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Grilled hot dogs will join Burger King’s menu, representatives of the popular fast food restaurant chain have revealed on Wednesday, February 10.
Apparently, customers have long been clamoring for the Miami, Florida-based company to expand its menu by adding hot dogs to the mix.
Eventually, paying heed to these demands, executives decided to launch a trial test, in order to determine if the introduction of grilled hot dogs would indeed be a successful venture, that can also be easily implemented.
At a select few Burger King restaurants from 5 cities across the country, the menu addition has been prepared and tested extensively for the last year and a half.
Two varieties of beef-based hot dogs were soon perfected, by resorting to the very same kitchen utensils and equipment that are required when making hamburgers.
One of the much-awaited menu items is a classic flame-broiled hot dog enveloped in a bun, seasoned with chopped onions, and accompanied by mustard, relish and ketchup. Apparently, it will cost $1.99 and one serving will contain around 310 calories, 960 mg of salt and 16 g of fat.
The other one is a more complex creation, featuring ground beef, chilli powder and Cheddar cheese. This menu item has a slightly higher calorie count (330), 980 mg of salt and 19 g of fat, and will likely be priced at $2.39.
Kitchen staff learned all the steps required for preparing the two types of frankfurter meals by watching video tutorials starring Snoop Dogg, with Charo being the chef in the version destined for Spanish-speaking employees.
In approximately 10 days, the technique behind the two hot dog recipes was mastered by all the employees that received training, one of main lessons being the way onions must be sliced and prepared in order to turn into the perfect hot dog ingredient.
It was also soon determined that the products are indeed popular among customers, and should definitely be promoted nationwide.
As explained by Alex Macedo, who presides over Burger King’s operations in North America, the introduction of grilled hot dogs across the chain’s 7,100 locations starting from February 23 is not just a mere launch of a couple of menu items.
Instead, it marks the debut of a brand new category of products for Burger King, which is currently the largest hamburger chain in the world, surpassed solely by McDonald’s.
Given that approximately 20 billion frankfurters are commercialized across the nation on a yearly basis, if this initiative takes off, the financial benefits could be tremendous.
The fact that the hot dogs are flame-broiled instead of boiled is likely to appeal to customers, since it will remind them of barbecues held in the backyard, instead of evoking quick and often unsanitary snacks bought from street vendors.
In addition, the menu addition will surely be beneficial to Kraft Heinz, the company that Burger King relies on for condiments and dressings such as mustard and ketchup, which are indispensable for any good old-fashioned hot dog.
Given that the Brazilian investment firm known as 3G Capital retains a 71% majority stake in the fast food chain, and is also the owner of Kraft Heinz, it will only profit from the closer partnership between Burger King and its supplier.
It still remains to be seen if the grilled hot dogs will indeed fare well, or if they will go down in flames, like Burger King’s prior attempts at adding popcorn and low-calorie French Fries (“Satisfries”) on the menu.
Image Source: Chronicle Herald
