If Burger King came out with an Arbor Day Whopper complete with “leafy tree sauce,” or a Ruth Bader Ginsberg Whopper featuring gender equality patties, nobody would be surprised.
Add the “Smelliest Whopper” (two bean patties and goat cheese on a classic sesame seed bun), or the Poison Ivy Whopper (with the famed allergen replacing the lettuce) alongside the very real Angry Whopper (it’s angry that it’s only a limited-time offer), and the chain probably would still get the benefit of the doubt.
We’ve had multiple variations of the Halloween Whopper, Whoppers with colored buns, Whoppers designed for pregnant women (really), and somehow a Whopper made with plant-based patties. If there’s a type of Whopper that might exist, it probably has.
Related: Burger King menu adds nostalgic drink after McDonald’s backlash
We don’t have a Pete Rose “Hit King” Whopper or a New York-nostalgic “Nobody Beats the Whopper,” but Burger King likely at least batted around both ideas.
Cynically, you could say that Burger King relies on the Whopper because it has nothing else. McDonald’s has 17 $1 billion brands, according to the company’s 2024 annual report.
That means McDonald’s can rotate new ideas and promotions throughout a deep list of products. Maybe it’s going offer jalapeno ketchup Chicken McNuggets or a Pork Roll Egg McMuffin (Canada and New Jersey only), but it does not have to keep going back to the same well.
💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter💰💵
Sure, the Filet O’ Fish shake was a bad idea (and not a real one), but McDonald’s (MCD) could follow that with Half-Pound Quarter Pounder with Cheese (HPQPC) or a new dipping sauce based on a cartoon or anime.
Burger King just has The Whopper, but it has leveraged that burger to its full extent, and the latest effort will not disappoint.
Burger King has many variations of spicy Whoppers.
Image source: The Packaging Company/TheStreet
Burger King’s Whopper goes spicy
In many ways, going spicy is sort of the low bar for a spin-off. Once people like your chicken nuggets, chicken sandwich, or chicken anything else, a spicy version is sort of a no-brainer.
And, there have been all sorts of takes on spicy Whoppers. You have Angry Whoppers, Angrier Whoppers, and of course, the Angriest Whopper. There have also been all sorts of takes on a spicy version of the sandwich under the name “Spicy Whopper.”
Now, Burger King Japan added a new Spicy Whopper to its menu July 8.
It seems like something ready-made for the U.S., with the possible exception of the last ingredient.
Burger King Japan used X, the former Twitter, to tout the new sandwich.
The specially made spicy sauce will whet your appetite.
The “Spicy Whopper” is now on sale!
A savory flame-grilled 100% beef patty topped with a specially made spicy sauce that combines the spiciness of chili peppers, the delicious flavors of garlic, and the secret flavor of chili bean paste!
For all you who love spicy food, be sure to enjoy!
#BurgerKing
By Whopper standards, it’s a simple take on the classic that’s easy to understand. It’s a relatively non-wild take on the Whopper, but that should make it a best-seller.
Burger King wants to own the world
While Restaurant Brands International (QSR) has faced some struggles with Burger King in the United States, the brand has become a global powerhouse. That’s something CEO Josh Kobza talked about during his company’s first-quarter earnings call.
The global scope of the company is staggering.
“We’re in around 200 brand country combinations, and our top 10 markets are about 60% of our international system-wide sales. So a lot of different dynamics in each of those countries,” he said.
Kobza believes that Burger King is well-positioned for global growth.
“I think when you look at the Burger King brand in international, it’s a bit different. It has some really great qualities that position it to grow so well. We’ve got a strong brand positioning. We’ve got modern restaurants in almost all of our markets,” he added. “We have a lot more digital business as well.”
Related: Kraft Heinz announces huge recall over alarming safety concerns
At the end of the day, however, he believes that food is the chain’s differentiator.
“And because of a lot of those things, we have pretty great brand perception and really good food quality perception in those markets, where we balance some of our favorites like the Whopper with strong localization that each of our teams bring,” he added.