6 Major Changes Underway at Burger King
Last year was undeniably a period of sweeping change—both good and bad—at America's third-largest burger chain. On the positive side, Burger King rolled out plenty of exciting new menu innovations, saw its earworm "Whopper Whopper" jingle reach viral popularity, and overhauled its franchising strategy to strengthen the business. On a more negative note, it also closed hundreds of struggling restaurants and saw several major franchisees declare bankruptcy amid declining customer traffic and rising operating costs.
This year, Burger King customers should expect to see just as much, if not more, change at the fast-food giant. That includes continued work under its ongoing "Reclaim the Flame" initiative, which entails hundreds of millions of dollars of investments to improve Burger King's brand and image. From menu enhancements to a renewed emphasis on affordability, plenty of other developments that have direct implications for customers are underway at Burger King this year as well.
Read on for the six major changes taking place at Burger King in 2024!
Fans get to create the next Whopper
One key pillar of Burger King's "Reclaim the Flame" initiative is highlighting its signature Whopper with premium branding and new flavor options. And this year, the chain is recruiting fans to design its next big Whopper creation.
In February, Burger King launched a "Million Dollar Whopper Contest" that allowed customers to submit their best custom Whopper ideas for a chance to win $1 million. Fans could submit ideas through mid-March, and Burger King planned to invite three finalists to its company headquarters to refine their concepts before they hit menus later this year.
Guests will then be able to try the three final Whopper creations and place votes for their favorites, with the winner taking home the $1 million prize. Burger King has yet to announce the contest results, so keep your eyes peeled for unique new Whopper options later in 2024.
Farewell mozzarella sticks, hello Mozzarella Fries
Mozzarella Fries (Per 8-Piece Order)
Calories: 480
Fat: 24 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 1,570 mg
Carbs: 48 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 19 g
Burger King officially bid farewell to its original mozzarella sticks in May this year, but immediately replaced them with its own unique spin on the popular snack: Mozzarella Fries. The "fries" feature fry-shaped mozzarella cheese sticks that are coated in a crispy seasoned breading and served with a side of marinara sauce, offering a cheesy alternative to Burger King's Chicken Fries.
While the Mozzarella Fries were originally offered as a test item in Columbus, Ohio, in 2023, they're currently available as a permanent option at Burger King restaurants nationwide.
Plenty of new menu launches
Fiery Bacon Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich (Per Item)
Calories: 930
Fat: 59 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 2,540 mg
Carbs: 67 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 15 g)
Protein: 39 g
New Whoppers and fries aren't the only exciting new additions hitting Burger King menus in 2024. In fact, the chain has been rolling out brand-new foods, beverages, and desserts at a rapid pace ever since the start of the year.
The fresh arrivals include a new Fiery Menu comprised of five spicy foods and beverages, a new Birthday Pie Slice, a Philly Royal Crispy Wrap, and a Philly Melt. Burger King also offered a Frozen Cotton Candy beverage for a limited time this spring, as well as tested a line of Flame-Grilled Chicken Sandwiches and Wraps in select markets in June.
Considering just how many new menu items have made their debut so far in 2024, customers may want to watch out for other exciting new launches this year.
An emphasis on value
$5 Your Way Meal with Whopper Jr. and Coca-Cola (Per Order)
Calories: 944
Fat: 41 g (Saturated Fat: 8.5 g, Trans Fat: 0.2 g)
Sodium: 1,270.2 mg
Carbs: 128.2 g (Fiber: 5.2 g, Sugar: 61.3 g)
Protein: 27.3 g
In response to growing outrage over rising fast-food prices, many chains have been introducing new value menus or meals geared toward inflation-wary customers. Burger King jumped on the trend in June by bringing back its $5 Your Way Meal—a promotion only offered on a limited basis in the past.
The affordable bundle comes with a four-piece order of chicken nuggets, a small order of fries, a soft drink, and the customer's choice of either a Whopper Jr. , Chicken Jr. , or bacon cheeseburger. Burger King hasn't announced an exact end date for the deal, though it said the $5 Your Way Meal will stick around at participating locations all summer.
Burger King restaurants are getting a refresh
In addition to treating the Whopper with the importance it deserves, Burger King's "Reclaim the Flame" initiative included a $250 million investment to update restaurants with new kitchen equipment, technology, and a more modern look. In April 2024, the company announced that it would invest another $300 million in remodeling its stores.
The burger chain aims to have 85% to 95% of its American locations remodeled with the same modern design by 2028. These store updates are meant to ensure that the restaurants and workers are prepared to serve guests, which can, in turn, result in a better customer experience.
This past spring, Burger King's parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) also purchased its largest franchisee: Carrols Restaurant Group. It expects to funnel another $500 million into remodeling 600 existing Carrols locations by 2028. Afterward, it plans to refranchise almost all Carrols restaurants to smaller, local operators.
Fewer restaurant closures
Burger King has been shuttering hundreds of locations annually for years now as it works to purge underperforming stores from its system and improve the health of the business as a whole. The chain's net restaurant total declined by 3.7% in 2023, for example, indicating that it closed nearly 300 locations last year alone.
However, Burger King's parent company RBI believes that the chain's mass closures may finally be over. To be clear, the chain may still shutter additional stores in 2024, but the chain doesn't expect the number of closures to be quite as high as in the past.
"We believe most of these closures are behind us and expect a more normalized level of closure activity in 2024," CEO Josh Kobza said during a February earnings call.
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