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Extra small beat extra thick. Burger King said U.S./Canada same-store sales dropped 6.1% for its third quarter, ended March 31, 2010, despite its $1 Double Cheeseburger promotion and introduction of the Steakhouse XT burgers. That decline compares with BK’s +1.6% comp sales a year ago, when it was promoting mini BK Burger Shots, mini BK [...]

[As forecast below, BK rolled out ribs on May 17. Read it here.] [May 3 Update: Country Pork sandwich has moved into select Chicago restaurants and Indianapolis. Oddly, radio ads describe it as a "pork fritter" on a bun.] Burger King and pork producers are old friends, primarily through a shared affection for bacon. Now [...]

One big problem with dollar menus is people like me, but Jack in the Box thinks it may have found a way around me with its new “Pick 3 for $3″ customizable value menu. I’ve been known to hit the drive-thru at McDonald’s for a $1 Sausage Burrito in the morning, but I don’t get [...]

What The Cheesecake Factory and Applebee’s are doing with place-named burgers here, McDonald’s is doing in Switzerland, only in more-complex style. The complexity for the “Swiss Weeks” burgers campaign comes from Switzerland’s multilingual, multicultural makeup. Each of three burgers not only is named for a region, it incorporates local ingredients and is being advertised in [...]

It’s no longer enough to say that burgers are all-American. This spring, burgers are not just American, they’re regional. A new TV campaign for Applebee’s Realburgers spotlights burgers named for American “neighborhoods” and The Cheesecake Factory has introduced a six-item line of Glamburgers, each of which the chain says is “inspired by a different region [...]

Restaurant interiors and menus aren’t the things McDonald’s is refreshing. Executives of the chain today told the meeting of its owner/operators that “I’m lovin’ it” will be slightly revised and continue as its global advertising slogan, according to a report in Advertising Age.  This follows speculation that McDonald’s operators outside the U.S. might be tiring of the seven-year-old [...]

With its smaller rivals already struggling to match its sales, McDonald’s Corp. today told analysts that it and its franchisees will spend heavily on an accelerated “reimaging” of its restaurants, an effort that it says boosts remodeled stores’ sales by 6% to 7%. CFO Peter Bensen said the company will be “investing on a scale that [...]

While Burger King and Subway have embraced the Seattle’s Best coffee brand to boost their breakfast business, Jack in the Box is looking farther west, to Hawaii. The chain this week continues the improvement of its breakfast menu by rolling out new Kona Classic coffee to accompany the Grilled Breakfast Sandwich introduced earlier this month. Asked [...]

Burger King is turning the battle for breakfast into a battle of words. In selected markets, the chain is advertising the availability of a “Burger King brunch” rather than just breakfast. The brunch menu—testing in a few markets in Massachusetts and Florida—is offered daily until 10:30 a.m., the same as for breakfast in other Burger King locations, [...]

On March 10, Alan Gaylin and partners Glynn and Jean Roberts opened BRGR Kitchen + Bar in Prairie Village, Kan., a Kansas City suburb. Gaylin brings decades of restaurant-industry experience, having served during his career as SVP-business development for Metromedia Restaurant Group (Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale), SVP-operations for Houlihan’s and as operations director at T.G.I. [...]

Burgerville continues the evolution of its seasonal-menu program into a community involvement initiative with the introduction of the Crispy Onion & Spinach Turkey Burger. Strawberry milkshakes, smoothies and lemonade as well as a strawberry shortcake dessert also have joined the menu.  The Vancouver-Wash.-based chain last year began creating monthly limited-time menu items pegged to local, [...]

Jack in the Box has made good on CEO Linda Lang’s pledge to securities analysts last December to launch a “new and improved” version of an existing breakfast item in order to make the chain more competitive for morning sales. The chain is extending the Grilled Deli Trio and Grilled Turkey Bacon Cheddar sandwiches it [...]

Saveur last year reignited the patty melt debate, noting that some contend it “isn’t technically a burger, because it has no bun.” The magazine didn’t take a stand (but provided a great recipe), claiming “We love it just the same.” Restaurant chains are voicing similarly amorous feelings, declaring patty melts the new mini burgers. Keeping [...]

Sometimes brands, too, need to hit bottom before admitting they need help. That apparently is what has happened with Arby’s, which finally, finally has found the courage to stand up and say, “We sell roast beef sandwiches. And they’re GOOD!”   Al Franken’s famous Stuart Smalley ”Saturdary Night Live” character could be the spokesman for the new [...]

Fresh from this week’s victory in BurgerBusiness.com’s 2010 Burger Brackets, Blanc Burgers + Bottles isn’t resting on its laurels. In fact, Circle Restaurant Group Partners Ernesto Peralta Jr. and Josh Eans (also its chef) aren’t resting at all. They’re working hard to finish their new restaurant, scheduled to open at the end of the month. [...]