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Introduction of the Premium McWrap has given McDonald’s image a positive spike among self-described healthy fast-food eaters, according to ongoing research by YouGov BrandIndex. Beginning in mid-March when word spread that McWrap was coming through the beginning of April after its rollout, McDonald’s brand image rose to 44 on March 29 on the YouGov BrandIndex [...]

When I forecast last November that 2013 would be the “Year of the Bun,” I had pretzel buns, ciabatta and such in mind. But increasingly this also is being the year of the gluten-free bun as more and more burger shops adapt to the approximately 1% of consumers who have Celiac disease. For many that [...]

Less than two months after reorganizing its menu boards to spotlight items with 400 or fewer calories, McDonald’s Corp. announced that beginning next week it will include calorie information for all items on in-store and drive-thru menus. In doing so, it gets a jump on a requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [...]

Ever the contrarian, CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder thumbed his nose at most burger-chain trends as he vowed to keep Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s selling indulgent burgers to “young, hungry guys.” Specialty coffees like McCafé offers or frappés like Burger King has added? Nah. Puzder said he’s not interested in the “more-variety approach.” Also not [...]

Burger King’s Australian affiliate, Hungry Jack’s, matched rival McDonald’s decision to add calorie information on menu boards and then raised the ante. By the end of October, Hungry Jack’s will offer a raw-veggie side-dish option. HJ’s Salad Stix cup will contain sliced broccoli, carrot, celery and bell pepper with the option of hummus dip alongside [...]

“Just because” is the tagline for advertising announcing the return of the Kiwi Burger to McDonald’s menu in New Zealand. The casual tone is apt because this burger—which isn’t made from the flightless bird but does top its beef patty with a slice of beet and a cooked egg—has been popping on and off the [...]

[7/27 Update: Watch this UK spot featuring giant Happy Meal boxes and a Dave Clark Five soundtrack.] McDonald’s Corp. today announced a new commitment to improving the healthfulness of its Happy Meals just weeks after declining to join Burger King and other chains in the National Restaurant Association’s similarly targeted Kids LiveWell program.  McDonald’s USA [...]

Including calorie information on menus has a modest impact on consumer ordering behavior according to research by The NPD Group. On average, the total number of calories declined by nearly 12% with calorie counts. Of interest to restaurateurs is that listing calories decreased average check by about 3%. And consumers don’t give up burgers: Some people simply order smaller [...]

opted last year to keep “I’m lovin’ it” as its global ad slogan, but if the chain rethinks that decision, “There’s a McDonald’s for everyone” is in the running. That’s the positioning used in the “Favourites” TV campaign in the UK, created by Leo Burnett/London. The first commercial, in October 2009, was built around a [...]

[7/21: Winner! The Netherlands also gets a Double California Whopper.] [7/16 Update: It's spreading. In Germany and Austria, BK has added not only the California Whopper but also a California Wrap and a Texican Burrito. To watch the Monologue commercial about the California Whopper, go here.] “Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of [...]

Where “everyone loves burgers” trend intersects with the “better-for-you foods” movement, a growing number of chains are appealing both to happiness and healthfulness. In this “ethical burgers” category, quality is defined by much more than whether beef is “fresh, never frozen.  Chef-owner Hilary Brown’s Local Burger in Lawrence, Kan., is among the burger joints arguing [...]

Ξ What to watch for this week: Today: Sonic accelerates its product-quality-improvement plan with the introduction of Real Ice Cream and a milkshake promotion to back it. Tomorrow: Casual-dining chain O’Charley’s adds a new tiered value menu with 12 entreés  priced between $7.99 and $9.99. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Q0U6Nsr2oΞ “I eat what tastes good, I’m a Yummivore. I [...]

McDonald’s new relationship with Weight Watchers in its 150 New Zealand stores is drawing heat from critics who question the nutritional value of many of the chain’s foods. Under the agreement announced this week, McDonald’s uses the Weight Watchers logo to promote three meals it says each have only 6 ½ points under the diet program’s [...]

► Young people decide that the Mac Snack Wrap had them at hello in a commercial (at left) for the 330-calorie, half-a-Big-Mac-in-a-tortilla item that McDonald’s rolled out nationally last week, 10 months after it was first introduced in Canada. ► It’s nice to learn (courtesy of the always-informative A Hamburger Today) that Lady Gaga’s visit [...]

Burger King operates under a different name—Hungry Jack’s—in Australia, but it is following the same fearless, feisty marketing strategies it uses in the United States. Although outnumbered by McDonald’s down under, BK/Hungry Jack on Nov. 17 launches the Angry Angus burger to take on the Grand Angus and Mighty Angus burgers unveiled in August by [...]