"franchises" news and stories

A Burger King double cheeseburger. Photo: alandd/flickr

Having a double cheeseburger your way will now only cost you a single.

Burger King confirmed Wednesday a plan to mail out $1 double cheeseburger coupons in August and September to nearly 80 million households nationwide. The move comes after franchisees vetoed a proposal to offer the double cheeseburger at that price on in-store menus.

Nation's Restaurant News reports that franchise owners rejected the original promotion to sell the double cheeseburger at $1 for four months -- and also later rejected a revised promotion plan to sell the $1 doubles for six weeks.

It's not that all the franchisees are against the dollar menu, but they don't want to have to spend money advertising it, either. That's understandable: they want customers to purchase the more expensive items so that they can make more money.

The franchisees argue that they're paying a higher minimum wage and food costs are skyrocketing. They're worried that more and more people are "trading down" for value menu items, and at the same time they're not getting enough new customers to make up the difference.

A spokesperson for the company said that there will always be a little bit of push and pull, but that problems will always be resolved because the company only makes money if the franchises do.

Er, good luck.

[Via Advertising Age]