Burger King debuts new breakfast items in menu expansionBurger King debuts new breakfast items in menu expansion

Ron Ruggless

Burger King Corp. on Tuesday unveiled new breakfast menu items in what it said was its “largest menu expansion ever.”

The widely anticipated BK Breakfast Menu introductions included blueberry mini-muffins, pancake platters, a ciabatta breakfast sandwich and iced coffees.

Breakfast has been a hot daypart for fast-food chains, with Subway earlier this year introducing a national breakfast menu, Quiznos selling breakfast sandwiches at its convenience store locations, and Dunkin' Donuts and Jack in the Box beefing up their breakfast menus.

A Mintel study found restaurants added more than 460 new breakfast products in 2009, more than in the previous two years combined.

“We’re ready to compete to be America’s wake-up call with our new BK Breakfast Menu,” said Mike Kappitt, chief marketing officer for North America at Miami-based Burger King, which last week announced its proposed sale in a $4 billion deal to private equity firm 3G Capital of New York.

BK’s new items, available until 10:30 a.m. daily, expand upon long-standing fare like the breakfast Croissan’wich and new entries such as the breakfast muffin sandwich and the BK Breakfast Bowl. They include:

• The BK Breakfast Ciabatta Club Sandwich with eggs, tomatoes, ham, bacon, American cheese and a smoky tomato sauce on a toasted bun for a suggested retail price of $2.89.

• The four-piece Mini Blueberry Biscuits served warm with a side of vanilla icing for dipping for $1, which are being added to the BK Breakfast Value Menu.

• The BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter with scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, biscuit and pancakes for $4.29. A pancake and sausage platter is $2.89, and a pancake platter along is $2.29.

• In addition to hot Seattle's Best Coffee available in $1, $1.19 and $1.39 sizes, Burger King is expanding to iced coffees in mocha, vanilla and regular flavors for $1.89. In July, executives at No. 1 burger chain McDonald’s said its McCafe beverage program had boosted coffee-based drinks to 6 percent of sale, up from 2 percent five years ago. Link: http://www.nrn.com/article/heard-call-mcdonalds

Burger King said it will debut a 60-second television commercial on Sept. 13 in which an early riser hits the streets alongside hungry neighbors — a construction worker, jogger, landscaper and even a flutist — chanting, “Burger King for breakfast? There’s really such a thing.” Later, 30-second spots will target individual menu items.

Digital banner ads, a mobile phone application and other new media advertising also support the menu launch.

Burger King owns or franchises more than 12,150 restaurants in the United States and 76 nations and U.S. territories.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].