Burger King's updated Whopper burger is helping to boost the marque and reignite the fast-food burger wars.
Inspired by customer complaints that its iconic burger was often squished during transit — it utilized to beryllium simply wrapped successful insubstantial — the fast-food concatenation updated its signature Whopper successful February pinch caller container packaging, a caller bun, and new, "creamier" mayonnaise.
The institution said connected Thursday that the updates are paying off.
The concatenation reported that US same-store income jumped 8.5% successful the 2nd quarter, a surge that institution president Tom Curtis attributed to the updated burger and caller family-focused promotions, specified arsenic Burger King's Mandalorian meal collab.
Customers besides bought astir 20% much Whoppers than they did successful the erstwhile period, suggesting the makeover is resonating.
Its occurrence comes arsenic different burger chains struggle pinch sales. On Friday, Wendy's reported a 7% diminution successful same-store income for the 2nd quarter. McDonald's, which besides released a caller burger earlier this year, announced connected Tuesday that comparable US income maturation slowed to 0.8% successful the 2nd quarter. Both chains pointed to problems pinch their worth strategies: McDonald's cited excessively galore overlapping promotions and discounts, while Wendy's pointed to its determination to propulsion backmost connected discounting.
I tried Burger King's caller "elevated" Whopper pursuing its release, and I thought it was a clear upgrade from the original.
The Whopper has been astir for decades. This is the first clip it's been served successful a cardboard box.
Released successful 1957, conscionable 4 years aft the concatenation opened, the Whopper was 37 cents compared to Burger King's original burger, which costs 18 cents.
Whoppers — and each Burger King burgers, for that matter — are flame-grilled, giving their burgers a chopped steaming flavor. Another quality betwixt Burger King's premium burgers and those of different chains, for illustration McDonald's, is that Burger King's burgers are typically wrapped successful insubstantial alternatively than served successful a cardboard box.
This caller position is the astir evident alteration from the original Whopper.
The caller cardboard container creation amended protected the burger from getting smushed during transit.
The concatenation announced connected February 26 that it would alteration its Whopper packaging successful consequence to antagonistic customer feedback.
"So the Whopper being smushed, literally, I've heard it… and we've seen it," Curtis told CNN.
Another alteration to the burger was the bun itself — it was described successful a property merchandise arsenic "a much premium, better-tasting bun."
After I bought the burger, I agreed that the bun looked overmuch thicker, shinier, and amended than erstwhile iterations.
The burger has each the aforesaid toppings arsenic the original, pinch upgraded mayonnaise.
While Whoppers don't typically travel pinch cheese, I ever bid excavation pinch cheese. The different toppings see sliced onions and tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and a new, "better-tasting" mayo, according to the chain.
The burger decidedly felt thicker than the original, moreover though it was little costly than the past clip I bought a Whopper.
When I ordered a Whopper pinch food connected February 14, 2026, it costs $9.17, excluding tax, astatine my section Burger King successful Brooklyn.
When I ordered the aforesaid burger connected February 27, 2026, it costs $8.58, excluding tax, astatine the aforesaid location.
Burger King's prices tin alteration by location and franchise. CNN reported that Burger King recommended that franchisees not raise prices for the caller elevated Whopper.
The thicker, fluffier bun gave the burger much heft, but the biggest quality was really good it held together.
Unlike the original Whopper — which could move soggy from its thinner mayonnaise and dense condiments — this type was little saucy and stayed intact overmuch better.
The new, creamier mayonnaise had much flavor, without making the burger a soggy mess. Combined pinch the still-flavorful flame-grilled burger patty, crunchy lettuce, and caller herb slices, this burger still remained my apical prime among the astir famous fast-food signature burgers.
I thought the burger was an betterment connected the original Whopper without reinventing the wheel.
When updating a fast-food burger arsenic iconic arsenic the Whopper, there's a consequence successful changing excessively overmuch — longtime fans whitethorn not respond good if it strays excessively acold from what they cognize and expect.
However, I thought this somewhat upgraded type of the Whopper deed each the correct notes, and arsenic fast-food customers activity retired worth much than ever, this burger delivered connected that promise, too.
It maintained the aforesaid spirit floor plan while addressing the burger's biggest problem areas: flat, soggy buns and a somewhat excessively precocious value point.
As a result, I understand why it's helping bring customers done Burger King's doors. It's still the aforesaid Whopper you cognize and emotion — conscionable pinch a tune-up.
Editor's note: This communicative was first published successful February 2026 and astir precocious updated successful August 2026.
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Erin McDowell is simply a newsman connected Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She covers food, lifestyle, and intermezo for Business Insider and its partner sites, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo.She graduated from Elon University successful January 2019, wherever she studied strategical communications and integer art. She has written for V Magazine, Milk.XYZ, OUT.com, Brides Magazine, and more. She lives successful Brooklyn, New York, and tin beryllium recovered connected LinkedIn. Please nonstop each inquiries, comments, aliases tips to [email protected].Selected stories:
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