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Burger King announced its making a "premium" change to the Whopper for the first time in a decade.
The global fast food chain said its signature burger will include a "more premium, better tasting bun" and a box to be served in, replacing the paper wrapper.
“Over the past several years, we’ve focused on strengthening our operations and modernizing our restaurants to build a more consistent foundation across the system,” Burger King US and Canada President Tom Curtis said in a statement obtained by the New York Post on Friday (February 27). “With that work well underway, we’re now in a position to thoughtfully elevate our core menu. The Whopper is an icon, so we didn’t set out to reinvent it. Instead, we elevated it based on direct Guest feedback.”
Burger King acknowledged that the changes will create a "higher-quality Whopper experience" that will elevate the iconic burger.
“So the Whopper being smushed, literally, I’ve heard it… and we’ve seen it,” Curtis told CNN. “(We) improved packaging that kind of holds it together.”
The Whopper will still include onions, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles, as well as a "better-tasting mayo."
“The creamier mayonnaise frankly just came from some franchisees who said they wanted to see a more premium mayonnaise. And then also upgrading and premium-izing the bun,” Curtis said via CNN.
Curtis said he took calls from consumers for feedback but was "careful" when considering changes, acknowledging that the flame-grilled beef patty would remain the same.
“You don’t want to just tear up the playbook and start all over,” he told CNN. “It’s like we’re putting our famous iconic burger in a tuxedo instead of a leisure suit.”