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An announcement posted on Burger King's official website on Monday elaborates enhanced features of the New Whopper. (BKR) |
The fast-food chain Burger King unveiled the New Whopper, a revamped version of its signature item on Monday, one week after announcing the discontinuation of sales of the original Whopper.
According to an announcement on the fast-food chain's Korean website Monday, the reinvention was focused on intensifying the smokey flavor in the burger patties.
Compared with the original Whopper, the new version has a thicker patty to enhance its juiciness and texture, along with additional salt and pepper seasoning. The bun has been glazed to minimize moisture loss.
When BKR, the South Korean operator of the burger chain, announced to halt the sales of Whopper on April 8, speculation among consumers arose regarding whether the marketing efforts were simply aimed at a price increase.
At that time, menu items containing the word "Whopper" -- such as the Monster Whopper, Cheese Whopper, Bacon Cheese Whopper and all varieties of the Whopper lineup -- appeared with an orange label declaring "'Goodbye Whopper" on the official website.
Now, the orange sticker has been replaced with a red one reading "New." Instead of discontinuing sales of all those Whopper lineups, the enhanced smoky flavor has been applied to them with Monday's renewal, an official from Burger King said. The burger prices also remain unchanged.
The renewal is exclusively available in South Korea as part of the celebration of its 40th anniversary of Burger King's operations in the country, according to the firm.
Meanwhile, Burger King said it will also run a promotion until April 28, offering the New Whopper at a discounted price of 4,000 won ($2.89), down from 7,100 won, for in-store customers.
Discounts are also available for the Bulgogi Whopper and Cheese Whopper, priced at 4,000 won and 4,600 won, respectively.
Burger King made its debut in South Korea in 1984 with the opening of its first store in Jongno, central Seoul, and BKR is wholly owned by Hong Kong-based Affinity Equity Partners. After years of operational losses, the company swung to the black last year with 6.5 billion won in net profit.
