Burger King Ending 15-Cent Nugget Deal as Supplies Wane

By Publications Checkout
Burger King Ending 15-Cent Nugget Deal as Supplies Wane

Burger King Worldwide Inc.’s 15-cent chicken-nugget deal, one of the highest-profile examples of price wars in the fast-food industry, is ending after the company ran low on supplies.

The burger chain, which began offering a 10-pack of nuggets for $1.49 on 6 October, said it plans to revert to the old $2.99 price at the end of this week.

The special “performed well, in line with our expectations,” Eric Hirschhorn, chief marketing officer for North America, said in an e-mailed statement. “We are quickly selling through our promotional supply.”

The fast-food industry is relying more heavily on discounts as competition mounts and consumers flock to newer options such as Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Taco Bell introduced a $1 menu nationwide in August, and McDonald’s Corp. is selling a 20-pack of McNuggets for $5. In lieu of the nugget deal, Burger King has started advertising a new four-cheese Whopper burger.

While the deals help attract customers, fast-food chains have struggled to reignite sales. McDonald’s said earlier this week that domestic same-store sales fell 1 per cent in October, the sixth straight monthly decline. While Burger King’s third-quarter revenue rose 1.4 per cent, the gain still trailed analysts’ estimates.

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Burger King has about 7,360 restaurants in North America, compared with more than 14,200 US stores for McDonald’s.

Bloomberg News, edited by Hospitality Ireland