Burger King has fallen to third place in the fast-food burger segment. That's been the case for a few years, and the chain has tried hard to innovate to catch up with Wendy's and become the Pepsi to McDonald's Coke.
In recent months, McDonald's has received a lot of media attention for taking a budget-friendly approach. The chain introduced a $5 meal that includes a burger, Chicken McNuggets, fries and a drink. It's a pretty blatant copycat of Wendy's. (COME) $5 Biggie bag, something the number two brand has pointed out in a TV ad.
Related: Forget McDonald's: Walmart Gets a Hip New Fast-Food Partner
A $5 meal deal seems like a safe bet in the fast food space right now, but Restaurant Brands International… (Fast food restaurant) Burger King was a late entrant into this space. In June, it added a $5 menu deal that includes a choice of a Whopper Jr., a Bacon Cheeseburger or a Jr. Chicken Burger, plus fries, four chicken nuggets and a drink.
It's a better-late-than-never deal that the chain has widely advertised but has received more attention for its innovation than its offerings.
Many of Burger King's innovations have involved the Whopper. The chain has leveraged its signature sandwich to create different versions, from small additions like bacon and different sauces to the Whopper Melt line, which uses a different type of bread and more cheese.
Now, the fast food giant has brought the breakfast version of its Whopper Melts to its morning menu.
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Image source: Burger King/TheStreet
Burger King brings back Breakfast Melts
“Cheesy is back on the Burger King menu with the return of fan-favorite Cheesy Breakfast Melts, available for a limited time. Cheesy Breakfast Melts feature the same components as the brand's permanent breakfast sandwiches, but are served on toasted bread and include an additional slice of American cheese.” Fast food stand reported.
The line does not formally use the Whopper name, but is a variation on the Whopper Melts line of burgers with a breakfast twist. It is sold nationwide at a suggested price of $3.49. The Cheesy Breakfast Melts line includes:
- Sausage, Cheese and Egg Breakfast Melt: A burger with sausage, eggs, and two slices of American cheese on two slices of toast.
- Breakfast Cheese Melt with Bacon and Eggs: Crispy hardwood smoked bacon, eggs, and two slices of American cheese on two slices of toast.
- Ham, Cheese and Eggs Breakfast Melt: Black Forest ham, eggs and two slices of American cheese sandwiched between two slices of toast.
- Breakfast with melted eggs and cheese: eggs and two slices of American cheese sandwiched between two slices of toast.
Cheesy Breakfast Melts are available now, and the chain hasn't said when the promotion will end.
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Burger King has had problems
Over the past year, Burger King has seen several franchisees file for bankruptcy and the chain has lost hundreds of restaurants. Burger King’s comparable U.S. sales remained relatively flat, while total net restaurants declined 2%, resulting in a negative 0.8% decline in systemwide sales in the second quarter.
Those are not results that CEO Joshua Kobza is happy with.
“Absolute sales and traffic results at Burger King were clearly weaker than we had targeted. But the business continued to outperform Burger QSR sales and traffic. I believe this is largely due to our responsible approach to everyday value, our focus on meeting the needs of our customers and franchisees, and the impact of our operational improvements that are starting to show,” he said during the RBI press conference. Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call.
More restaurants:
- Popular restaurant chain files for bankruptcy and closes all its locations
- Starbucks makes a big change that customers will notice right away
- Nespresso and Keurig make the biggest changes to coffee yet
He believes the chain is moving in the right direction.
“This quarter we brought back another $5 reduced-price item, the $5 Your Way Menu, and balanced it with premium menu innovations like Melts and now our new Fiery Menu. There's even more we can do to enhance the value we deliver. And I think big operations, digital and reimaging are just as important to winning over the long term,” he added.
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