Burger King Opens Whopper Bar
Fast food restaurant chain Burger King opened its first Whopper Bar concept restaurant at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, FL on March 10. Burger King plans to expand the concept globally in the next six to 12 months.
The Whopper Bar allows patrons to select from a Whopper or Double Whopper sandwich, or the new Steakhouse XT burger, and then choose from 22 different sandwich toppings. Sandwiches are built to order by what Burger King calls a “Whopperista” from the “Whopper Topper,” a visible toppings theater.
The Whopper Bar will also feature a Bar Favorites menu that will include other new and established sandwiches. The décor will be what Burger King terms a “crisp, modern, bar-like look and feel. Crew uniforms will emphasize the red, black and gray color scheme of the bar setting with what is described as a “more contemporary cut.” Sandwiches will packaged in an upgraded, carton-like box.
The Whopper Bar launch follows the launch of an urban-themed interactive restaurant concept called Burger King Studio in Chicago, IL in fall 2008. There is also a Burger King Studio location at the Universal Orlando Resort.
Burger King is launching new store concepts during a time of intense competition among major US fast food retailers. While Burger King reported a same-store sales increase of 1.9% in February 2009, during the month rival fast food operator Wendy’s reported an increase of 3.7% and McDonald’s reported an increase of 2.8%.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index, restaurant retailers are competing for a slowly growing audience. The index rose 1% from its historic low of 96.4 in December 2008 to 97.4 in January 2009.
Also, according the NPD Group’s Consumer Reports on Eating Share Trends, foodservice traffic advanced by 0.2% for the year ending November 2008 compared to the year ending 2007, and consumer spending grew by 2%. Comments from Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for NPD Group, indicate Burger King may be on the right track with its new concepts.
“The restaurants that deliver value and make it easy to get food cheaper, in new and compelling ways, will win,” said Balzer.
Burger King plans to open a Whopper Bar store in Munich, Germany in summer 2009. Other planned Whopper Bar sites include Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY in the US, and Singapore internationally. Burger King operates more than 11,700 restaurants in all 50 US states and in 74 countries and US territories worldwide. Approximately 90% of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.
Editor’s Note: View current and historical same-store sales data from Burger King and other retailers.