How the Whopper reignited the burger wars

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN

New York (CNN) — For the first time in a while, Burger King is living up to its name.

A revamped Whopper helped the chain post an 8.5% increase in US same-store sales last quarter, outpacing McDonald’s by the largest margin in more than a decade. Burger King also surpassed Wendy’s in US sales this year to become the country’s second-biggest burger chain. (McDonald’s remains firmly in first.)

In last week’s earnings call, Burger King US was highlighted as a “standout performer” in the portfolio of parent company Restaurant Brand International, which also owns Popeyes and Tim Hortons. Executives praised its focus on value meals as well as a multi-year marketing and renovation campaign.

Another aspect that helped: Making Tom Curtis, Burger King’s president, the face of the brand.

Curtis starred in the Whopper’s relaunch ad as well as another video showing him joyfully eat a Whopper. The latter was a tongue-in-cheek response to strong social media criticism of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski’s awkward attempt at eating a Big Arch.

Curtis “seems to have resonated with people,” said Robert Byrne, senior director of consumer research at Technomic.

Burger King is scoring better with consumers in terms of relatability in advertising, as well as brand image and food quality, than at any point since 2019, according to Technomic’s consumer research.

That’s partly the result of actions by Curtis, like taking customer’s phone calls and jabbing at a competitor on social media.

“Say what you will about the ‘burger bite social media flap,’ but that stuff pays dividends in the longer run,” Byrne told CNN, adding that “there’s a new tone and new tenor” to the burger wars.

Sales snapshot

Burger King’s growth is a stark contrast compared to its competitors.

McDonald’s US sales cooled to 0.8% and traffic declined amid sluggish operations caused by a complex array of deals and new launches

CEO Kempczinski said on last week’s earnings call that McDonald’s US business results were “below our expectations.” As a result, the chain named a new US president and signaled it wanted to make changes quickly.

Then there’s Wendy’s, whose woes keep continuing: The chain posted a dismal 7% decline in sales.

CEO Bob Wright sharply criticized the company on Friday’s earnings call, saying that “our quality … has eroded, our value proposition has weakened, and we have not consistently delivered the experience customers expect from Wendy’s.”

Meanwhile, RBI Executive Chairman Patrick Doyle praised Burger King’s ability to win over fickle consumers.

“Today, guests have more choices than ever before for where to eat and where to spend their dining dollars and every day more and more of them are choosing Burger King,” he said during the earnings call.

Whopper’s wins

About six months ago, Burger King debuted a major makeover for its flagship hamburger — the Whopper — to reignite interest in the seven-decade-old menu item.

The chain replaced its soft bun with a more sturdier version, changed the recipe for its mayonnaise and now serves it in a box instead of wrapped in paper.

“You don’t want to just tear up the playbook and start all over,” Curtis previously told CNN. “It’s like we’re putting our famous iconic burger in a tuxedo instead of a leisure suit.”

Even though the new Whopper cost Burger King franchisees an extra $4,000 a year, the chain advised local owners not to raise prices, promising the investment will drive up sales.

It’s working: Whopper sales are up 20% compared to its previous iteration, the company revealed.

Now, Burger King needs to keep the momentum.

The chain has rolled out a new “Whopper Guarantee,” which will remake a customer’s Whopper for free if they aren’t satisfied. Plus, it’s focusing on a “reimagined restaurant manager role,” which the company said will help guests order and ensure they like their food.

Byrne said that human help is “going to give them an edge” over competitors like McDonald’s, which encourages customers to use kiosks for orders.

The company also said to expect more changes to its food and will continue to remodel its restaurants, since only about half of its roughly 6,600 US locations sport a new look.

RBI’s Doyle told analysts that the chain isn’t “close to finish” and that it sees “opportunities to elevate the menu, strengthen operations, and keep raising standards across the system.”

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