In recent years, most innovation at Burger King seems to be adding new toppings to the company's iconic Whopper. That's not a terrible ideas as unlike rival McDonald's (MCD), Burger King does have a menu that's deep with classic brands.
You can argue that Chicken Fries are on their way iconic status and the Croissan'wich has some name recognition, but neither one equals Chicken McNuggets or the Egg McMuffin when it comes to enduring popularity. The Restaurants Brands International (QSR) brand has leaned on the Whopper because that the only mega-star in the company's lineup.
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Back in the 80s and 90s, however, Burger King did create a unique product line in its so-called "long" sandwiches. These were sandwiches served on bread that was closer to a sub or hoagie roll rather than a traditional round burger role. Those sandwiches were a mixed success with Veal Parmesan and Ham and Cheese never making much of a mark, but the classic Chicken Sandwich and Italian Chicken Sandwich becoming popular enough that they have been frequently brought back.
In fact, over the years, Burger King has promoted a variety of International Chicken Sandwiches which would would always include the Italian version. Now, while Burger King hasn't brought back the classic "long" Italian Chicken Sandwich, it has returned its modern take on the dish, the BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich to menus nationwide.
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Burger King Brings Back a Fan Favorite
Like McDonald's, Burger King has been trying to capitalize on the chicken sandwich craze caused by its sister brand Popeye's. That chain upped the ante for chicken sandwiches by using a larger piece of meat rather than the traditional cutlet used in fast-food chicken sandwiches.
Neither Burger King nor McDonald's has quite nailed the execution the way Popeye's has. McDonald's has embraced its "McCrispy" line after trying other options while Burger King first tried the Ch'King line before dropping that in favor of its BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich.
The BK Royal comes in "Spicy" and "Bacon and Swiss" versions and it's about to be joined by a returning favorite that's a nod to Burger King's past, the Italian BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich.
"The returning fan-favorite Italian BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich features a crispy white meat breast fillet topped with marinara sauce and melty Mozzarella cheese on a toasted potato bun," Chew Boom reported.
And, while this may not be as exciting to long-time fans as if the chain had brought back the classic "long" Italian Chicken Sandwich, it's a modern take on doing exactly that. In addition, Burger King does offer the Original Chicken Sandwich, the old-school chicken patty served on a sub-style role, on its permanent menu.
Burger King also recently added to its chicken offerings by bringing back its "Fiery" nuggets, a spicy version of its chicken nugget.
Burger King Wants to Grow
In addition to making menu changes, Burger King has also been addressing its restaurant lineup in the US. The chain had one major franchisee go bankrupt, but RBI CEO Josh Kobza does not believe this will ultimately impact the chain's overall U.S. growth.
"And finally, we have had a few recent insolvencies in the US. And I know a key question is how many more should we expect and what are the implications of that for potential gross restaurant closures," he said during the chain's first-quarter earnings call. "Historically, we've closed a couple 100 units at Burger King US each year, and had a couple of years in the 300 to 400 range, such as 2020. We currently expect growth is in that 300 to 400 range here for the full year."
The CEO did make it clear that those plans could change.
"I would emphasize that there is a fair degree of uncertainty regarding exact numbers. And this will depend to some extent on the pace of recovery in the business, which we've already begun to see," he added.
