Burger King Whopper Changes — burger king whopper changes arrive with glazed bun, box packaging and AI
On Feb. 26, 2026 in Miami, Burger King announced a Guest-driven refresh of its flagship sandwich: the burger king whopper changes center on a premium bun, upgraded toppings and new packaging. The company presented the updates alongside wider strategic moves that include broader use of artificial intelligence and accelerated refranchising.
Tom Curtis, Guest outreach and the first Whopper update in nearly 10 years
The initiative followed an effort that invited Guests to call or text President Tom Curtis, and Guest feedback has helped shape operations, restaurant image and the overall experience. Tom Curtis, President of Burger King U. S. & Canada, said the brand had focused for years on strengthening operations and modernizing restaurants so it could "thoughtfully elevate our core menu. " The Whopper update is the first major change to the sandwich in nearly 10 years, and Guests nationwide are invited to try the new version.
Burger King Whopper Changes: glazed bun, boxed packaging and creamier mayo
The refresh introduces a more premium, better-tasting bun described in company materials as a glazed or better-tasting bun, and swaps the previous paper wrapping for a box to preserve the sandwich "exactly the way it left the kitchen. " The Whopper will feature reformulated "better-tasting, creamier mayo" and remains stacked with freshly cut onions and tomatoes, crisp lettuce and tangy pickles. The company noted there is no change to the burger's meat or to its lettuce, tomato and onion toppings, and the sandwich continues to be served with more than a quarter-pound of 100% flame-grilled beef.
Development timeline, testing and the 'Whopper by You' follow-up
Executives said the enhancements have been in development for several years and were tested in select markets, where they performed well after a development process that spanned years. The announcement also referenced last year's launch of the "Whopper by You" platform as a recent innovation the brand followed with this Guest-inspired creation.
Franchise economics, investment and a correction on ingredient language
The company declined to share the specific impact of the changes on cost-of-goods-sold for franchisees, but said the company 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. Nearly all restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades.
The announcement included a correction removing the phrase "and free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives" from one paragraph of the release.
RBI investor day: Reclaim the Flame, AI rollout and refranchising including Carrols
At an investor day on Thursday, Restaurant Brands International laid out a set of strategic initiatives that extend the Reclaim the Flame program, which launched in 2022. the years-long Reclaim the Flame program will continue with a renewed emphasis on core menu food quality and accelerated refranchising. Planned shifts include changes to core menu items, broader operational use of artificial intelligence, extending a higher marketing fee rate and continuing the refranchising of restaurants formerly operated by Carrols.
As part of broader operational modernization, the brand is deploying a voice-AI tool for restaurant headsets called "Patty. " Patty was designed using an OpenAI voice model and is intended to unify point of sale, kitchen equipment, inventory and digital ordering into a single command center. The tool can remove out-of-stock items from digital ordering channels, answer questions about menu item preparation and product details without interrupting service, and analyze drive-thru audio to promote order accuracy and provide coaching insights. The company framed these moves as a continuation of efforts to reposition and modernize its core market, noting that other quick-service operators have also invested in back-of-house automations; one rival rolled out an in-house tech system including an AI-powered restaurant coaching app across thousands of restaurants.
Founding and scale details included in company materials noted the brand was founded in 1954 and operates more than 19, 000 locations in more than 120 countries and U. S. territories, positioning the Whopper as the chain's iconic flame-grilled sandwich.
