News
Wendy's debuts blue cheese topped burger
February 22, 2010
Wendy's is adding the savory taste of blue cheese to its burgers with the launch of the new limited-time-only Bacon and Blue Cheeseburger in all restaurants nationwide. The new burger follows last year's introduction of the Bacon Deluxe topped with fresh-cooked applewood-smoked bacon.
The Bacon and Blue Cheeseburger features a cooked-from-fresh beef patty, thick applewood smoked bacon slices, sautéed onions, real blue cheese crumbles, hand-leafed lettuce, freshly sliced tomato and creamy steakhouse sauce.
"We've heard loud and clear that our customers love the new applewood smoked bacon," said Ken Calwell, chief marketing officer for Wendy's, in a news release. "Great bacon and real blue cheese crumbles takes the Bacon and Blue hamburger to a whole new level and offers gourmet taste for a value price."
The Bacon and Blue cheeseburger is available for a limited time only at the suggested retail price of $4.29. Customers can add one to two beef patties at an additional cost.
Industry trends
The new burger is a bold move in the quick-service segment, adding a rich cheese more commonly found on casual dining menus. Other chains have added bacon cheeseburgers, including Carl's Jr. and Hardee's new Grilled Cheese Bacon burgers, which uses melted American and Swiss cheeses — and toasted sourdough instead of a bun.
Only Burger King has a blue cheese burger, but the Black & Bleu Steakhouse XT burger is limited to the company's Whopper Bars, a specialty concept found in a few global tourist hot spots. The new national Steakhouse XT line lauched this week in Burger King restaurants does not include the Black & Bleu, which features an extra thick beef patty topped with blue cheese, pepper bacon, blackened Cajun sauce, onions, tomatoes and lettuce on a corn-dusted bun.
While Wendy's is marketing the burger as gourmet quality at a QSR price, the price point may be slightly above what consumers see as a trade-down price. Western chain Jack in the Box reported in its recent quarterly earnings call that its $4.29 chicken bowl failed to resonate with value-minded consumers. Wendy's Bacon Deluxe is priced at $3.99 for its single patty burger.
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