New York
CNN
 — 

Burger King has been working to revitalize its model over the previous few years, redesigning all the pieces from its emblem to its packaging. The following step: transforming eating places.

Prospects coming into Burger King areas will “begin to see one thing totally different in 2024,” mentioned Tom Curtis, president of Burger King US & Canada.

After engaged on it for over a yr, the model formally unveiled a brand new restaurant design referred to as “Sizzle” throughout the firm’s franchisee conference final week, Curtis mentioned.

At present, there are two Burger King eating places open which were transformed with the Sizzle decor: One in New Jersey, and one in Las Vegas. One other will open later this month in North Carolina, in keeping with the corporate. The plan is for extra up to date eating places to begin opening subsequent yr.

The brand new ideas characteristic digital ordering kiosks, loads of Whopper branding, and streamlined drive-thru and pickup lanes. Transferring ahead, “we’re going to lean in the place probably the most of our enterprise is available in, which is the drive via,” Curtis mentioned.

Final yr, Burger King introduced a $400 million plan to enhance the enterprise, together with $250 million towards transforming and different restaurant investments.

The facelift is overdue: Burger King has been behind its rivals in model updating. It has revealed up to date decor through the years, however renovations have been gradual shifting. The corporate final launched a brand new idea, Backyard Grill, a number of years in the past. In 2020, it showcased new design options, together with triple drive-thru lanes, and deliberate some prototypes. However three years later, eating places nonetheless want a makeover. Sizzle is the newest redesign.

Now, it appears, Burger King is making an attempt to push forward.

For the previous yr or so franchisees, which function the vast majority of Burger King areas, have been securing permits and discovering contractors, Curtis mentioned, laying the groundwork for remodels.

By the tip of subsequent yr, about half of US eating places ought to have the Sizzle or Backyard Grill design, he mentioned. A spokesperson for the model mentioned each Sizzle and Backyard Grill areas will likely be in improvement subsequent yr, with out sharing a breakdown or what number of Backyard Grill areas are at present open.

The brand new or transformed eating places can even lastly bear the model’s up to date emblem, which was unveiled in 2021 and may be seen on social media channels and in commercials, however not often in actual life.

“Now we have only a few eating places proper now with the brand new emblem up,” mentioned Curtis. It’s a “query mark” on whether or not outdated areas will get the brand new emblem, he added.

The information comes as Burger King is struggling to convey prospects into its areas.

Within the second quarter ending on June 30, gross sales at Burger King’s US eating places open at the very least 13 months jumped 8.3% yr over yr. Globally, together with within the US, gross sales at Burger King eating places open at the very least a yr grew 10.2%.

However a lot of the gross sales progress within the US was pushed by folks spending extra after they truly purchased meals from a Burger King, not as a result of extra folks had been coming by the door.

“We’re nonetheless not in optimistic territory,” in terms of visitors, mentioned Josh Kobza, CEO of Burger King mum or dad firm Restaurant Manufacturers Worldwide, throughout an analyst name in August. “Progress in visitors … is likely one of the most important near-term alternatives we see for the model.” Kobza mentioned on the time that the pattern is enhancing.

“We’re making progress, and that progress is continuous,” Curtis added in an interview with CNN discussing Sizzle.

Along with the placement upgrades, the model can also be drilling down on its Whopper marketing campaign, however with a barely totally different focus.

To this point, the model’s advertising blitz has centered on the various methods to customise its signature burger. Subsequent yr, Burger King will proceed to highlight the Whopper, however this time give attention to its taste.