Dow Jones Newswires | Make no bones about it: Burger King Holdings Inc. restaurants are running short of ribs.
Some Burger King outlets have already exhausted their supply of the pricey new pork ribs, and the company expects to use up its entire rib order in the next week or so, said John Schaufelberger, Burger King’s senior vice president of global product marketing and innovation. That should end the limited-time offer sooner than originally planned.
The results suggest fast-food customers are willing to splurge for higher- priced items, a promising sign after chains used low prices to lure traffic. It also helps ease Burger King’s strained relations with its franchisees, who want to sell more profitable products.
Burger King plans to sell ribs periodically in limited-time offers, with the next run coming after parsing through results, Schaufelberger said.
The chain had scheduled national ads featuring a pig with wings convincing a skeptic that a fast-food chain can cook up a mean rib, which were to run from May 24 through June 20. Burger King now plans to shuffle its advertisements over the next week to feature a different product so it’s not broadcasting an out-of- stock product.
The rib shortfall is coming on unexpectedly brisk demand. The company based its rib allotment on results from test markets of Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Greensboro, N.C., and Orlando that showed customers favoring the three-piece order, which sells at a suggested price of $2.99 on its own or $1.99 as a combination meal add-on. Burger King placed the order at least four months in advance to give supplier Tyson Foods Inc. enough lead time and to secure the best price.
But since the product has been sold nationally, customers are indulging in the six- and eight-piece servings, which sell at suggested prices of $5.69 and $ 7.19, respectively. Burger King has already run out of packaging for the larger portions. The company didn’t say how many ribs it ordered, but recently sold its 10 millionth rib.
“The U.S. consumer has really enjoyed this product and purchased it beyond our expectations,” Schaufelberger told Dow Jones Newswires. “That’s causing us to run out a bit early.”
Why would I go to Burger King to eat ribs? If I want ribs, I’ll go to Kansas City and eat at Arthur Bryant’s. If I want hamburgers, I MIGHT go to Burger King. I’m sure the Burger King ribs are Grade-Z filler.
David, you’re an idiot. Why would anyone care where you go for ribs? Oh, that’s right. You wanted to show us all how intelligent and well-traveled you are that you can name a famous rib joint in another state you once read about. Wow, we are impressed!
And I’m sure nobody will ever eat ribs at Burger King now you’ve told us about your other imaginary “knowledge.”
Did somebody just get told?
One smart way to create demand is to tell people that ’supplies are limited’ or ‘for a limited time.’
No one wants to be left out, so now people think they have to go to BK in the next couple of days or they won’t get to try the pricey rib meal.
Pretty shrewd. Create demand with discounting prices and without making any outrageous claims.
Somebody let the rest of us know if the ribs are any good.
@RegularGuy “Somebody let the rest of us know if the ribs are any good.”
They are pretty good. Good flavor, the meat isn’t mushy or stringy.
They are tiny though, each is roughly half the size of a normal babyback rib, so figure on an order of six being about three normal ribs.
If the ribs are 1/2 the size of babybacks, Are we sure that these are pork ribs??????
they are tiny-baby back ribs. perhaps they are pre-mees?
I’ll try and get some this weekend. If they are so good – they will keep them on the menu!
Won’t SOMEBODY PLEASE think of the PIGLETS!!
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