“We’ve worked to bring guests a hot dog that tastes like backyard barbecue,” Alex Macedo, who leads the company’s unit in North America, said in a press conference. According to CNNMoney, Burger King started experimenting with hot dogs in five cities last year, and decided to go nationwide after those sales exceeded targets.
It will offer the “classic” hot dog for $1.99 and a chili-cheese version for $2.29. Toppings on the “classic” dog include relish, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. It’s the first time in Burger King’s 62-year history that it will offer hot dogs.
Burger King franchisees operate dozens of locations throughout the Dayton, Springfield, Hamilton and Middletown area, and some of those stores have undergone significant makeovers and improvements in recent years, including a location on Brown Street near the University of Dayton, which underwent significant renovations in the fall of 2014 that shut the restaurant down for three weeks. Similar work was performed at a Trotwood location in late 2014.
With the launch, Burger King says it will offer hot dogs at all 7,100 of its U.S. restaurants — more U.S. locations than any other chain, according to the Associated Press. Smaller chains that sell hot dogs include Dairy Queen and Sonic Drive-In.
The move comes as Burger King works to push up sales amid intensifying competition, with McDonald’s offering breakfast items all day to spark a turnaround, while Wendy’s offers a “4 for $4” deal to get customers in the door. In 2014, Burger King’s sales rose 2.1 percent at established locations in the U.S. and Canada. Parent company Restaurant Brands International Inc. reports results for 2015 next week.
The hot dogs are being supplied Kraft Heinz, which owns Oscar Mayer.
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