The King Is Dead

That's right, guys. The iconic Burger King mascot is no more; he was unceremoniously dethroned in a PE boardroom in August. New York-based 3G Capital took over the burger chain in 2010 and ran off the old board of directors, and the new sheriff in town sent The King packing.

While I wasn't surprised to see Burger King behind McDonald's in sales, I was surprised to learn that Burger King trails Wendy's too. I'd sooner take a kick in the nuts than eat Wendy's (mad props to Dave Thomas from a business perspective and everything he did over the years for adopted kids, though).

It's an interesting marketing decision on the part of the new Burger King board. They signed an exclusive deal with Pepsi in Latin America (owned by the same parent company), and they plan to expand their Brazilian footprint from 100 stores to over 1,000.

I happen to love Burger King. The only fast food burger chain I like more is Jack In The Box (well, In 'N' Out, but they don't really count). But for some reason Burger King is hit and miss on the global market. They made it for a few years here in France, and then they went under and their properties were acquired by Quick. Spain and Germany have Burger King, but that's a hell of a drive for a flame-broiled Whopper.

The man behind the Burger King acquisition is Brazil's own Jorge Paulo Lemann, and all of you with BSD dreams should read about this guy. He started Brazil's first modern investment bank when he was only 32 years old and did it under a military dictatorship. That was after years as a top-ranked tennis pro and graduating from Harvard with an econ degree.

So I'm wondering who or what will be the face of Burger King now that the King is dead. There has to be some European monarchy hard up for cash right now; maybe they'll rope in an actual king as spokesman. In any case, here is the definitive league table in the burger wars:

  1. In 'N' Out Double Double (animal style)
  2. Jack In The Box Sourdough Jack
  3. Burger King Whopper (no onions)
  4. Quick Quick 'N' Toast (basically a French Sourdough Jack)
  5. Carl's Jr. regular hamburger
  6. McDonald's Big Mac

Did I miss anybody?

 

I feel like Five Guys isn't really directly comparable to McDonald's, In N Out, etc., although maybe I'm splitting hairs. Also, of course if you're from NYC or Kuwait (seriously, check out their website), Shake Shack definitely gets a mention and is probably gets a second place mention, although of course is inferior to In N Out.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 

Too bad--I'm more of a Burger King fan than a McDonald's fan myself. I don't know how the marketing machine can recover if they have to start from scratch. Any idea why they gave it the axe besides to save money?

Until I try this much ballyhooed In N Out, I'll stick with Five Guys or the Whopper. Wendy's Baconater is pretty solid too.

Metal. Music. Life. www.headofmetal.com
 

1) The King lives. I was rolling through some bumfuckville last week and saw his cheesy grill piece in the window with that deliciously psychotic expression mugging back at me.

2) How the fuck do you hate on Wendy's and the Baconator, not to mention the BBC (no homo) and their O.G. frosty selection?

3) It ain't a burger, but a league table without a Nathan's Famous is like a junk bond without Milken.

 
Best Response

I would say that Five Guys is positioning itself as almost an East Coast In-N-Out.

Although they are fast food, I don't think of Five Guys and In-N-Out when I think fast food for whatever reason. I put them in line more with places like Chipotle, Panera, etc. Only been to INO twice, but whenever I'm at Five Guys I go in and sit down.

I'm not much of a fast food burger person. I'll eat Steak and Shake's Frisco Melt, but besides that if I get FF I'm getting chicken. The McChicken is decent but the other choices in my area kick the shit out of it (Chick-fil-a especially). Out of the big chains I prefer Wendy's. Good spicy chicken sandwich.

Unless I'm on a road trip, I will not eat McDonald's or BK (BK especially).

MM IB -> Corporate Development -> Strategic Finance
 

I've seen a rebranding coming down the pipline for a while...

my dad owns a window cleaning/power washing company here in the Greater Toronto Area and our biggest and most reliable clients have always been quick-service restaurants. 2006 there were about 50 Burger Kings that we serviced from Niagara Falls to Kitchener to Newmarket to Oshawa, which is a pretty big area for all you non GTAers, each location dropping about $600 a month on cleaning services. That shit started to spiral down the drain and has now dried up HUUUUGE. Go in to most Burger King locations and the grounds and windows look horrible.

Every week it feels like they are bring out some new stupid burger combination and just recycling the same garbage ingredients... Its time they try a rebranding strategy and turn that ship around. Perhaps the death of the King is a good thing

Get it!
 

I liked In and Out when I was in the States (though, it was a rare treat as I've only seen it on the West Coast) but besides pricier places like Shake Shack and other 'premium, fast-food like' burger places in NYC, I haven't been able to find other chains I would eat a burger from.

If any of you American WSOers come north of the border - head over to Harvey's for good burgers within fast-food prices. There's also Lick's in Toronto but they're a bit pricier.

 

100-->1000 in Brazil? Stay out of my country, I like Brazilian beaches the way they are, I don't want to see a bunch of American style big girls

My drinkin' problem left today, she packed up all her bags and walked away.
 
Edmundo Braverman:
Kenny Powers:
100-->1000 in Brazil? Stay out of my country, I like Brazilian beaches the way they are, I don't want to see a bunch of American style big girls

LOL.

Don't hate...it's all pink in the middle!!!

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 
Edmundo Braverman:
Kenny Powers:
100-->1000 in Brazil? Stay out of my country, I like Brazilian beaches the way they are, I don't want to see a bunch of American style big girls

LOL.

precisely...

My drinkin' problem left today, she packed up all her bags and walked away.
 

Just never dug the flavor. Always tasted cheap to me (I know, it's all cheap, ignore the irony). Like I said, I give Dave Thomas a lot of credit. Wendy's was the first burger joint with a salad bar and non-traditional menu items (chili, frosties, etc...). He was definitely an innovator - just look at the square burgers. I just always found the food nasty.

 

i don't see how any McD's or BK survives in a neighborhood that has in and out.

and five guys = very weak imitation of in and out.

the only person allowed to work the grill at an in an out is the manager, who requires several years of tenure. for that tenure he takes home 175K annually.

in and out also doesn't use chemical leaveners to accelerate the yeast rise in their buns. they only use the middle 2/3 of the tomatoes. they do not use lettuce core slices. also, only beef shoulder hamburger is used with closely supervised slaughterhouse supplies.

it is a well-run and deservedly beloved old-school business that puts any other establishment to shame. when i saw the guys working the five guys grill, i was not surprised that my burger was a sloppy, greasy, soggy piece of shit. there is no care in that process. they can do the red and white decor all they want but it is not in and out and i just pity the poor blighters who think they are doing anything than overpaying for a crappy burger.

if you have not tried it you cannot possibly understand.

 

five guys and In-N-Out are not comparable to burger king, mcdonalds, wendys, etc. I have to drop like 8 or 9 bucks there to get a burger and fries while at wendys I can spend $4 and be full

1 Double stack - $1 1 Chicken Sandwich- $1 1 Loaded Baked Potato - $1.5 Small Drink- $1

BOOM

"Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them." - Bud Fox
 
noke2012:
five guys and In-N-Out are not comparable to burger king, mcdonalds, wendys, etc. I have to drop like 8 or 9 bucks there to get a burger and fries while at wendys I can spend $4 and be full

1 Double stack - $1 1 Chicken Sandwich- $1 1 Loaded Baked Potato - $1.5 Small Drink- $1

BOOM

are you going to a special in and out on balboa island that charges extra? last time i was there it was 1.7 for a burger, 1 for fries and >2 for a drink

 

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