Findings Show that the Hamburger and Hot Dog Still Reign Supreme at Football Tailgates

In Honor of National Tailgating Month, Hormel Foods Releases Surprising Data Around U.S. Tailgating Choices and Etiquette; From Onsite "Jobs" and What to Bring, When to Arrive and Grilling Methods; Hormel Foods Unearths National Tailgating Habits, State-by-State

Today, Hormel Foods Corporation, a Fortune 500 global branded food company, shared the results of its latest national consumer survey about tailgating preferences and etiquette. The anticipation and excitement of tailgating are reaching a fevered height, as consumers return to their favorite pre-pandemic routines. The nationwide...

This Week in Retail: Seasonal Transition for the Meat Case

With Labor Day now behind us, retailers are preparing for the transition from summer staples to fall favorites.

Tailgaiting items like burgers and ribs are being featured in time for the National Football League season, which kicks off today! This could support sales at the meat case as consumers gather to cheer on their teams while chowing down on finger foods. 

A game-time staple, chicken wings are on feature for $2.97 per pound, down 2 cents from a year ago. Wholesale wing prices have gained nearly 7 percent so far this year but are currently well below last year’s record highs, providing the opportunity for retailers and foodservice to showcase attractive promotions. However, boneless breasts have mostly been at record highs so far this year—unwelcome news for boneless wing lovers...

Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger Returns to the Starting Line-Up

Wendy's® fans rejoice – your favorite MVP (Most Valuable Pretzel) is back on menus nationwide. The mouthwatering Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger brings unforgettable flavors to the all-star Made to Crave lineup alongside the Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger, Big Bacon Classic® Cheeseburger, Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich, and Asiago Ranch Classic Chicken Club.

"We always make it a priority to listen to our fans about what they want to see on our menus, or in this case, what they want to see come back on menus," said Carl Loredo...

New SONIC Chophouse Cheeseburger Raises the Bar on Burgers

SONIC® Drive-In is bringing the elevated flavor of fine dining right to the drive-in with the new Chophouse Cheeseburger! A delicious mix of every steak-lover's favorite flavors, the Chophouse Cheeseburger is available at participating locations starting August 29, though SONIC App users can get early access to the burger beginning August 22 when they order through the app.*

The Chophouse Cheeseburger features a 100% pure beef patty topped with a bold Chophouse aioli, crispy onion strings and two slices of melty American cheese, all served on a...

BurgerFi Unveils the "Juicy Lucy" Burger Available for a Limited Time Only

BurgerFi - one of the nation's fastest-growing, premium fast-casual concepts - has added the Juicy Lucy, a new crave-worthy, limited-time only menu item to its award-winning, chef-inspired menu. Available now through September 19, the Juicy Lucy features two Natural Angus Beef patties sandwiching White Cheddar, American, and Pepper Jack cheeses, and topped with Sweet Tomato Relish and BurgerFi's signature Fi sauce.

To further enhance their menu offerings, BurgerFi has partnered with well-known industry Chef Cliff Pleau. "Just one bite of the new Juicy..."

This Week in Retail: Wrapping Up July; Digesting the Latest GDP Data  

Wrapping up July, grocers are promoting fan-favorite grilling items like steaks, pork chops, and shrimp in an effort to encourage at-home cooking during the dog days of summer—a seasonally sluggish period for meat sales.

Seafood features make up nearly 33% of total protein ad volume this week, marking the fifth consecutive week that it has seized the top spot. Beef comes in second with 23%, closely followed by pork with 22%. Chicken claims 17.5% and eggs make up 1.3% of ad space, down from nearly 5% the week...

This Week in Retail: This Year's July Fourth Cookout Could be Costlier 

Consumers might sweat when shopping for July Fourth festivities since this year's cookout could be costlier than in years past.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation remains elevated at a multi-decade high with the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rising 14.2% over the last 12 months.

Despite higher retail prices and squeezed budgets, most households are forging ahead with their Independence Day plans. According to the National Retail Federation, 84% of consumers plan to celebrate the Fourth this year.

Of those, 59% of people plan to ring in Independence Day with a cookout...

This Week in Retail: Supermarkets Prep for July 4th

The Fourth of July marks the last major retail buying occasion of the summer until Labor Day. 

This year’s holiday falls on a Monday and the extended weekend could encourage consumer cookouts and gatherings.

