After Burger King launched the Whopper in 1957, the sandwich had nearly a full decade as the premium fast-food hamburger chain's signature champion.
McDonald's did not even launch its attempt at a premium hamburger until 1976.
And for decades the Whopper followed a relatively simple recipe.
'A real meaty flame-grilled Whopper beef patty, topped with tangy pickles, ketchup, fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and fresh onions, finished with creamy mayo, and served on a toasted 5" sesame seed bun," Burger King describes on its website.
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In the 1980s, '90s and '00s the Restaurant Brands International (QSR) -) chain offered uncomplicated variants on the formula. Maybe the chain would add barbecue sauce or change the type of cheese, but the changes were simple takes on the core recipe.
Recently, however, Burger King has taken a very broad approach to what it calls a Whopper. That includes the current line of Whopper Melts, which replace the classic sesame seed bun with toasted bread rounds.
The chain started these new Whopper varieties in 2006 with the Texas Whopper. That still wasn't a major departure — it was in line with past promotions.
But things got weirder from there with the Angry Whopper and various Halloween Whoppers, which had red and black buns respectively.
Now, to promote its Whopper Melt line, Burger King has a new meal that's available only via its app.
Image source: Burger King/TheStreet
Burger King offers menu hack meal
Burger King and McDonald's (MCD) -) have the necessary ingredients to make a float on their menus, but for some reason, they don't offer one.
McDonald's shows a Coke float on a page in the nutrition part of its website but does not currently let you order one. Burger King also shows a Coke Float on its website but it's not formally on the current menu.
Of course, building your own float is a relatively easy menu hack. Order a soda and a small dish of soft-serve ice cream and you can easily create your own take on the treat. Burger King is clearly aware of this hack as it's referencing it in its new app-only Whopper Melt meal
"Priced at $7.99, the new Whatever Floats Your Melt Meal features your choice of BK Melt served with a soft-serve cup and drink," Chew Boom first reported.
The chain could easily make the float for you, but it has chosen not to.
The Whopper Melt line returned to Burger King locations nationwide on Dec. 7. The chain currently offers three versions: the new Shroom n’ Swiss Melt and the returning Classic Melt and Bacon Melt.
Burger King plays catchup to McDonald's
McDonald's pushed its franchise owners into investing in fulfilling digital orders and adding kiosks to their stores.
That's an area where Burger King has lagged, and Restaurants Brands CEO Josh Kobza, speaking during his company's third-quarter-earnings call, made clear that his company plans to correct that.
"We made a lot of progress in the quarter. We were up, I think over 40% in terms of digital sales at both Burger King and Popeyes. I think those teams are doing a really nice job on getting all the basics right," he said.
The company is improving its technology and using app-only deals to push customer adoption.
"They're making sure the apps are faster. They're really learning how to work well with the delivery business. So they're growing that business," he added. "And I think importantly with Burger King, we're starting to make some progress figuring out kiosks."
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