Chicken nuggets are next on Burger King’s reinvention plan

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN

New York (CNN) — After successfully remaking the Whopper, Burger King is now shifting its focus from patties to poultry.

Beginning September 1, new chicken nuggets will arrive on US menus as part of Burger King’s multiyear plan to improve its food and sales using consumer feedback as a guide.

So far, the changes — like a remodeled Whopper — are working. Burger King recently reported an 8.5% increase in US same-store sales last quarter, outpacing McDonald’s by the largest margin in more than a decade. The growth has also pushed Burger King past Wendy’s to become the second- largest US burger chain as the latter deals with a 7% sales decline amid wider troubles.

Burger King said in a press release that the new nuggets, made with all-white meat, crispier breading and an improved marinade, are a direct response to “thousands” of consumer complaints that the current version is “rubbery,” “dry” and “disappointing.”

The updated version will be served with a lineup of revamped sauces, such as sweet and sour, honey mustard and buffalo. Suggested prices range from $1.99 for a 4-piece to $7.49 for 20 pieces.

In recent years, chicken has become a battleground in the fast-food industry in light of rising beef prices. Also, more consumers are seeking out chicken as a healthier alternative to red meat. Visits to chicken chains have steadily grown, outpacing their burger-focused competitors.

Rivals have already capitalized on poultry’s popularity and released new options, including crispy nuggets from Taco Bell, revamped tenders at McDonald’s and KFC expanding its sauce-centric spinoff called Saucy.

But Burger King entering later than its competitors “isn’t much of a liability in a category where new flavors, sauces and formats are key sources for menu creativity,” said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai.

Releasing new nuggets should help Burger King sustain its positive sales momentum and solidify its value deals since chicken is cheaper to sell compared to beef, he added.

Plus, improving the nuggets will help its footing with families. Last quarter, Burger King touted that its tie-in with the new “Star Wars” movie helped bolster sales of its kids’ meals. However, there’s still significant room to grow.

Adding better nuggets makes “perfect sense” to boost sales, said Robert Byrne, senior director of consumer research at Technomic. Nuggets are favored by kids, and the firm’s data shows no burger chain has locked up the category.

Also, nuggets can be an add-on for orders and increase check size. Technomic’s data shows that roughly 30% of guests at McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A added nuggets to their orders — a figure that drops by a half for Burger King.

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