Riding With the Burger King -- Fame And Fizzles

 

“There are 1024 ways to have a Whopper.”

The claim is based on an exponential function of whether the sandwich has the ingredient or not, represented by a binary number of 0 or 1, raised to the power of number of possible ingredients at the time, ten, thus 210 =1,024.

This claim was later expanded to …

“There are 221,184 possible ways for a customer to order a Whopper sandwich.”

Other slogans include the ever-popular ...

“It takes two hands to handle a Whopper.”

("BK Marketing and Advertising History.” Burger King. Archived from the original on 25 May 2007.)

The history of Burger King is fascinating. In the latest installment, NBC News reports that a South Florida lawyer has just filed a federal lawsuit seeking class-action status alleging that Burger King has misled customers by portraying its food as being much larger compared with what it has served to customers in real life.

The suit, brought by attorney Anthony Russo, alleges Burger King began inflating the size of its burgers in images around September 2017. Before that, the suit claims, Burger King "more fairly" advertised its food products.

(Rob Wile. “Burger King Accused of False Advertising in Lawsuit Alleging Whoppers Are Too Small.” NBC News. April 5, 2022.)

To me, this “fluffing” is so common and unworthy of such attention. I mean, doesn't nearly every food ad feature puffed-up products that appear much more appetizing than what you actually get at the restaurant? No one believes the hype. Did you ever get a Wendy's Dave's Double or a McDonald's Big Mac that looked and tasted like the scrumptious burger you saw in their commercial? Not me.

Oh well, like so many headlines, the news of this lawsuit led me to much more interesting online material concerning the subject. Today, I'll share some information about Burger King and their illustrious burger – the Whopper. The history is full of surprises … and failures.

The Whopper was created in 1957 by Burger King founder James McLamore and sold for 37 cents. McLamore and Edgerton started by purchasing one Insta-Burger King franchise  in Miami in 1954. They came up with a gas grill that they called a "flame broiler," and it eliminated the problems of the Insta-Broiler. 

Breezing Through the Company's Past

By 1959 the Insta-Burger chain had grown, but the Kramer-Burns operation had run into financial trouble, and McLamore and Edgerton bought out the entire company to restructure and revitalize its operations. By 1961, the rechristened Burger King and its signature burger, the Whopper, had begun to spread across the United States.

In 1967, the Pillsbury Company bought Burger King Corporation for $18 million, and with the baking company's capital behind it, by the late 1970s Burger King was able to grow to become America's second-largest burger chain, just behind McDonald's.

In 1978, Burger King poached executive Donald N. Smith from McDonald's. He restructured the company's franchise agreements so that owners could not own franchises in other chains, thus encouraging loyalty; and so that they could not operate stores more than an hour's drive from their homes, thus cutting down on absentee ownership.

Many unprofitable franchise owners dropped out, trimming the company's fat. TPG Capital, with assistance from Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital, bought Burger King for $1.5 billion. An IPO was launched in 2006, generating $425 million in equity proceeds.

TPG introduced the Whopper Bar concept, allowing customers in some stores to better see the burgers being made, a concept similar to the Benihana steakhouse chain but more familiar to Starbucks customers, with the workers being named "Whopperistas." (Much more creative than “hamburger helpers) The company grew to be worth $3.2 billion, the purchase price that 3G Capital paid TPG for it in 2010.

Burger King once again revamped its menus and ad campaigns in 2011 and was doing well enough that 3G Capital took the company public again in 2012. In 2014, the Burger King chain merged with a Canadian chain, Tim Hortons, a Canadian chain of restaurants and coffee shops.

With Burger King and Tim Hortons merged 2014, Restaurant Brands was created in December of that year. In 2018, Restaurant Brands purchased Popeyes for $1.8 billion. The acquisition which further expanded the company's menu offerings beyond burgers and donuts and included fried chicken. Restaurant Brands' goal has been to expand into multiple stable fast-food chains.

As of 2018, Burger King has reclaimed the second spot in the burger wars with $9.6 billion in U.S. sales when compared to $9.3 billion in sales for Wendy's for the previous year. McDonald’s is still the leader with $37.6 billion in U.S. sales.

