Burger King Whopper Changes Mark Push on Buns, Bots and Bigger Marketing Fees
Thursday that ongoing menu and operational moves — including the new burger tweaks now framed as burger king whopper changes — are part of a wider Reclaim the Flame effort to refresh Burger King and support franchise economics.
Burger King Whopper Changes
At an investor day on Thursday, Restaurant Brands International outlined four strategic shifts: changes to core menu items, broader operational use of artificial intelligence, an extension of a higher marketing fee rate, and accelerated refranchising of restaurants formerly operated by Carrols. The years-long Reclaim the Flame program will continue with a renewed emphasis on core menu food quality and accelerated refranchising,.
What’s different on the Whopper
The Whopper update swaps the burger’s paper wrapping for a box, adds a glazed bun and introduces a reformulated “better-tasting, creamier mayo, ” in an email. There is no change to the burger’s meat or to its lettuce, tomato and onion toppings. The changes were tested in select markets and have performed well after a development process spanning years.
Customers pushed the change, company says
the enhancements have been developed over several years and were informed by direct Guest feedback focused on bun quality, topping freshness, flavor balance and overall consistency. That feedback-oriented approach aligns with the headline claim that customers complained and Burger King updated its Whopper. When Reclaim the Flame launched in 2022, unclear in the provided context.
Patty: a voice-AI in the headset
The chain is also deploying a voice-AI tool called Patty through restaurant headsets. Patty was designed using an OpenAI voice model and is meant to unify point-of-sale, kitchen equipment, inventory and digital ordering into one command center. Patty can remove out-of-stock items from digital ordering channels and answer questions about menu item preparation and product details without interrupting service.
Drive-thru analysis and a tech race
Patty is designed to analyze drive-thru audio to promote order accuracy and provide coaching insights, the brand said. The company framed this as part of broader operational modernization; other quick-service operators have followed a similar path. For example, Yum Brands launched Byte, an in-house tech system that includes an AI-powered restaurant coaching app active across thousands of restaurants.
Financial and franchise implications
The company declined to share the specific impact of the Whopper changes on cost-of-goods-sold for franchisees, but said that it and franchisees have invested in the sandwich while working to ensure costs did not increase. The chain has focused for several years on boosting the four-wall profits of its franchisees following several major operator bankruptcies. RBI also said it will extend its higher marketing fee rate as part of the strategy announced on Thursday.
RBI presented the suite of moves as a continuation of work to reposition and modernize Burger King in its core market as quick-service pricing pressure versus fast casual has risen. The company pointed to similar industry activity, noting McDonald’s is testing a Big Arch Burger with two patties and premium elements including a custom-designed sauce and white cheddar cheese.
Looking ahead, the years-long Reclaim the Flame program will continue and that it will press forward with accelerated refranchising of restaurants formerly operated by Carrols while rolling out Patty and the updated Whopper more broadly after tests in select markets.
