McDonald's has multiple billion-dollar brands. In addition to its signature sandwich, the Big Mac, it has Chicken McNuggets, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Egg McMuffins, and probably a few others.
The chain also has the best fast-food fries. Rivals including Wendy's and Burger King have challenged this over the years, failing badly. Something magical about McDonald's (MCD) -) fries has left other chains struggling to match them, and the fast-food giant has a menu full of hit products that customers have a close connection to.
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Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) -) Burger King lacks the same killer lineup. It does not have a deep array of sandwiches that people feel nostalgic about. Yes, it has some items with a following, like its classic Italian Chicken Sandwich, but its only billion-dollar brand, really the only megastar on its menu, is The Whopper.
That may not seem like enough to take on a powerhouse like McDonald's or a rival with a higher perceived quality level in Wendy's, but the chain has tried to make the Whopper its Lionel Messi, Michael Jordan or Tom Brady.
Even those great stars, however, had help. Jordan had Scottie Pippen, Brady had Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and others, while Messi has played with other greats including Neymar, and Dani Alves.
The Whopper, sadly, does not have a Pippen or even an Edelman supporting it as Burger King's fries are closer to the other Gronkowski brothers than they are to Rob.
So, in its latest digital-only offer, Burger King has paired its newest Whopper with a side dish that does not appear on menus at McDonald's or Wendy's.
Image source: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Burger King offers a melty Whopper meal
Burger King has fallen well behind McDonald's when it comes to technology and its app. McDonald's has prioritized ordering kiosks, its app, and improving efficiency for many years.
That was an edge the Golden Arches chain exploited during the covid pandemic where it was better positioned to pivot to a delivery and takeout model. Wendy's and Burger King have struggled to keep up but both have grown their digital customer bases and getting people to download their app.
To do that both burger chains have offered app-only deals. Burger King's latest offer pairs its newest Whopper with a side dish unique to its menu (at least among the big three burger chains).
"Priced at $9.99, and available exclusively on the BK App and Online, The Meltiest Meal of the Year features your choice of Melt served with a 4-piece order of Cheesy Tots, small fries, and a small drink," Chew Boom reported.
Whopper Melts, which the chain brought back a few months ago, are a variant of the classic sandwich served on round bread instead of the classic bun. They come in three varieties, the new Shroom n’ Swiss Melt, the Classic Melt, and a Bacon Melt.
Burger King bets big on digital
Burger King did post a 7.6% gain in same-store sales and a 6.6% change in the third quarter. That's a sign that the company's turnaround efforts are working and that its digital investments are paying off.
Restaurant Brands CEO Josh Kobza spoke about those efforts during his company's Q3 earnings call.
"Digital sales are a win, win, win as they deliver a better experience for guests and team members and higher average checks and frequency for franchisees," he said. "Restaurants with a modern image also typically see better operations, as they have more efficient back-of-house layouts, new restaurant technology, and improved team member retention."
Burger King will continue to make changes at its stores, according to the CEO.
"Our team is in the process of rolling out a new proprietary operating system that further streamlines back-of-house flow for team members and products, especially in a digital era with multiple order and fulfillment channels. We expect to have the dynamic service system ... in over 2,000 restaurants by the end of 2023, with a path to 100% in the coming years," he added.
