Sometimes a menu item from a chain's secret menu joins its permanent menu. That's something Starbucks has done more than once, at least partially as a way to formally create a recipe so customers get the same experience each time.
In other cases, a secret menu item might simply be a customer creation that became popular on social media. You may not be able to order it by name, but if the chain has the ingredients, you can either simply order all the needed parts and build it yourself, or tell the person taking your order what you want.
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McDonald's (MCD) , for example, won't put an apple pie in your McFlurry, but you can order both and make its famed secret menu Apple Pie McFlurry. The some logic applies to its Hash Browns McMuffin (a hash brown added between the English muffin on any McMuffin).
McDonald's will, however, make secret menu items that involve leaving items off of dishes. Customers can order a Big Mac 'n Cheese, which is simply a Big Mac without the burger patties. You may have to order it by saying it that way, rather than using the name, but you can get one.
Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) Burger King does not have as evolved a secret menu as its rival, but a viral sensation product its offering in Japan could easily be recreated here in the U.S. (at really any chain that sells burgers and fries).
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Burger King brings back the "Fake Burger"
In recent years, Burger King has leaned heavily on its Whopper brand for any new innovations. Customers know the name, understand the basic proposition, and that makes the platform ideal to bring attention to new ideas.
In its latest offering, which has only been released in Japan, Burger King has not used the Whopper branding. Instead, it's simply calling the limited-time-offer, the Fake Burger.
"The Fake Burger features French fries, two slices of gouda cheese, and Bull's Eye BBQ sauce on a toasted bun. It's the second burger to carry the 'Fake Burger' name as Burger King Japan offered a similar fry burger four years ago," Brand Eating reported. "The previous Fake Burger consisted of French fries and a special meat sauce on a toasted bun."
Both versions of the Fake Burger are variations of a common offering in the United Kingdom, the Chip Butty. That sandwich, which is served on bread, not a burger bun, is simply chips (what Americans think of as french fries) between two slices of bread.
Burger King fans in the U.S. may not be able to get the gouda cheese or Bull's Eye BBQ sauce, but they could easily order a variant of the Fake Burger.
Burger King has driven global growth
Restaurant Brands International, which also owns Popeyes, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse Subs reported strong international growth in the fourth quarter. CEO Joshua Kobza talked about that during his company's Q4 earnings call.
"Each brand is well positioned for growth in some of the most attractive global quick-service restaurant categories, all aided by the resources and development expertise we've developed over the years through our scaled global Burger King business," he said.
Basically, Burger King paved the way for what has been a global success story.
"For the fourth quarter, our International segment grew comparable sales by 4.6% and net restaurants 8.9%, driving system-wide sales growth of 12.8%. Although comparable sales were still quite solid, they were impacted by softening performance in China and select markets in Western Europe, continued price moderation and the effect of the conflict in the Middle East on upwards of a dozen countries," he added.
The company's international growth has been truly global.
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"In 2023, we grew in over 75 markets outside of the U.S. and Canada and signed 15 development and master franchise agreements for 15 new markets, including Tim Hortons Singapore and South Korea, Firehouse in Mexico and the UAE, and Popeyes and Burger King in Bosnia, which all serve as long-term opportunities for our brands," Kobza shared.
