Association". Advertising Age. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
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  85. ^ AP Wire (2007-02-27). "Burger King discusses new items for 2008, growth strategies". the International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2008-03-01. [Russ] Klein [BK president of Global Marketing] said an increase from an average of five to six "superfan" visits a month would increase traffic by 9 percent.
  86. ^ Horovitz, Bruce (2007-02-07). "Burger King of Cool?". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-06-06. That's BK's term for mostly 18- to 35-year-old males who gobble fast food at the devil-may-care clip of nine to 16 times a month. While they're just 18 percent of Burger King's customers, they account for about half of all visits to the stores.
  87. ^ Julie Jargon (1 February 2010). "As Sales Drop, Burger King Draws Critics for Courting 'Super Fans". Wall Street Journal. Yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
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  91. ^ "Newman's Own, Inc". FundingUniverse.com. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
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  93. ^ Kramer, Lauren (2007-17-2007). "Low-carb diets spark growing interest in salads". Seafood Business Magazine. Retrieved 2009-10-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  94. ^ "Burger King introduces the King Delight line" (Press release). Simonds Farsons Cisk. 2004-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  95. ^ Howden, Sarah (2003-10-06). "Change is on the menu for a quick fix". Edinburgh Evening News. The Scotsman.com. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  96. ^ Meghann Marco (2007-01-31). "Burger King Testing Trans-Fat Free Oils". The Consumerist. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
  97. ^ Lauren Shepherd (2008-10-02). percent20AP percent20Burger percent20King percent20switches percent20to percent20trans percent20fat percent20free percent20oil&st=cse&oref=slogin "Burger King Switches to Trans Fat Free Oil". The New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-10-03. The No. 2 hamburger chain also said all of its menu ingredients, including its baked goods, will contain zero grams of trans fat by Nov. 1. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  98. ^ Ynji De Nies (2008-08-04). "Kid's Menus Packed with Fun, Calories". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-06-07. Two popular kid's meals, Kentucky Fried Chicken's "Laptop" meal and Burger King's "Big Kids" meal, are well over double the recommended calorie count, at 940 and 910 calories respectively, the CSPI investigation found. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  99. ^ a b c Burger King press release (2009-05-27). (Press release) http://investor.bk.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=87140&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1292656&highlight=. Retrieved 2009-06-03. {{cite press release}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  100. ^ Bruce Horovitz (2007-09-21). "Burger King has a new twist on fries: Fresh Apples". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  101. ^ Adrian Sainz (2007-09-12). "Burger King to sell broiled chicken in healthier kid menu". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
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  106. ^ Vegetarian Society. "Approved products list - BK Veggie Burger". Retrieved 2008-08-16.
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  108. ^ Glover, Katherine (12 January 2010). "Gluten-Free Options Go Mainstream with Burger King". BNet.com. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  109. ^ Gise, Molly (6 January 2010). "BK singles out gluten-free menu items". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
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  111. ^ "Burger King's menu with prices in USD". Retrieved 2006-08-13.
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  113. ^ a b Liddle, Alan (19 November 1990). "McD's switch to paper fuels packaging debate". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  114. ^ a b "Burger King hires Union Packaging". Philadelphia Business Journal. 10 August 2000. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  115. ^ Hein, Kenneth (23 August 2004). "Design: Burger King Packaging Takes Time To Talk". Brandweek. AllBusiness.com. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  116. ^ Swearingen, Wendy Guild (05 March 2004). "Can Burger King Rekindle the Sizzle?". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 14 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  117. ^ Knowledge@Emory (2007-11-27). "Burger King CEO John Chidsey on Innovation, Trust, and "The King"". Emory University. Retrieved 2008-03-01. Burger King came out with the "BK Chicken Fries" and put them in a fry pod carton. The result? The company sells more servings per day than either McDonald's or Wendy's.
  118. ^ Horowitz, Jeremy (2006-09-06). percent20 "Frypod from Burger King: eat boiling oil, Apple". iLounge. Retrieved 2009-06-05. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  119. ^ "New Bistro Concept Takes Top Honors at the QSR/FPI Foodservice Packaging Awards Ceremony". QSR Magazine. Food packaging institute. 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  120. ^ "Burger King Corporation Honors Minority Suppliers". QSRMagazine.com. 03 July 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  121. ^ Bob Seligman (1990-03-05). "Burger King reels out Ocean Catch, sinks Whaler". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  122. ^ a b Arthur Lubow (1998-04-19). "Steal This Burger". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-04. Burger King reports that in blind tastings consumers prefer its recently introduced Big King to the Big Mac by a wide margin.
  123. ^ Garber, Amy (2005-02-28). "BK franchisees bullish on beefed up performance". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  124. ^ Amy Garber (2003-08-04). "BK offers troops Great American burger for Independence Day". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
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  126. ^ Fabricant, Florence (1993-05-10). "'Beefy' comeback for meat loaf". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  127. ^ Romeo, Peter J. (1998-10-03). "Burger King discounts mark shift to regional promo plays". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-10-27. Stores in New England resurrected the veal Parmigiana sandwich...
