 |
| The new look of Burger King. Photo: Pat Sullivan, AP |
In an effort to get more customers to choose dining in over the drive-thru, the country's No. 2 fast-food chain is revamping the interiors of its 12,000 locations worldwide, the Associated Press reports. Burger King hopes this contemporary, upscale look and feel will appeal to its biggest customers -- young men.
"The contemporary restaurant design incorporates a variety of innovative elements set to a backdrop that evokes the industrial look of corrugated metal, brick, wood and concrete," a Burger King official told Slashfood.
Franchise owners, who by contract have to periodically update their restaurants' design, can choose from include LCD menu screens, "Have It Your Way" graphics and a dining area centered around a flame-themed chandelier. "Drawing inspiration from Burger King Corp.'s flame-broiling, the 'grill-centric' design brings the signature cooking process to life," the company said.
The design, called "20/20", has been used in about 60 Burger King locations, and 75 more should be complete by the end of the year, the AP reported. The design is intended to give consumers a more "upscale" experience.
"I'd call it more contemporary, edgy, futuristic," Chairman and CEO John Chidsey told the AP. "It feels so much more like an upscale restaurant." The company announced its plan Wednesday in Amsterdam.
All new locations will be built in the "20/20" style, but the Miami-based chain's new cutting-edge decor comes with a steep price tag: between $300,000 and $600,000 per location.
Chidsey told the AP he thinks franchise owners won't have trouble obtaining financing and could benefit from a sales increase. Remodeled Burger King restaurants have seen sales spike 12 to 15 percent while ones that have been demolished and rebuilt have seen sales rise as much as 30 percent, AP reported.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=631187&pid=631186&uts=1254944034
http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf
Edgy Burger King 20/20 Design
Burger King's new "20/20" restaurant design on view in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, on Oct. 5. 2009. The new design features industrial metal, brick walls and a flame chandelier.
Pat Sullivan, AP
Getty Images North America
Edgy Burger King 20/20 Design
Burger King's new "20/20" restaurant design on view in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, on Oct. 5. 2009. The new design features industrial metal, brick walls and a flame chandelier.
Pat Sullivan, AP
Burger King's new "20/20" restaurant design on view in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, on Oct. 5. 2009. Video screens and bun-like seating is part of the appeal designed to attract the King's most loyal customers -- young men.
Pat Sullivan, AP
A flame chandelier is at the center of Burger King's new "20/20" restaurant design on view in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, on Oct. 5. 2009.
Pat Sullivan, AP
Analysts are skeptical about the plan and whether franchise owners will indeed shell out the cash and see the sales growth the company is promising by getting customers to come inside.
"I don't think they'll change their perception," Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy told the AP. "They're pretty entrenched in their reality."
[Via Associated Press]
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