Burger King's stock, which trades under Restaurant Brands, has gone from $35 in 2014 to $55 as of 2018.

Of course, Burger King can't be blamed for wanting to increase its market share, given that McDonald's remains the true king of burgers. In fact, as of 2019, McDonald's brand was valued at more than $130 billion, while Burger King came in at a far less $7.1 billion.

(“History of Burger King – Fast Food Menu Prices.” https://allmenuprice.info/history-of-burger-king-fast-food-menu-prices/.)

(Don Daszkowski. “Short History of Burger King.” https://www.thebalancesmb.com/history-of-burger-king-1350968. The Balance Small Business. December 08, 2018.)

Two hands -- the Whopper

 

The Whopper

Did you know the Whopper is older than the Big Mac? By more than ten years! Mickey D’s didn’t introduce the Big Mac until 1968. The Whopper, meanwhile, debuted in 1957, when co-founder Jim McLamore noticed that a rival burger joint was having success with an extra-large burger. He chose the name “Whopper” to automatically conjure thoughts of something big.

For those of you who have been on Mars for the last 65 years, what is a Whopper? BK's Whopper is more of a “classic” burger than a Bic Mac. The Whopper feautres a sesame-seed-covered bun, a ¼-pound hamburger patty, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles, ketchup, and onions. What makes this burger unique is that Burger King flame-grills their hamburger patties,.

In 1985, the weight of the Whopper was increased to 1/3 lb. The bun was also replaced by a Kaiser roll. But, the Whopper reverted to the original formulation in late-1990. The "Third Pound Whopper" made a return in the early 2000s, but has since been discontinued again.

Nightmare King

Burgers And King-Sized Nightmares

My personal favorite BK story starts with the bizarre introduction of a green-tinted “Nightmare King” burger for Halloween 2018 – a burger boasting a scary-looking dyed-black bun.

The “Nightmare King” not only featured a green bun but also a quarter-pound of beef, a crispy chicken fillet, melted American cheese, thick-cut bacon, mayonnaise and onions on a glazed green sesame seed bun.

In a new online advertisement for the sandwich, the fast food brand claims to have partnered with Paramount Trials and Florida Sleep & Neuro Diagnostic Services, Inc. to conduct a scientific study over ten nights with 100 participants. After eating the new burger, they allege, the incidence of nightmares increased by 3.5 times, according to the results.

(Jessica Fecteau. “Burger King Debuts 'Nightmare' Burger with Fried Chicken, Beef, Bacon and a Green Bun.” https://people.com/food/burger-king-nightmare-king-burger-details/. People. October 17, 2018.)

In the clip, people are asked to eat the burger before going to bed and then they’re hooked up to a sleep monitoring machine for the night.

“Someone in my dream turned into the burger. The burger then transformed into the figure of a snake,” one test subject said.

Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., who studies sleep and nutrition at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition, and Tore Nielsen, Ph.D., a psychologist who directs the Dream & Nightmare Laboratory at Montreal’s Sacré-Coeur Hospital, say that the burger might cause nightmares for an entirely different reason.

“I think probably these people saw the green hamburger and got traumatized or something and subconsciously it gave them fear during the night,” St-Onge jokes. “I’m thinking if I’m seeing a green bun filled with beef, crispy chicken, cheese and mayonnaise, I’m thinking ‘Wow, heart attack waiting to happen. I’m afraid.’”

St-Onge’s gut reaction is echoed by Nielsen, who says that the green shade of that bun is enough to strike terror into his heart as well.

“What strikes me right out of the starting gate is the horrendous green color of this burger bun! I am probably not alone in having a visceral reaction to the color green when it comes to any kind of meat product; it virtually screams ‘bad bacteria on board!’” he says.

Nielsen adds that this gut feeling might cause people to subconsciously feel like they’ve eaten something bad or dangerous, and though this is a wild stretch — it might actually impact their dreams in that way.

