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Would You Eat Burger King's Windows 7 Whopper?

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:15:00 -0700

Last month, many of you said you'd chomp down on Red Robin's Wise Guy Burger, which includes not only a burger patty, but also mozzarella sticks and pepperoni slices. But what would you do if faced with Burger King Japan's Windows 7 Whopper?

To promote the new operating system, the limited-edition burger - available for seven days only - includes seven beef patties for the cost of ¥777 (about $8.50). Could you tackle this tall order?

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Burger King Gets a Makeover

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:15:47 -0700

While one fast food chain is temporarily closing stores, another has begun remodeling them. Hoping a facelift will invigorate sales, Burger King announced a major effort to redesign its 12,000 worldwide locations.

Burger King is betting that rotating red flame chandeliers, LCD menus, and corrugated metal and brick walls will encourage customers to sit down and enjoy a meal rather than simply passing through.According to Chairman and CEO John Chidsey, who describes the overhaul as "contemporary, edgy, futuristic . . . like an upscale restaurant," the 60 outlets that have already been revamped have generated 12 to 15 percent more sales.

The "20/20" design transformation, as it's called, is a huge risk for Burger King. The overhaul will take several years to complete worldwide, and will cost franchisees a whopping $300,000 to $600,000 per restaurant. Check out new store pictures. Could a redesign coax you into buying more BK?

Learn How to Get Hot Chicks: Don't Watch TV Ads

TresSugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0700

If men listened to television ads, they'd think that smaller was better (BK Burger Bites), that women love the smell of rancid cologne (Axe), and that you can cover up the fact that you haven't bathed or washed your sheets in ages (Febreze). Not only that, but they'd think that really hot chicks don't just put up with that stuff - they looove it! (And we wonder why men and women have trouble knowing what the other half wants.)

From Bad to Worse: The Unhealthiest Fast Food Items

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:00:04 -0700

In case you're wondering what not to eat at the major fast food chains, Next Generation Food has made it easy for you with this handy new chart. It's a colorful reminder of what we already know: fast food is not very good for you. However, the figures are still unsettling.

The chart illustrates the bad (Dunkin' Donuts) to the worse (Pizza Hut) and stacks them up against each other in fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calorie content. Here's a small sampling of what you'll see.

An Angry Triple Whopper from Burger King has a whopping 90 grams of fat.
A Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 500 calories.
A Super Sonic Cheeseburger has 175 mg of cholesterol
A 14-inch Supreme Stuffed Crust Pizza from Pizza Hut has 4,500 mg of sodium

If you can't avoid eating fast food, try these healthier options instead.

6 Burger King Menu Items Under 300 Calories

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:52:32 -0700

When traveling on the road this Summer, grabbing a quick meal is sometimes unavoidable. So if you find yourself having to stop into a fast food chain, you'll need to know about some low-calorie options. I already told you about McDonalds menu items under 300 calories, but if you find yourself at a Burger King, here are five menu options that are also under 300 calories. I'm not saying they're super healthy or anything (many are high in sodium and fat), I'm just saying they won't break the calorie bank.

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Burger King Battles Controversy, Contemplates Menu Changes

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:00:24 -0700

Burger King has found itself in the spotlight again after offending a religious group and most recently contemplating major menu changes. The number two fast food chain has upset Hindus worldwide with a new Spanish print campaign that features the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi, sitting atop a meat sandwich with the caption, "A snack that's sacred," in Spanish.

The Hindu religion, which has the highest proportion of vegetarians among major denominations, frowns upon showing meat with a revered goddess, as well as exploiting one of its sacred symbols. Although the Hindu American Foundation has demanded that Burger King pull the ad, so far, BK has declined to comment. Perhaps the chain's executives were focused on other developments. Today, Burger King store operators are voting on a measure to slash the price of its double cheeseburger to $1 this Summer, in an effort to win over competitors' customers - and at a time when top rival McDonald's has been focusing on premium offerings. Last year, rising costs forced the world's biggest burger chain to remove its trademark Double Cheeseburger from its Dollar Menu.

