Light Beer with My Whopper, Please
I have to pass along a post by Elaine Misonzhnik over at TrafficCourt about Burger King's plan to open so-called Whopper Bars at certain tourist-friendly locales. The Whopper Bars will sell beer! (Along w/ special BK fare with premium toppings.) It looks like the first beer-selling Whopper Bar is about to roll out in Miami Beach. I guess BK decided that the coffee market was too rough-n-tumble for it.
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Frankly, I am of two minds about this development. On the one hand, as a guy who prefers BK and likes a beer w/ his cheeseburger every once in a while, the Whopper Bar is good news. On the other hand, I share Elaine's concerns that the alcohol could serve to drive away more consumers than it attracts, especially at night, and where is the value in that?
The Whopper Bar is a gutsy call, no question, but an understandable one. The burger market is saturated, consumer spending is still down, yet BK still needs to find a way to increase market share. When people do splurge, it is rarely at the same levels these days. Sometimes, a tasty "gourmet" burger with a beer at a reasonable price will do the trick. The Whopper Bar should be trying to reach consumers who can't or won't spend the time or money to grab a meal at a local restaurant, including chain restaurants like Friday's or Applebee's.
To me, the key will be in the execution by BK. Can it successfully market the planned boutique-like feel of the Whopper Bar in such a crowded field? If yes, fast-food and beer could be a formidable combination.
Anybody else thirsty?
