Give the people what they want.
It's a simple mantra, but in the fast-food space, it works. That's why you almost always see chains copy each other rather than innovate.
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When Popeye's, for example, changed the notion of what a chicken sandwich should be, McDonald's (MCD) -) and even the chicken chain's sister restaurant, Burger King, followed pretty quickly with versions that copied the one that caused the craze.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then there's a lot of flattery across the quick-serve-restaurant space.
Starbucks, for example, should be very flattered that Dunkin' essentially waits for it to innovate and then copies it. The same certainly happens across the burger space with Wendy's (WEN) -), McDonald's, and Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) -) Burger King all watching each other to see what new menu items resonate with customers.
For Burger King's latest innovation, however, it's looking to McDonald's' past and adding a line that copies a beloved product that the Golden Arches stopped offering.
Image source: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Burger King Listens to McDonald's Customers
Most McDonald's locations are run by franchisees. That means the company has to serve two audiences, its customers and its franchise owners. Those two groups don't always want the same things.
Franchisees pushed back, for example, on the chain's popular All-Day Breakfast. Customers loved being able to order hash browns and an Egg McMuffin after the traditional breakfast window, but franchise owners said it complicated production in the kitchens, slowing their operations.
McDonald's gave in during the covid pandemic -- a time when the company's focus changed to streamlining operations for delivery -- and got rid of it. That wasn't a customer-friendly move. It was an operational decision that was a concession to franchisees.
The same thing led to the elimination of the chain's famous Snack Wraps. Those items, which are still offered in Canada, were meant to either have customers spend a little more at lunch and dinner or drive them to McDonald's outside meal hours.
Customers loved them and regularly pushed the chain on social media to bring them back. Franchisees did not think they were worth the added effort to make, so they were removed from the menu and have not been brought back despite considerable demand.
Now, Burger King has listened to what McDonald's fans are asking for and will add its take on Snack Wraps to menus nationwide beginning Aug. 14.
Burger King Adds Its Take on Snack Wraps
Burger King, of course, is not referencing McDonald's in any of its materials around the new product launch. It's hard, however, not to see the new BK Royal Crispy Wraps as anything other than homage to what its rival has taken away from customers.
The new Burger King offering will come in three flavors: Classic, Spicy, and Honey Mustard
"BK Royal Crispy Wraps are the latest chicken-based innovation from Burger King, featuring crispy white meat chicken, juicy tomato, crisp lettuce, and one of three flavors in a soft tortilla," the company said in a news release.
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The new menu items cost $2.99 each and the chain has positioned them in the same way its rival pushed its Snack Wraps calling them "perfectly sized and a delicious snack or addition to any Burger King meal."
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