Burger King Is Ready to ‘Sizzle’ With New Restaurant Design Models

Burger King, the popular fast-casual burger franchise with more than 18,000 units worldwide, has officially unveiled the next phase of its “Reclaim the Flame” marketing initiative, meant to boost sales and profitability for franchisees.

Earlier this month, Burger King revealed new restaurant designs, dubbed the “Sizzle” prototypes, that include additional drive-thru lanes, a walk-up window for customers on foot and an overall smaller design. Tom Curtis, the president of Burger King of North America, described the designs as warm and inviting and told QSR Magazine that the prototypes are meant to enhance the digital ordering experience and aim to simplify the workspace for employees.

The prototypes come in three different layouts that have the capacity to seat 40, 60 or 80 people respectively. As of October 2023, there are only two of the chain’s new prototypes built. They can be found in Marion, North Carolina and Las Vegas, Nevada. But Curtis said he expects more franchisees to jump on board as the word spreads about the success of these prototypes.

“I think, in general, this is not going to be a push for us with the franchisee because it’s a cost parity and because it’s warm and inviting and because it’s operationally friendly,” Curtis told QSR. While there are only two open locations so far, he believes the brand has the potential to open 14 new “Sizzle” locations by the end of 2023.

Burger King’s “Reclaim the Flame” initiative was announced last year as a way to accelerate growth in the U.S. after the brand struggled with slow sales and weak profitability, which has resulted in bankruptcies and large-scale closures. As part of that program, Burger King invested over $400 million into marketing and advertising efforts, new restaurant technology, kitchen equipment, remodels, and relocations. Some of the most recognizable elements of the marketing campaign include the new slogan, which changed from “Have it Your Way” to “You Rule” and the incredibly popular “Whopper Whopper” commercial jingle.

As Restaurant Business noted, the initiative has already proven successful for Burger King, which has seen same-store sales increase for each of the past five quarters and is showing signs of improved franchise profitability. In fact, as a result of the program, Burger King reported Quarter 2 same-store sales growth of 8.2% in the U.S., which followed 8.7% growth in Q1.

“We’ve moved sales back in the right direction, but we’ve already started to move franchise profitability meaningfully higher,” said Josh Kobza, CEO of Burger King parent company Restaurant Brands International.

The improved sales figures have also impressed investors, with CNBC reporting that shares of Restaurant Brands International have risen 16% this year alone, bringing the company’s market value up to $23.5 billion.  

While Burger King’s “Reclaim the Flame” initiative is still in the midst of its implementation, the campaign has clearly marked a significant turning point for the burger franchise. By introducing innovative changes to its marketing and physical locations, the brand has positioned itself for a potentially successful future.