The competition's chicken-hunting leaves a wide-open opportunity for Burger King
- Gondola Foodservice
- 6 hours ago
- 1 min read
The chain is adopting a bold counter-trend strategy, refocusing its innovation on its historical product.
Nation's Restaurants News (NRN) thus dissects the contrarian strategy pursued by the Burger King chain:
The trend: The chicken category in fast food was the only one to see an increase in food spending across all income groups this year (Consumer Edge). This may explain why McDonald's and Wendy's have ramped up their poultry offerings.
The counterpoint: Burger King is refocusing its attention on its hamburgers, notably through its creative suggestion platform Whopper by You (launched in July). This initiative has already produced the Barbecue Brisket Whopper and the Crispy Onion Whopper.
The initial results: are "solid," according to Josh Kobza, CEO of parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI), who emphasized that the initiative also broadened its reach to women and Generation Z. Putting the famous burger in customers' hands generated a "phenomenal" response, added Chief Marketing Officer Joel Yashinsky. Performance indicators suggest that Burger King will further develop this platform.
What's next: The chain won't just be focusing on the Whopper; it also wants to revamp its Double Cheeseburger. And it's not abandoning the chicken category, for which it's preparing offensives for 2026.
The opportunities: They would be numerous, with snacks, desserts ( Cini Minis reintroduced in August in the United States after a thirteen-year hiatus ), drinks (also a growth driver for the industry, experiments are already taking place and new products are expected in shakes or coffees) and "value" menus ($5 duos and $7 trios introduced this year, while the Whopper by You option fills the margins).