(Emma Betuel. “The Scariest Part of Burger King's "Nightmare King" Isn't What You Think.” https://www.inverse.com/article/50085-sleep-effects-on-fast-food-nightmare-burger. Inverse. October 22, 2018.)

And, wouldn't this outcome be predictable? Consumers who sampled the novelty burger experienced a surprise when they hit the bathroom and discovered an unexpected side effect: it had turned their bowel movements green. While reports of green poop flooded social media, the burger became less known for its Halloween theme than its colorful after-effects.

The question people began to ask was why a black bun would turn feces green and not black? Gastroenterologist Dr. Ian Lustbader offered an explanation, telling CBS News the food coloring used to turn the bun black was the culprit. Food coloring that isn't entirely absorbed by food material in the gut, he explained, will pass through the digestive tract. Because Burger King already adds dyes to its regular buns, those existing dyes apparently combined with the black dye and then mixed with the stomach's yellow-green bile to result in green poop. Due to the negative buzz, Burger King declined to scare up the Halloween Whopper the following year (but it wasn't the last time they used dyes with odd effects).

(Brent Furdyk. “The Biggest Flops In Burger King History.” https://www.mashed.com/196425/the-biggest-flops-in-burger-king-history/. Mashed. December 11, 2020.)

Burger King Flops

Brent Furdyk, Editor in Chief of Vancouver-based TV Week magazine and writer for ET Canada, shares some other entertaining, though less successful, Burger King history. I'll highlight some of his findings.

Please read Furdyk's entire article by clicking here: https://www.mashed.com/196425/the-biggest-flops-in-burger-king-history/

Storming the Castle With BK Sliders

In the 1980s Burger King had apparently grown envious of the success that White Castle had been experiencing with its little mini-sized burgers, and saw an opportunity to grab a piece of the tiny-burger market share. The result was Burger Bundles, basically a Burger King take on sliders. According to the Christian Science Monitor, they were sold in a "bundled" packs of six, hence the name.

The problem with BK's sliders rested in broiling small burgers. As Nation's Restaurant News, reported, the patties were so small they reportedly had a tendency to slip through the broiler grates and were constantly getting ruined. The teeny little burgers were later discontinued, leaving White Castle as the true king when it came to undersized burgers.

Table Service

In 1992, Burger King began offering table service at its restaurants each day between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., with servers bringing meals right to the table, where customers were invited to snack on free popcorn while they waited for their fast food to arrive … and it did arrive evidently very slowly.

BK's table service featured Dinner Baskets – all-in-one meals with options including a Whopper, crispy chicken filet, a steak sandwich and fried shrimp, with the option to substitute a baked potato for fries along with coleslaw or a side salad.

Ending quickly in 1994, the innovations really did not change the Burger Kings themselves, just the food options and how they served it.

But, does anyone remember the Flame-Broiled Meatloaf Dinner Basket? Consumers apparently weren't looking for a new menu item that may have made them feel like they were eating a sandwich made from leftovers.

Then, the Burger King Flame-Broiled Meatloaf sandwich ultimately suffered the same fate as the table service and the dinner baskets. 

Shake 'Em Up Fries

In 2002, BK decided to shake things up with its Shake 'Em Up Fries – a simple concept. Served in a bag, simply shake the chain's regular fries along with a "Cheezy Flavor Blast" packet. Shake 'Em Up Fries did not make as much of an impact on the marketplace as Burger King had hoped, and were eventually discontinued.

Despite the product's failure, McDonald's was reportedly developing similar flavored french fries in 2014 – pretty much with the same process. That test was presumably not a success, as the product was never rolled out nationally.

Breakfast

By the mid-2000s, breakfast was a fast-food battleground. McDonald's had a solid foothold in the category with its iconic Egg McMuffins when Burger King came up with a breakfast sandwich that would hopefully dethrone the McMuffin. This product was the Enormous Omelet Sandwich, which boasted a two-egg omelet topped with two slices of American cheese, a sausage patty and three thick strips of bacon, piled high on a hoagie-style bun.