Grocers are closely eyeing the forecast as record high temperatures persist in the Southern region of the nation this week. 

This week, beef claims almost 28% of total protein features this week. Seafood and pork each account for 22.2%, while chicken clocks in at 16.7%...

This Week in Retail: Prepping for the Next Major Summer Grilling Occasion

Grocers will soon be featuring meat and poultry cuts for Father’s Day, the second major grilling event of the season that falls between Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Typically, June is the most active time of the year for backyard grilling as the warmer weather beckons families to cook outdoors. Grocers will try to encourage shoppers to cook at home rather than dining out for Father's Day this year by featuring popular grilling items at attractive price points when possible...

This Week in Retail: Protein Features for Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend, beef features steal the spotlight with 30% of total protein ad volume. Seafood claims 28.5%, followed by pork with 23%. Chicken features account for 15% of retail buying opportunities, while turkey sneaks in with 1.6%.

In the beef complex, steaks have nearly 48% of feature volume. Ground beef ads account for 30%. The steak complex averages $9.18 per pound, up $1.15 per pound from a year ago. All except for top round and bone-in rib are priced higher than a year ago.

The price of 80% lean ground beef averages slightly above a year ago at $3.32 per pound. Burgers are often favored as a cost-effective and easy way to feed large gatherings...

White Castle Surpasses 28 Billion Burgers Sold Since Founding in 1921

May is National Hamburger Month, and White Castle has a lot to celebrate. Besides being the first fast-food hamburger chain in the U.S. and the pioneer of the smaller-sized burger that ultimately became known as The Original Slider, the 101-year-old family-owned business has recently reached a significant milestone: all-time sales of its burgers — The Original Slider and Cheese Slider — have surpassed 28 billion. That includes 22 billion sliders sold in restaurants and another 6 billion sold through the company's retail division...

This Week in Retail: Roast Features Make Room for Grilling Ads

Although some portions of the country are still experiencing cool weather and even snow, various grilling cuts are beginning to surface in circulars as consumers dust off their grills—despite being a month away from the unofficial Memorial Day kickstart to summer.

For grocers, the seasonal uptick in demand typically boosts sales for items like loins, butts, and ribs over the next few weeks as warmer weather drives increased outdoor activity.

In the meantime, retailers are preparing for the next retail occasion—Cinco de Mayo. The approaching celebration could increase store traffic as shoppers stock up on pork, beef, and chicken for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and beyond...

White Castle's New 1921 Slider, Now Available at All Castles

For the first time in several years, White Castle is rolling out a new, permanent menu item — a slider inspired by the very first hamburger White Castle made when it opened its doors in 1921.

Called The 1921 Slider®, the new burger marks 101 years of slider innovations.

"The 1921 Slider brings our menu full circle to the hamburger that started it all," said Lynn Blashford, chief marketing officer for White Castle. "It's been so popular in our limited release that we can't wait for Cravers in all of..."

American Dairy Queen Unveils New Line of Signature Stackburgers

American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ), a leader in iconic treats and food, today announced the new Signature Stackburgers™ menu. Centered on cheeseburgers that deliver on consumer demand for big flavor and variety, this new menu is the most significant product rollout for ADQ in the past 20 years.

“Our hot food menu, served at our DQ® Grill & Chill® restaurants, is key to our business goal to become a balanced leader in both food and treat items. We know that means innovating and expanding our everyday food offerings, and..."

RoboBurger, the World's First Robot Burger Chef in a Vending Machine Format, Launches Nationally

RoboBurger, the world's first fully autonomous robotic burger chef, launched today with a ribbon cutting at the Newport Centre, a Simon Mall in Jersey City, NJ.

This restaurant in miniature cooks restaurant-quality freshly grilled burgers from scratch, and it will soon be heading to airports, malls, colleges, offices, factories, and military bases across the country.

RoboBurger is an artificially intelligent, self-operating, patented kitchen designed to include all the processes of a restaurant at a fraction of the size. It measures 12 square feet, plugs...

Burger King® Whopper® Melts — Three New Handheld Toasted Sandwiches — Now Available Nationwide

At Burger King, we want our guests to have it their way — whether that means adding extra, extra cheese, no pickles, a lot of pickles, stealing a friend’s onion rings instead of ordering your own, or holding a sandwich in one hand while typing a text with the other. Which is why we’re introducing a new way to Whopper…our new Whopper Melts are a cheesy, melty way to enjoy a flame-grilled Whopper — but if it fits in one hand, is it really a Whopper?...

