Burger King wants people around the world to remember the Whopper.
That's why the fast-food giant liberally uses the name of its most-famous hamburger to get attention for both the chain and its attempts at innovation. Some of the Restaurant Brands International (QSR) chain's Whopper attempts are true efforts to create a popular new burger, while others, including Burger King Germany's "Pregnancy Whoppers," were more publicity stunts.
These items did appear (at least briefly) on the chain's menu, but nobody was expecting the next hit burger to be a Bratwurst & Nut-Nougat-Creme (Nutella) Whopper or the Fish Sticks & Applesauce or Cucumber & Marmalade takes on the classic sandwich.
Other efforts including the "Shroom N' Swiss Whopper Melt" and Whopper Melts in general are more genuine efforts to create new recurring limited-time offers. Now, the chain has a new Whopper that's somewhere in the middle.
It seems like a gimmick/publicity stunt, but it's also perhaps a really good idea.
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Burger King Tries a Chocolate Whopper
You would think that a Burger King partnership with Hershey (HSY) would be a natural fit for U.S. stores, but so far the Hershey's Whopper Jr. is only being offered in Thailand as part of a larger "Chocolate King" menu in Thailand, Brand Eating reported.
The lineup includes a "Hershey's Whopper Jr." -- A flame-grilled beef patty, American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, tomato, bacon, crispy-fried onions, mayo, and BBQ sauce served on the new chocolate burger bun, the website reported.
But, instead of a full Hershey's Whopper, the new menu offers the "Burger King's Hershey's Chocolate Burger which "features a new chocolate bun made with Hershey's chocolate sandwiching a flame-grilled beef patty, American cheese, crispy-fried onions, bacon, and Hershey's Premium Chocolate Sauce."
That might be delicious, it might be gross, but it's both unique and something you might want to try. Burger King Thailand's Chocolate King Menu also includes a few other items (some familiar, some very unique):
- Hershey's Choco Pie: A chocolate turnover-style pie crust filled with chocolate filling.
- Hershey's Iced Chocolate: An iced chocolate drink
- Hershey's Milkshake: A chocolate milkshake.
- Hershey's Chocolate Sundae: Vanilla ice cream topped with Hershey's Premium Chocolate Sauce and cocoa powder.
- Hershey's Iced Chocolate Float: An iced chocolate drink topped with vanilla soft serve.
Burger King Borrows a Wendy's Idea
For almost as long as Wendy's (WEN) has offered its Frosty, which for decades was only sold in a chocolate flavor, people have been dipping fries into the frozen dessert. With its "not quite a shake, not quite an ice cream" consistency, Frosty lent itself to this unique sweet/savory offering that was never an official menu item but has long been a menu hack.
Burger King, at least in Thailand, now has an official take on sweet and savory fries, Hershey's Choco Fries.
These are "French fries drizzled with Hershey's Premium Chocolate Sauce," according to Brand Eating.
And while there's no plans to bring chocolate buns to the United States, fans could make a variant of the Choco Fries at home with some Hershey's chocolate sauce. And, they could also order some soft serve ice cream to approximate the Wendy's Frosty version of the phenomenon.