Do you feel that Burger King has made two major missteps, by offending members of a religious community, and focusing on low-end items? Should the advertisement be withdrawn, and an apology issued? Would you be more likely to eat at Burger King than McDonald's if the company offered a $1 double cheeseburger?

Photo by flickr user Neubie

Adrageous: Burger King Goes to Singapore

TresSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0700

I guess like a marauding douchebag businessman on vacation away from the wifey, Burger King feels it can go to a foreign land, throw away any standards of decent behavior, and just go wild.

Take this Burger King ad in Singapore. I couldn't believe it was real, but alas, it is. You know if they tried to get away with this here, they'd get slapped upside the head by all the angry women folk brainwashed by feminism. (You know, cuz that's how they think?) But in Singapore? Hopefully some women (and men!) will be up in arms at this visual pollution. I mean - if chewing gum is illegal in Singapore, sexist crap advertisements should be, too.

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Burger King to Add Pork Ribs to Menu

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:00:20 -0700

Since all things pig - from chicharrones to bacon everything to whole hog dinners - are the rage right now, it only makes sense that the fast food industry wants a piece of the pork pie. At this week's World Pork Expo, Burger King announced that it's testing out "Fire-Grilled Ribs" in four different markets and hopes to expand by next year.The ribs are now available in Las Vegas, NV, Indianapolis, IN, Greensboro, NC, and Orlando, FL. The St. Louis-style ribs will be portioned into 2-inch pieces, offered in three-, six-, or eight-piece servings, and served with a dipping sauce. The fast food company has spent more than a year developing this new product with the National Pork Board. According to the board's president Steve Weaver, Burger King's goal is to offer the product in nearly half of its US restaurants in 2010.

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While Casual Chains Drop Prices, Fast Food Trades Up

YumSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:00:37 -0700

Regardless of its location, price point, or popularity, no restaurant has remained untouched by the deteriorating economy. While many high-end restaurants have made adjustments, some of the most drastic changes taking place are happening between fast and casual food chains.

Casual restaurant chains such as Applebee's, Chili's, and TGI Friday's have desperately tried to keep sales steady with bargain deals. Applebee's started the trend by appealing to cash-strapped diners with a limited-time offer for a large appetizer with two entrees for just $20. Chili's joined in soon after with a "ten under $7" value menu. Earlier this week, TGI Friday's slashed the prices of all sandwiches and salads to a mere $5.Ironically enough, fast food chains have focused on premium items. Late last year, Burger King aimed to go higher-end with a new line of ribs, and this August, McDonald's is coming out with a one-third-pound Angus beef burger that's priced at $3.99. The number one fast food chain has also been selling specialty coffee drinks at its McCafé stores.

As both segments expand their food offerings, the casual chain and fast food sectors have become somewhat redundant. Have you frequented more fast food or casual chains lately? Which do you think has a better business model?

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Burger King Apologizes For Controversial Commercial

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:00:21 -0700

Burger King announced yesterday that it was revising controversial ads for its Texican Whopper in England and Spain after Mexico's ambassador spoke out against the campaign, calling it offensive. The commercials promoted the Europe-only Texican Whopper, a burger with chili con carne, jalapeños, onion, lettuce, a wheat bun, and Cajun mayonnaise. They featured an American cowboy and a pocket-sized wrestler wearing a cape that resembles the Mexican flag. Jorge Zermeno, the Mexican ambassador to Spain, called the chain's ads damaging to the country's image and its flag.

In a letter to Burger King's Spanish division, Zermeno asked that the commercials be removed from the air because they "improperly used the stereotyped image of a Mexican.” In response, the burger chain released a statement saying it was revamping its campaign: "The revised campaign will focuses solely on the Texican Whopper sandwich and will not feature any characters or the use of the Mexican flag. The revised campaign will be on air and in restaurants as soon as commercially possible.”

I don't find this commercial shocking or surprising, given Burger King's track record of eyebrow raising advertisements, from the recent Sir Mix-a-Lot spot to last year's Whopper Virgins. After watching the video below, tell me: Do you think Burger King made the right move?

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