BK grilled chicken sandwiches
Encyclopedia
International fast-food restaurant chain Burger King
has introduced a variety of grilled chicken sandwiches to its products portfolio since 1990. The current iteration in the majority of its markets is the TenderGrill chicken sandwich, with some of its other markets still utilizing the older Chicken Whopper name for the product. The TenderGrill sandwich was introduced part of a series of sandwiches designed to expand Burger King's menu with both more sophisticated, adult oriented fare and present a larger, meatier product that appealed to 24-36 adult males.
dusted roll. The product came at a time of fundamental change in terms of chicken product in the restaurant industry; more than 90% of chicken products sold by the major chains were fried. Shortly after its introduction, the sandwich was selling more than a million units per day, and poaching sales from traditional fried chicken chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken. Additionally, the sandwiches were part of an industry trend towards the diversification of menus with healthier products such as reformulated cooking methods and salads. At the time, the sandwich had 379 calories and 18 grams of fat, 10 of which came from the sauce.
The introduction of the BK Broiler was one of the most successful product launches in the restaurant industry at the time, encouraging the company look into introducing additional products that would match the success of the Broiler. Furthermore, the success of the product was credited by analysts from Shearson Lehman Hutton Securities as one of the main factors helping Burger King realize a 47% increase in profit margin over the same period in 1989. By 1992, sales of the BK Broiler had slowed to half of what they were at the height of it introduction.
The company reformulated the BK Broiler in 1998 into a larger, more male-oriented sandwich served on a Whopper
bun, increasing its patty size while changing the ingredients to mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. The idea behind the up-sizing of the product was to give the customer a sense of value, with a company spokesman stating When they [the customer] see a lot, it seems like they're getting a lot for their money, and even if they don't eat it all, they think they're being treated fairly. The move was part of a company back to basics movement in which it reorganized its menu, focusing on its core products and simplifying its product base.
as being one of the best nutritionally sound products sold by a fast food chain. Conversely, the CSPI decried the rest of the Burger King menu as being vastly unhealthy.
Development of the sandwich began in 2001 in response to several major factors. After an overall sales decline of 17% coupled with a profit decline of 29%, Burger King held a series of consumer tests that showed the company's customer base was looking for a wider variety of options when making purchases. Additional survey results revealed that a lack of newer products was discouraging consumers from visiting the chain. Furthermore, the company was seeking to counter the threat to its sales by newer fast casual restaurant
s that had begun to bite into sales. By July 2002, the chain had sold nearly fifty million of the sandwiches, eventually displacing the BK Broiler's initial launch figures as the company's best selling product introduction. The successful introduction of the Chicken Whopper was one of the few noted positive highlights of the company during negotiations for the sale of Burger King by its the owner Diageo
to a group of investors lead by the TPG Capital; Chicago-based consulting firm Technomic Inc. president Ron Paul was quoted that he was encouraged by recent product changes at Burger King such as the new Chicken Whopper, but he said it's too early to tell whether the changes have been successful. Despite the Chicken Whopper's initial success, just over a year after the Chicken Whopper's introduction enthusiasm for the product was waning; Burger King's largest franchisee, Carrols Corporation
, was complaining that the product line was a failure, describing the sandwich as a pedestrian product with a great name.
executive Bradley (Brad) Blum
, shortly after the company was acquired by TPG Capital in 2002. They were formally introduced in 2004 as its BK Baguette line of sandwiches, that replacing the Chicken Whopper sandwiches. The Chicken Baguette line was intended as a new health conscious oriented product that got its taste from ingredients instead of fat.
The baguette sandwiches were introduced to Europe starting in the UK in 2003, with several new varieties designed to cater to the population mix of the country. While the baguette sandwiches were well received and continue to be sold, several red flags have been raised by the British government and private groups in regards the healthiness of these and other products sold by the fast food industry. In 2005, British Food Standards Agency
(FSA) cited large levels of fats and salt in the company's beef-based Monterey Melt baguette and chided BK for backing out of an agreement to help make the company's products healthier. In 2007 the private public interest group Consensus Action on Salt and Health, abbreviated to CASH, cited Burger King and other fast food chains over the continued levels of sodium contained in these types of foods. The group specifically claimed that the Chicken BLT Baguette sandwich, when paired with fries and a Coca-Cola, was one of the three saltiest fast food products in the UK.
