Yes, we gave you a week’s fast Food news in review yesterday. It was Mostly McNews, I’ll admit. But, now, I change that tune dramatically to run down the recent flurry (pardon the McReference) of Burger King launches that appear aimed to out-do McDonald’s at its own menu-busting game…
The official portrait of BK’s new BBQ Bacon King Burger – the natural choice
for North American Bacon Burger fans.
Amid launching the new McDonald’s of the Future concept and other industry-leading initiatives, Md Donald’s has managed to keep churning out a regular stream of menu item innovations. The latest, a Big Mac with Bacon, has already been termed a no-brainer by leading food industry observers, including yours truly, and we wonder why the McD’s people didn’t do it before. Maybe it was just too obvious.
Anyway…
Primary competitor Burger King has struck back with its own Bacon-topped burger, called the BBQ Bacon King, even before the Bacon Big Mac hits U.S. outlets. The BBQ Bacon King is constituted as follows: Te quarter-pound Patties, Smoky bacon, American (process) Cheese, Mayo and BBQ sauce, all stuffed into an oversized Sesame Seed Bun. That’s a really big Burger with really big flavour.
For the nutrition-conscious, the BBQ Bacon King contains: 57 grams of protein, 51 grams of carbs, 75 grams of fat (including 3 grams of trans-fat!) and 1100 calories. By comparison, the Bacon Big Mac offers only 28 g protein, 46 g carbs, 33 g of fat and 590 Calories. That just means the Bacon Big Mac’s patties are only half the weight of the BBQ Bacon King’s while the total Bun weight is about equal.
Bacon Burger fans will undoubtedly opt for the bigger, messier, more unhealthy – but far more satisfying – BBQ Bacon King…
But that’s not all!
We’ve been concentrating so closely on McD’s and their every-little-menu-item releases that we’ve let some of BK’s go by without comment. Now, we’re going to remedy that oversight.
First, there was Mac ‘n Cheetos, a deep-fried, Cheese-filled Cheeto Puff, floated last summer. Those who were able to taste the thing during it’s limited time release pronounced then addictive.
Next the was the Mac ‘n Cheese Fries. A menu item combining two of the most iconic American foods simply can’t go wrong! Again , they were pronounced addictive.
Then there was the Whopperito, a Burrito containing all the stuff you get in a Whopper, but crumbled up into a Burrito. Now, that’s a truly creative approach to re-purposing the ingredients you already have at hand into something new-ish and enticing!
And meanwhile…
McDonald’s has given us the Chicken McGrill, a Chicken-on-a-Waffle imitator, and the Bacon Big Mac, just Bacon on the usual Big Mac. Is this an indication that McD’s is suffering from creative exhaustion? Or has the industry leader lost focus with all the other stuff it’s trying to do right now?
One thing is for sure, McD’s: You’d better start looking over your shoulder…
~ Maggie J.