There was one huge problem. With more calories that the Whopper (730 calories vs. the Whopper's puny 700), the Enormous Omelet Sandwich contained a whopping 47 grams of fat. "By expanding our indulgent breakfast sandwich menu, Burger King restaurants now offer even more alternatives for our guests who want a convenient and filling breakfast," said Russ Klein, Burger King's chief global marketing officer, at the time.

Brent Furdyk concludes: “Fast food consumers clearly love a hearty breakfast, but apparently drew the line at a sandwich that should have been sold with a defibrillator on the side. The BK Enormous Omelet was discontinued and never heard from again.”

Burger Shots

Ties to celebrations and popular college drinking games? Enter the Burger Shots. Burger King's Burger Bundles may have died off, but the idea for tiny hamburgers did not. That became apparent in 2008 when the chain introduced BK Burger Shots, which were identical to their predecessors in everything other than one: coupled buns were attached to each other, resulting in small conjoined hamburgers. However, Burger Shots were taken off the menu.

The Super Seven Incher

The Super Seven Incher – obviously a burger with a moniker that was a double entendre – seized on Burger King's belief in the advertising axiom that “sex sells” – was launched in 2009. Complete with an ad campaign that featured a model in profile, her eyes wide and her mouth even wider as she prepared to swallow the massive phallic sandwich. (No, I didn't make this up. Don't blame me ladies.)

Brent Furdyk reports: “Burger King helpfully spelled it out. 'It'll blow your mind away,' read the ad copy in huge print. And if anyone still didn't get the reference, noted the Wall Street Journal, the fine print made it even more blatant, referencing a 'mind-blowing burger' that promised to 'fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame grilled.' The backlash was severe, leading Burger King to shelve the ad and quietly banish the Super Seven Incher from menus.

Turkey Burgers

In an attempt to offer something approaching healthy, in 2013 Burger King decided to offer a turkey burger. However, as CBS News pointed out, the Burger King turkey burger contained a hefty 530 calories – only 100 calories less than a Whopper, and more than the chain's grilled chicken sandwich, which contained 470 calories.

The Whopperito

While Taco Bell was enjoying success with its Mexican-inspired fast-food fare, BK viewed another piece of market share it could snag from a competitor. Launched in 2016, the Whopperito contained all the stuff crammed into a traditional Whopper (beef, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles), but instead of a bun the whole thing was wrapped up in a tortilla. The other big change was that the condiments (usually ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise) were substituted with cheesy queso sauce.

Brent Furdyk says that Newsweek lambasted the Whopperito as being "as disgusting as it looks." At the time, however, Burger King North America president Alex Macedo thought they were really onto something. "We know Tex-Mex is growing a lot... and there are not that many national chains that sell burritos," he said. Trying to please fans of both burritos and burgers resulted in an oddball product that was neither, and Burger King ultimately bid the Whopperito “adios.”

Hot Dog!

Also in 2016, BK launced Grilled Dogs, introducing the hot dogs to its permanent menu. According to Newsweek, the dogs were available in a standard variety as well as a chili cheese version. "The introduction of Grilled Dogs just made sense to our guests and for our brand," said Burger King North America president North Alex Macedo in a statement.

The chain hired rapper Snoop Dogg and "coochie-coochie" queen Charo to star in humorous ads meant to look like training videos to instruct staff in the proper preparation of the dogs. As Time reported, the "Gin & Juice" rapper was billed as a "Grilled Dogs Training Ambassador," who instructs trainees to put some pretty strange toppings on the wieners. "Break out the burners 'cause we grillin' this dog my way – bikinis, martinis, zucchinis, yeah, you know the rest," he raps to trainees.

An article by Steve Cuozzo in the New York Post stated: “Burger King’s new hot dog is a Whopper of a marketing disaster — and a culinary calamity, too. Rolled out with Apple-like hoopla, it barely holds its own against your average dirty-water dog from a street stand.”

Burger King’s Grilled Dogs are no longer on the menu. They were available only for about six months. 

Impossible Burgers - Future?