  128. ^ a b "Burger King intros value Wrappers". QSRWeb.com. 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  129. ^ Newman, Eric (2008-06-28). "Fast Feeders' New Wrap". BrandWeek. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  130. ^ "Eight menu trends for 2008". Bakery Management Magazine. Penton Publications. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2009-12-06. Mini burgers and wraps caught on late in 2007...
  131. ^ Kirby, Adam (2009-05-17). "Mind Your P's To Stay On Trend". Hotels Magazine. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2009-12-06. No menu item is hotter right now than the slider and the cadre of mini sandwiches it has inspired. Menu trends guru Nancy Kruse told an audience at the National Restaurant Association Show that restaurateurs across all dining segments are finding great success with sliders, from Burger King's Burger Shots...
  132. ^ Brandau, Mark (2009-03-20). "McDonald's wraps up new snack trend". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2009-12-06. More recently, mini-burgers have become a popular menu addition at fast-food chains. Burger King recently introduced BK Burger Shots, miniature burgers sold in packs of two or six...
  133. ^ Chris Brook (2008-05-21). "The '6 Pack' calorie-busting monster burger that promotes 'social eating'". the Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-06-12. It's called the "6 Pack" but anyone with the appetite to eat this monster burger is likely to have a stomach of a more rounded variety.
  134. ^ "Burger King tries mini-burgers on for size". Nation's Restaurant News. 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  135. ^ a b Howard, Theresa (2007-07-27). "Burger King asks: Would you like chips with that?". USAToday. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  136. ^ "BK Apple Fries Will Hit Grocery Shelves". QSR Magazine. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  137. ^ "Burger King License Expands Internationally". QSR Magazine. 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  138. ^ "New Burger King Branded Crispy Microwaveable French Fries from ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston" (Press release). 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  139. ^ Peter J. Romero (1988-08-11). "Chicken Internationals take Burger King test". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2008-03-01. Also included in the array are the Bull's Eye Barbecue Burger, which was available for a limited time beginning last fall. The sandwich--a hero roll topped with two beef patties and barbecue sauce--is called a Barbecue Sub in some markets.
  140. ^ "Burger King Delivers". Philadelphia Inquirer. 1992-09-23. pp. F1. To the table all of the chain soon will be employing servers to carry food to seated customers. Its also expanding the dinner menu... {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  141. ^ "Burger King Corporation to Launch BK Back Porch(TM) Griller Sandwiches" (Press release). PRNewswire.com,. 2001-01-18. Retrieved 2007-10-22.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  142. ^ John Drinnan (2006-11-04). "Miami HQ sniffs around burger success". the New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2007-12-04. Kiwis with a taste for posh hamburgers are tucking into a new gourmet range from Burger King, and now the chain's international bosses are looking to take a bite.
  143. ^ Amy Zuber (2001-12-17). "Listen up, Mac: BK aims to reign supreme, orders menu changes". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2007-12-04. The new "King Supreme" -- which will replace Burger King's poor-selling Big King--is similar to the Big Mac except that the burger will be flame-broiled and topped with a different sauce and no middle bun will be used, according to BK spokesman Rob Doughty.
  144. ^ AP Wire (2007-03-28). "Burger King Offers Cage-Free Food". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  145. ^ The Gale Group (2002-02-18). "USDA grants BK bid, will enforce humane slaughter". Nation's Restaurant News. Bnet.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  146. ^ a b Andrew Martin (2007-03-28). "Burger King Shifts Policy on Animals". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-09. In what animal welfare advocates are describing as a "historic advance", Burger King, the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said yesterday that it would begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in cages and crates.
  147. ^ "PETA to criticize Burger King poultry choices". South Florida Business Journal. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2008-03-09. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it will use its position as a Burger King Holdings stockholder at Wednesday's shareholder's meeting to show its position on the fast-food company's poultry practices.
  148. ^ Adamy, Janet (2006-06-28). "Heinz courts McDonald's to boost ketchup brand". The Wall Street Journal. Pittsburg Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-06-05. Heinz produces most of the ketchup served in U.S. restaurants, including those of Burger King Corp. ...
  149. ^ Promo Magazine staff (10 April 2001). "Burger King Serves Up Ooze". Promo Magazine. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  150. ^ "Burger King Promotes Dreamworks Film". QSR Magazine. 3 May 2001. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  151. ^ Brat, Ilan (24 November 2009). "Heinz Seeks to Tap Mexico's Taste for Ketchup". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 February 2010. Soon Heinz had the contract to supply all Burger King restaurants in Mexico... {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  152. ^ "Teletubbies Come To Play At Burger King". AllBusiness.com. Point of Purchase magazine. 1 June 1999. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  153. ^ Gold, Alan R. (1998-10-23). "Maine potatoes crack the fast food market". Ocala Star-Banner. New York Times. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  154. ^ Littman, Margaret (October 1997). "Just desserts". Prepared Foods magazine. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-08-07. Burger King is just one of Edwards' national accounts, but one Garvin thinks illustrates the Atlanta-based company's growth strategy through customization.
