While ordering a burger may not be the first thing on many people's minds during the holiday season with so many festive cookies and cakes to contend with, there is a lot to keep up with at this time of year (Gifts! Parties! Shopping!)
But with a third of Americans eating fast food every day, there are still plenty of folks looking for a little bit of jolly in their breakfast, lunch, or dinner run.
Fast-food brands know this, and they're cashing in on holiday cheer with a few different approaches. At McDonald's (MCD), there's a contest called the "SZN of Sharing" that offers food deals, as well as a chance to win the highly coveted McGold card, which would grant cardholders two free McDonald's meals a week for the next 50 years. Ho ho ho, indeed.
Wendy's (WEN) is going for more of a low-key vibe with its seasonal Peppermint Frosty, but the rest of its menu is still pretty much just the classics. You can also buy a nifty little keychain tag for $2 as a gift (to someone else or yourself) which can be used to get a free Jr. Frosty with any purchase for the next year.
Restaurant Brands International (QSR) chain Burger King, always up for some creative innovation, has also joined in the festivities with its own jolly additions.
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Burger King's Holiday Spirit
American Burger King customers have a lot to look forward to this month. Playing on the traditional 12 Days of Christmas theme, the chain is offering "12 Days of Deals" which gives discounts every day, such as $3 Impossible Whoppers and free cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches (on specific days, of course).
Outside America, there are lots of different deals in other countries that celebrate the holiday too. Japanese Burger King locations are getting a new Whopper on Dec. 9 called the "Winter Whopper," which features gouda cheese and a spicy new hot sauce.
In Germany, another country that celebrates Christmas, Burger King has an advent calendar event that's giving away free food, money, e-scooters, money, and more.
Fast Food Set to Perform This Holiday
With prices soaring for groceries and inflation fears high, fast-food chains have a special edge -- offering meals that are more affordable than dining out at even moderately-priced restaurants.
But with folks spending so much on holiday shopping on Black Friday that even Amazon recorded its most successful event to date, inflation-fueled budget cuts have to come from somewhere. And if buying a fun holiday meal or getting a few bucks off on a quick lunch during a frenzied mall shopping trip, then fast food is on track to have a great December.
Burger King has made leveraging the Whopper a core part of its strategy. That has included offering dozens of different versions of the famed sandwich all around the world.
In the U.S. the company has perhaps steered away from the most daring takes on the iconic sandwich, but the chain has been very willing to use its most famous brand to get attention.
During his company's first-quarter 2022 earnings call, Restaurant Brands Chief Executive Jose Cil made clear that the Whopper was a very important piece of the chain's marketing plans.
"This quarter, we demonstrated our balanced approach to menu innovation and value for money while keeping our core equity, the Whopper, top of mind," he said. "We kicked off the year with a new $5 Have It Your Way Meal, featuring a Double Whopper Jr. In addition, in order to treat the Whopper as a powerful multibillion-dollar brand that it is, we removed the legendary burger from our core discount offerings."