ad in several major news papers that claimed the company was changing its name to "Chicken King". A later press release announced the joke was to introduce the public to the new product. The television advertising program used to introduce the Chicken Whopper featured animated chickens in cowboy boots marching to the "Have It Your Way" tune and was created by animation house Kurtz & Friends
. Later Commercials featured comedian Steve Harvey
. A second series of ads called @BK, love is guaranteed that were developed by Los Angeles-based ad house Amoeba, guaranteed that customers would receive a free sandwich if they don't "love" the chain's Whopper and Chicken Whopper sandwiches. With the discovery of mad cow disease by the FDA in 2003, the company instructed their advertising agency at the time, Young & Rubicam
of New York, to retool a forthcoming series of ads featuring the company's signature product, the Whopper
, to include the Chicken Whopper. A Burger King spokesman stated that the change was because We [Burger King] decided that if there's anybody who wants a chicken option, at this point, we wanted to remind them that the Whopper comes in chicken as well as the original beef...
The American advertising campaigns for the BK Baguettes featured several celebrity chefs, such as Rick Bayless
, visiting locations where similar style food stuffs were found, e.g. a farmers' market
, and commenting on how these ingredients make the new Baguette line better and more healthy.
, Canada
and El Salvador. Chicken Whopper is trademarked in the United States and the Middle East. Burger King currently does not have any trademarks on the BK Baguette line of sandwiches in the US
, Canada
, Europe
, Australia and Argentina.
International naming
LTO and discontinued varieties
Regional variants:
Similar sandwiches by other sellers:
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
has introduced a variety of grilled chicken sandwiches to its products portfolio since 1990. The current iteration in the majority of its markets is the TenderGrill chicken sandwich, with some of its other markets still utilizing the older Chicken Whopper name for the product. The TenderGrill sandwich was introduced part of a series of sandwiches designed to expand Burger King's menu with both more sophisticated, adult oriented fare and present a larger, meatier product that appealed to 24-36 adult males.
BK Broiler
Burger King's first broiled chicken sandwich was introduced in 1990 and was called the BK Broiler. This sandwich was made with lettuce, tomato and a dill ranch sauce served on a oatOat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
dusted roll. The product came at a time of fundamental change in terms of chicken product in the restaurant industry; more than 90% of chicken products sold by the major chains were fried. Shortly after its introduction, the sandwich was selling more than a million units per day, and poaching sales from traditional fried chicken chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken. Additionally, the sandwiches were part of an industry trend towards the diversification of menus with healthier products such as reformulated cooking methods and salads. At the time, the sandwich had 379 calories and 18 grams of fat, 10 of which came from the sauce.
The introduction of the BK Broiler was one of the most successful product launches in the restaurant industry at the time, encouraging the company look into introducing additional products that would match the success of the Broiler. Furthermore, the success of the product was credited by analysts from Shearson Lehman Hutton Securities as one of the main factors helping Burger King realize a 47% increase in profit margin over the same period in 1989. By 1992, sales of the BK Broiler had slowed to half of what they were at the height of it introduction.
The company reformulated the BK Broiler in 1998 into a larger, more male-oriented sandwich served on a Whopper
Whopper
The Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
bun, increasing its patty size while changing the ingredients to mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. The idea behind the up-sizing of the product was to give the customer a sense of value, with a company spokesman stating When they [the customer] see a lot, it seems like they're getting a lot for their money, and even if they don't eat it all, they think they're being treated fairly. The move was part of a company back to basics movement in which it reorganized its menu, focusing on its core products and simplifying its product base.
Chicken Whopper
As part of the forty-fifth anniversary of its Whopper sandwich in 2002, BK changed the name of the sandwich to Chicken Whopper and added a smaller Chicken Whopper Jr. sandwich along with a new Caesar salad sandwich topped with a Chicken Whopper patty. The introduction of the Chicken Whopper represented the company's first move to extend the Whopper brand name beyond beef based sandwiches since the original Whopper's introduction in the 1950s. The sandwiches featured a whole chicken breast filet, weighing either 4.7 oz (133.2 g) for the larger sandwich and a 3.1 oz (87.9 g) for the Jr., mayonnaise lettuce and tomato on a sesame seed roll. A newly reformulated low fat mayonnaise was introduced in conjunction with the new sandwiches. Along with the company's new BK Veggie sandwich, The Chicken Whopper Jr. version of the sandwich was lauded by the Center for Science in the Public InterestCenter for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group focusing on nutritional education and awareness.-History and funding:...
as being one of the best nutritionally sound products sold by a fast food chain. Conversely, the CSPI decried the rest of the Burger King menu as being vastly unhealthy.
