There’s an old adage that states, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In other words, if something makes enough noise or fuss, it gets favorable treatment. Sometimes that backfires and the squeaky wheel gets hated and held in contempt, but Burger King didn’t see it that way when it came to people having issues with the Whopper. Now, for the first time in 10 years it’s getting some revisions.
What’s Changing in the New Whopper?
Hamburgers are deceptively complex in their apparently simplicity. It should be easy, right? You take a disc shaped patty of beef, put it between two halves of a bun and add desired ingredients in there until it has what you want. But burgers are greasy, vegetables, contain moisture, and condiments are effectively liquids in all but name. This is the kind of stuff that leads to burgers falling apart. Customers have told BK about this issue but they haven’t done anything… until now!
If you like the Whopper the way it is, you don’t have to be TOO alarmed, because nothing about the meat or most of the ingredients are changing. Effectively the biggest change is happening to the bun. Burger King is updating the bread to be sturdier and firmer, allowing the Whopper to maintain its structural integrity. Also possibly helping in that regard is changing the packaging to being wrapped in paper to being put in a cardboard box. This mirrors their biggest competitor, McDonald’s, and their packaging system.
The Mayo Makeover: Subtle but Important
In between the buns, the only real change is taking place with the mayonnaise. Unlike the Big Mac that uses a special sauce, the Whopper sticks with some good old mayo. This can actually help with structural integrity too as the fatty oil in mayo prevents burger grease from soaking into the bun. This might not be the exact reason for the alteration to a creamier mayo but it is an added perk. The creamy mayo is hopefully going to provide a bit more flavor.
This kind of change doesn’t come cheap. Each location can expect these changes to cost about $4,000 each year. It should be worth it though if it means the complaints start dropping and sales keep rising. We haven’t tried the new Whopper yet but it’s rolling out this week. Try it and share your thoughts!