  155. ^ Associated Press (1987-08-12). "Burger King Picks Pepsi". AP Newswire. New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  156. ^ Alva, Marilyn (1987-08-27). "Tie-in promotions: the glue that made BK stick with Pepsi". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  157. ^ Alva, Marilyn (1987-08-03). "Burger King reviews contract with Pepsi-Cola syrup supplier". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  158. ^ Ramirez, Anthony (1990-08-12). "New Coke Conquest: Burger King". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
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  161. ^ "Burger King, Coke May be Headed to Court". Convenience Store News. AllBusiness.com. 2003-06-05. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  162. ^ Ziobro, Paul (2009-05-13). "Burger King Ad Plan Is Fought". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-06-04. ...a soft-drink contract entered into by Burger King and the two drink companies [Coca-Cola Corporation and Dr Pepper-Snapple] in 1999
  163. ^ "Burger King to Carry Nestlé's Pure Life". Beverage World. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
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  165. ^ "Burger King Introduces Single-Serve Milk Nationally". Midwest Dairy Association. June 30, 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
  166. ^ a b Bosman, Julie (2006-07-08). "This Joe's for You?". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  167. ^ "Sara Lee opens liquid coffee plant". AllBusiness.com. Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. 2004-11-20. Retrieved 2009-06-11. The unit, which began operations in July, has restaurant chain Burger King as its main customer...
  168. ^ "Sarah Lee Corporation 2006 Corporate Report" (pdf). Sara Lee Corporation. p. 16. Retrieved 2009-11-05. Sara Lee Foodservice successfully partnered with BURGER KING to develop a consistently delicious, hard-working coffee: BK JOE. The coffee comes in three varieties – decaf, regular and turbo strength – and is served in the restaurant's 7,000+ American outlets using Sara Lee's Cafitesse liquid coffee concentrate machine.
  169. ^ "Cafitesse: Perking up Ocean Properties". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. 1999-04-26. Retrieved 2009-11-05. It's easy to control your costs. [The brewer] eliminates labor costs because no one has to be in charge of the coffee station." The Cafitesse brewing system uses patented bag-in-box packaging, so "there are no grounds, no filters and minimal cleaning.
  170. ^ Horovitz, Bruce (2009-01-22). "Burger King plans beer-selling Whopper Bar in South Beach". USAToday. Miami, Florida. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  171. ^ Phillips, David (25 January 2010). "Burger King Says "Have It Your Way:" Beer With That Whopper and Fries?". BNet.com. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  172. ^ Ruggless, Ron (22 January 2010). "BK to sell beer at new Whopper Bar". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  173. ^ "Carrolls Corp 1997 10-K/A filing". Security and Exchange Commission. 1998-11-10. Retrieved 2009-10-28. In August 1990, the Company sold its food distribution business to Burger King Distribution Services ("BKDS"), a division of BKC.
  174. ^ Reuters (1989-08-11). "Grand Met to Retain A Burger King Unit". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-28. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  175. ^ a b Prewitt, Milford (1992-04-06). "Burger King launches new purchasing co-op". Nation's Restaurant News. BNet.com. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
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  177. ^ "Maines receives customer's highest recognition for outstanding Service". 2003-06-30. Retrieved 2009-06-04. "Burger King has been an integral part of our customer portfolio for 30 years and will continue to be in the future," said David J. Maines, co-chairman of Maines' board.
  178. ^ "Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc". Business Week investors research. Business Week. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2009-06-05. Maines Paper & Food Service Inc. has expanded its Burger King Corporation account to include food service distribution to another 22 restaurants in the Maryland area.
  179. ^ Kaplin, David (2008-09-17). "Sysco deliveries restart in a jiffy". Chron.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-06-05. Sysco serves mammoth organizations such as Burger King...

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Burger King US Regional Menu Nutritional Brochure" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b "Burger King Canada menu".
  3. ^ "Burger King Taiwan menu" (in Chinese). BK features chicken thigh meat sandwiches
  4. ^ "BK US menu" (pdf). 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  5. ^ a b "Burger King UK Menu".
  6. ^ "Burger King Italy". Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  7. ^ "Burger King Germany menu" (in German).
  8. ^ "Burger King Taiwan dessert menu" (in Chinese). BK features turnover-style pies
  9. ^ a b c "Burger King US Product Ingredients List" (PDF).
  10. ^ a b c "Burger King US Nutritional Brochure" (PDF).
  11. ^ percent20Carb percent20handout percent204-3-06.pdf "Burger King US Low Carb Information Sheet" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  12. ^ "UK Menu - Condiments". Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  13. ^ "Spain menu - Chicken Fries". Retrieved 16 February 2010.

See also

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