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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 [...]

Burger King has borrowed a page from McDonald’s menu-localization playbook by promoting a three-item line of Canadian favorite poutine. Classic Poutine–cheese curds and fries covered with gravy—already was  on the menu, but now BK takes the dish upscale.  Newly added Angry Poutine plays off Burger King’s Angry Whopper and adds jalapeños, onions and the chain’s [...]

Tips and tidbits for September’s final week:  ۞ Watch for Jack in the Box to introduce a new cheeseburger value menu this week, perhaps reviving the $4.99 All-American Jack deal it offered around this year’s Super Bowl in February.  ۞ Casual-dining chain Max & Erma’s is testing four new burgers, including the Greek-influenced Athena and [...]

The arrivals of Dave’s Hot ‘n Juicy Cheeseburgers from Wendy’s and new Steakhouse burgers from Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. are likely to be brief respites from the steady string of chicken introductions that preceded them. For example, Wendy’s previously announced it plans to launch an upgraded line of “Gold” chicken sandwiches—including the Bruschetta Chicken sandwich— [...]

The NPD Group says the restaurant industry’s road to recovery developed a pothole in the second quarter, with customer traffic declining 0.4% during the April-May-June quarter. This was the first drop in traffic in a year, according to NPD data. Could that be in part because operators boosted menu prices to cover commodity-cost increases? The average [...]

Blue cheese is back and Hardee’s has it. Those who still lament the passing of the Bacon & Blue, Wendy’s blue-cheese-topped LTO burger from February 2010, will welcome the arrival of new blue-cheese burgers: Hardee’s Steakhouse Thickburger line. Available in premium-size/price Six Dollar version or 1/3-lb. or ¼-lb. sizes, the burgers are topped not just [...]

 Dave Prokupek, chairman and CEO of Smashburger, says he expects a shakeout among fast-casual “better burger” concepts with two or three brands emerging as national players. Smashburger will be one of them, he says.      The Denver-based chain intends to be a global power, having announced its first two overseas development deals this month. One [...]

Fondue-chain operator The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. tested the better-burger-restaurant waters in November 2010 by opening Burger 21 in Tampa, Fla. The fast-casual restaurant takes its name from the 21 “chef-inspired” burgers—priced from $5.95 to $8.95— on its menu. It also features signature hand-dipped milk shakes, a dipping-sauce bar and more. Front Burner Brands—the corporate [...]

Although the new Dave’s Hot ‘n Juicy Cheeseburgers won’t be in Wendy’s restaurants nationwide until Oct. 3, the chain this week began online marketing for the line, including unveiling a new TV commercial for what may be its most important menu introduction in years. Wendy’s began testing the new 40% thicker burgers in Las Vegas [...]

 McDonald’s Corp. accelerated its global remodeling plan by committing $1 billion to upgrading its 1,400 restaurants in Canada by the end of 2012. The program, similar to the one underway in the U.S. and nearly completed in Europe, involves more than exterior and interior designs.   A new front-counter service platform intended to increase crew coordination and [...]

“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 [...]

Labor Day gets the last of the big summer crowds at your neighborhood burger joint. Enjoy it. And in recognition of and thanks for the labor the kitchen crew has provided all summer, we thought we ask “What comes with the burger?”      Here are a dozen side-dish and go-with ideas to try if you [...]

Roland Smith says he’d rather stay in Georgia than move to Ohio in explaining his decision to step down as president-CEO of The Wendy’s Co. Chairman Norman Peltz had a replacement waiting in the wings: Emil Brolick, a prodigal son who returns to Wendy’s, which he left in 2000 to join Yum! Brands as Taco Bell [...]