Development of the sandwich began in 2001 in response to several major factors. After an overall sales decline of 17% coupled with a profit decline of 29%, Burger King held a series of consumer tests that showed the company's customer base was looking for a wider variety of options when making purchases. Additional survey results revealed that a lack of newer products was discouraging consumers from visiting the chain. Furthermore, the company was seeking to counter the threat to its sales by newer fast casual restaurant
Fast casual restaurant
A fast casual restaurant is a type of restaurant that does not offer full table service, but promises a higher quality of food and atmosphere than a fast food restaurant. In the US, it is a relatively new and growing concept positioned between fast food and casual dining...
s that had begun to bite into sales. By July 2002, the chain had sold nearly fifty million of the sandwiches, eventually displacing the BK Broiler's initial launch figures as the company's best selling product introduction. The successful introduction of the Chicken Whopper was one of the few noted positive highlights of the company during negotiations for the sale of Burger King by its the owner Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
to a group of investors lead by the TPG Capital; Chicago-based consulting firm Technomic Inc. president Ron Paul was quoted that he was encouraged by recent product changes at Burger King such as the new Chicken Whopper, but he said it's too early to tell whether the changes have been successful. Despite the Chicken Whopper's initial success, just over a year after the Chicken Whopper's introduction enthusiasm for the product was waning; Burger King's largest franchisee, Carrols Corporation
Carrols Corporation
Carrols Restaurant Group is a fast-food restaurant operator. It is the largest Burger King franchisee in the world; Carrols owns and operates about 330 Burger King locations across 12 U.S. states....
, was complaining that the product line was a failure, describing the sandwich as a pedestrian product with a great name.
BK Baguette
In 2004, BK introduced its BK Baguette line of sandwiches that replaced the Chicken Whopper. The sandwiches were introduced at the insistence of the new CEO, former Darden RestaurantsDarden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. The firm owns several casual dining restaurant chains, most notably Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Red Lobster...
executive Bradley (Brad) Blum
Brad Blum
Brad Blum was the CEO of Burger King from December 2002 to July 2, 2004. He joined the company from Darden Restaurants where he had headed the Olive Garden unit, but left after only 18 months citing strategic differences with Burger King's board. Blum's successor, Greg Brenneman, was appointed on...
, shortly after the company was acquired by TPG Capital in 2002. They were formally introduced in 2004 as its BK Baguette line of sandwiches, that replacing the Chicken Whopper sandwiches. The Chicken Baguette line was intended as a new health conscious oriented product that got its taste from ingredients instead of fat.
The baguette sandwiches were introduced to Europe starting in the UK in 2003, with several new varieties designed to cater to the population mix of the country. While the baguette sandwiches were well received and continue to be sold, several red flags have been raised by the British government and private groups in regards the healthiness of these and other products sold by the fast food industry. In 2005, British Food Standards Agency
Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food throughout the United Kingdom and is led by a board appointed to act in the public interest...
(FSA) cited large levels of fats and salt in the company's beef-based Monterey Melt baguette and chided BK for backing out of an agreement to help make the company's products healthier. In 2007 the private public interest group Consensus Action on Salt and Health, abbreviated to CASH, cited Burger King and other fast food chains over the continued levels of sodium contained in these types of foods. The group specifically claimed that the Chicken BLT Baguette sandwich, when paired with fries and a Coca-Cola, was one of the three saltiest fast food products in the UK.
TenderGrill
The sandwiches failed to catch on in the American market, and as a result they were discontinued as part of a menu reorganization. In 2005, they were replaced by the TenderGrill sandwich.Advertising
The Chicken Whopper was introduced initially via an April Fools' DayApril Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
ad in several major news papers that claimed the company was changing its name to "Chicken King". A later press release announced the joke was to introduce the public to the new product. The television advertising program used to introduce the Chicken Whopper featured animated chickens in cowboy boots marching to the "Have It Your Way" tune and was created by animation house Kurtz & Friends
Kurtz & Friends
Kurtz & Friends is an animation studio founded by Bob Kurtz in 1981. Based in Burbank, California, the studio was known for producing films and television commercials...