In 2019, BK unveiled its Impossible Whopper, made from a meatless patty courtesy of Impossible Foods (via TODAY). The chain hoped its new version of an iconic menu item would be a success amidst the growing meatless burger trend – and it was right. According to CNN, the Impossible Whopper helped sales to grow 5% in one quarter, leading a company spokeswoman to call it, "one of the most successful product launches in brand history" (via New York Post).

Ironically, however, the two groups of people not impressed with the burger have been vegans and vegetarians, who note that the product isn't strictly meat-free. According to Restaurant Dive, the Impossible Burger is prepared on the same grill as meat patties. Reuters notes that the issue was serious enough to several customers that they filed a class-action lawsuit, claiming Burger King misled customers into thinking the Impossible Burger was vegan. The suit was eventually thrown out.

For its part, Burger King now includes a note on its menu reminding customers that "a non-broiler method of preparation" is available for those looking for a truly meat-free burger. Plus, you can always ask to skip the mayo.

(Brent Furdyk. “The Biggest Flops In Burger King History.” https://www.mashed.com/196425/the-biggest-flops-in-burger-king-history/. Mashed. December 11, 2020.)

Closing

I love the idea of delicious and healthy food, but I tried the Impossible Whopper and just wasn't impressed. Sorry. Maybe it was just me. Besides, I tend to think quality control at Burger Kings does not meet the same standards as McDonalds'. That being said, I do enjoy their burgers every now and then … not their fish, which I think is very subpar.

I believe a well-prepared Whopper in the right location is one of the best burgers in all of fast food places. Yet, I have had some stinkers that just don't live up to even middle ground in my book. I really shouldn't be eating these things at all, but a fast food burger remains on my list of go-too quick, easy, and “so-so” meals. 

One matter of interest more, please. That creepy-ass Burger King mascot is even worse that Ronald McDonald. The story goes that one of the executives at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the agency hired for this advertising campaign, found one of those heads on eBay while looking for inspiration. The firm bought it, kept it in their offices, and looked to it for inspiration until they were inspired to make it part of the advertising campaign.

Do you remember the first of Burger King's commercials after being relaunched in 2004, involving a man waking up to find the Burger King next to him in bed. The Burger King hands him a breakfast sandwich and they laugh. Really, that’s the commercial. What the hell is the message? That big-headed, plastic-faced freak laughing with me? Nope, no waking up to that kind of breakfast in bed for me. It's enough to make me run for the border. Take me back to Taco Bell's Chihuahua, PLEASE.

Postscript

It's time to settle an age-old debate: between the Big Mac and the Whopper, which of the burgers is healthier? When you're trying to eat healthy but really in the mood for a classic fast food burger, you may be curious about what the healthier option really is.

Nutrition expert Maryann Walsh, MFN, RD, CDE assesses which of the two burgers is the healthier option when no substitute will do. Which is healthier, the Big Mac or the Whopper? Surprise: They're actually about the same.

The Big Mac has about 1 ounce less meat pre-cooked than the Whopper," says Walsh. "A Big Mac has 3.2-ounces of meat, while the Whopper is a true quarter pounder at 4-ounces."

Here are the stats:

Big Mac: 540 calories, 28 grams fat, 46 grams carbs, 25 grams protein

Whopper: 660 calories, 40 grams fat, 49 grams carbs, 28 grams protein

Even the sodium count is nearly equivalent in both burgers, at 940 milligrams for the Big Mac and 980 milligrams for the Whopper.

"As a dietitian and diabetes educator who usually preaches the importance of controlling carbohydrate intake the most, I'd honestly say choose the one you like better—let's face it, this is like a Coke or Pepsi argument," says Walsh.

If you want to make each burger healthier, Walsh suggests swapping out the bun for lettuce instead. Also, ask to have the condiments removed as well. If you do that for each burger, the calories drop quite dramatically.

Big Mac: 240 calories, 16 grams fat, 5 grams carbs, 18 grams protein

Whopper: 250 calories, 18 grams fat, 3 grams carbs, 20 grams of protein

(Cheyenne Buckingham. “Big Mac vs. Whopper: Which One Is Better for You, According to an RD.” Eat This, Not That! April 30, 2019.)