Burger King may have been deposed by Wendy's as the second biggest burger chain in the country. But the Miami-based company isn't willing to surrender without a fight.
The main front of the battle is the menu; over the past year, both Wendy's and Burger King have introduced new burgers and fries. And today, Burger King announced plans to add new breakfast burritos and salads to its menu.
A $2.49 Southwestern burrito -- which is stuffed with hash browns, among other delights -- and a $1 Sausage Wrap join the Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper already on the chain's value menu. And three "Garden Fresh" salads (Chicken BLT, Chicken, Apple & Cranberry and Crisp Chicken Caesar) will aim to appeal to health conscious fast foodies.
But this war won't be won by new menu items alone. Wendy's has already revealed the bold new look it will soon start using for its restaurants. And yesterday brought the news that Burger King was selling 278 of its company-owned locations to its biggest franchiser, Carrols Restaurant Group, in exchange for a hefty influx of cash and a substantial share of Carrols stock.
It's worth noting, though, that both chains are being trounced by many of their rivals. McDonald's, despite PR issues, is still considered a golden investment by Wall Street. And if higher-end burger chain Five Guys continues growing at anything like its current market-leading pace of 32.4 percent, it won't be long before Wendy's and Burger are fighting for third place rather than second.