. Later Commercials featured comedian Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy...
. A second series of ads called @BK, love is guaranteed that were developed by Los Angeles-based ad house Amoeba, guaranteed that customers would receive a free sandwich if they don't "love" the chain's Whopper and Chicken Whopper sandwiches. With the discovery of mad cow disease by the FDA in 2003, the company instructed their advertising agency at the time, Young & Rubicam
Young & Rubicam
Y&R is a marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting.-History:...
of New York, to retool a forthcoming series of ads featuring the company's signature product, the Whopper
Whopper
The Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
, to include the Chicken Whopper. A Burger King spokesman stated that the change was because We [Burger King] decided that if there's anybody who wants a chicken option, at this point, we wanted to remind them that the Whopper comes in chicken as well as the original beef...
The American advertising campaigns for the BK Baguettes featured several celebrity chefs, such as Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless is an American chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is perhaps best known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time....
, visiting locations where similar style food stuffs were found, e.g. a farmers' market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
, and commenting on how these ingredients make the new Baguette line better and more healthy.
Naming and trademarks
The names BK Broiler, TenderGrill are registered trademarks of Burger King Holdings and are displayed with the "circle-R" (®) symbol in the USUnited States trademark law
Trademarks were traditionally protected in the United States only under State common law, growing out of the tort of unfair competition. As early as 1791, Thomas Jefferson proposed that the marks of sailcloth makers could be protected under the Commerce Clause, but it was not until 1870 that...
, Canada
Canadian trade-mark law
Canadian trade-mark law provides protection to marks statutorily under the Canadian Trade-marks Act and also at common law. Trade-mark law provides protection for distinctive marks, certification marks, distinguishing guises, and proposed marks against those who appropriate the goodwill of the mark...
and El Salvador. Chicken Whopper is trademarked in the United States and the Middle East. Burger King currently does not have any trademarks on the BK Baguette line of sandwiches in the US
United States trademark law
Trademarks were traditionally protected in the United States only under State common law, growing out of the tort of unfair competition. As early as 1791, Thomas Jefferson proposed that the marks of sailcloth makers could be protected under the Commerce Clause, but it was not until 1870 that...
, Canada
Canadian trademark law
Canadian trade-mark law provides protection to marks statutorily under the Canadian Trade-marks Act and also at common law. Trade-mark law provides protection for distinctive marks, certification marks, distinguishing guises, and proposed marks against those who appropriate the goodwill of the mark...
, Europe
European trade mark law
European trade mark law is governed by national law in the countries which make up Europe, together with European Law within those European countries which are also EU member states...
, Australia and Argentina.
International naming
- In ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, it is called the Pollo Grill - In the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, it is still called the Chicken Whopper - In Australia it is called the Grilled Chicken Burger And also has a spicy version.
- There is a lighter version with low fat mayo called the Light Chicken Whopper, part of its BK Delights line.
LTO and discontinued varieties
- Chicken Caesar Club - Romaine lettuceRomaine lettuceRomaine or cos lettuce is a variety of lettuce which grows in a tall head of sturdy leaves with a firm rib down the center. Unlike most lettuces, it is tolerant of heat...
, Parmesan cheese, baconBaconBacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
and caesar dressing on toasted sourdough bread.
Regional variants:
- The Flame Grilled Chicken Sandwich is made with reduced fat mayonnaise, lettuce and salsa and is served on a fresh cooked bakery-style roll. It is one of BK's health conscious oriented menu items and is available in the UK and Ireland.
- In TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
the sandwich is called the Deluxe Grilled Chicken thigh sandwich and is made the dark meat part of the chicken. Variants include a spicy version with a creamy hot sauce and a sesameSesameSesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
teriyakiTeriyakiTeriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade...
version, In both versions the sauce replaces the mayonnaise.
See also
- List of Burger King products
- Original Chicken SandwichOriginal Chicken SandwichThe Original Chicken Sandwich is a chicken sandwich sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King. It is the "basic" chicken sandwich sold at Burger King...
Similar sandwiches by other sellers:
- McDonald's McChickenMcChickenThe McChicken is a chicken sandwich sold by the international fast food chain McDonald's in many countries.-Product description:The sandwich consists of a toasted bun, breaded chicken breast meat patty, shredded lettuce, and mayonnaise.-Variants:...
sandwich