Hard Rock Cafe Launches Its Newest Burger Inspired Brand Ambassador Lionel Messi

Hard Rock Cafe announces the global launch of its brand-new menu item – the Messi Burger – as the latest innovation in Hard Rock International's "LIVE GREATNESS" campaign in partnership with global soccer legend Lionel Messi. Starting today, this culinary delight, crafted by Messi himself, is now available for fans to order at Hard Rock Cafe locations worldwide.

As part of Hard Rock International's ongoing partnership with Lionel Messi, Hard Rock Cafe is proud to introduce a namesake burger inspired by the soccer legend himself, paying tribute to Messi's...

The Counter Spices Up the Burger Game with the New Serrano Burger

The Counter brings the heat with the new, spicy Serrano Burger and two beverages to cool things down. Guests can sip on a chilled glass of Ruffino Pinot Grigio or enjoy a refreshing bottle of Modelo Especial. All three offerings are available now through May 1.

Guests can now enjoy the fiery and cool combinations:

- Serrano Burger - All-natural angus beef with red onion, cheddar cheese, smoked gouda cheese, bacon, serrano pepper and onion mix. Served on a brioche bun garnished with a deep-fried serrano pepper...

Hopdoddy and Grub to Form Better-Burger Powerhouse

Hopdoddy Burger Bar, the popular Austin-born burger joint, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Grub Burger Bar, the Bryan, Texas-based brand known for its signature burgers, hand-spun shakes, scratch kitchen, and craft cocktail bar, to bring a shared vision and craveable menus to more burger lovers across the nation. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The two high-performing brands intend to capitalize on many complementary capabilities while rapidly expanding into new markets. The new combined company, HiBar Hospitality Group, is backed...

Hard Rock Cafe Launches Pilot Program for New Burger in Partnership with Lionel Messi

Hard Rock Cafe announces the launch of the pilot program for the brand-new Messi Burger, the latest innovation in Hard Rock International's "LIVE GREATNESS" campaign in partnership with Lionel Messi. Starting today, the burger will be exclusively available at the Hard Rock Cafe Miami, FL and Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood, FL before its global release on March 1.

A tribute to the soccer sensation's ideal burger components, the Messi Burger consists of ten flavorful ingredients for a game-changing take on Hard Rock's...

Holy Grail Steak Co. Launches Burger Subscription Service

Holy Grail Steak Co. today introduces Burger Lab, a subscription service that delivers a variety of the highest quality burger patties right to your doorstep.

When you join Burger Lab, you will receive two types of burgers from Holy Grail's exclusive beef and pork collections every three months. Each box includes a total of twelve 8 oz burger patties (six of each type) and recipe cards for inspiration. From Wagyu and Mangalitsa pork to Santa Carota carrot-finished burgers and proprietary blends, this is the perfect way to taste your way through...

Hopdoddy Burger Bar Predicts 2022 Restaurant Trends

After a rebuilding year for many restaurant brands, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a leader in the better burger space, is predicting a new year filled with opportunities and challenges brought on by greater consumer expectations, supply chain issues and the next step in the craft beer movement.

"The past year has been all about recovery from the pandemic and looking at every facet of our business — especially when it comes to top-notch suppliers — to determine where to go from here," said Hopdoddy Vice President of Culinary Operations Matt Schweitzer. "Looking forward, we are..."

Smashburger® Collaborates With Celebrity Chef And Restaurateur Rick Bayless To Launch New Menu Items

Smashburger®, the better burger fast casual restaurant, announces the launch of its newest creation, the Chorizo Cheeseburger by Chef Rick Bayless. Developed in collaboration with the award-winning chef and restauranteur, and winner of Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters Chef Rick Bayless, the authentic Mexican-inspired burger is available at all Smashburger locations nationwide starting today through February 15, 2022. Throughout the duration of the limited time dish, Smashburger is encouraging guests to donate to the Frontera Farmer Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by...

Hopdoddy Burger Bar Adds Force of Nature Bison to its Better Burger Menu

Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a leader in the burger space, has partnered with Force of Nature to provide the highest quality free-range, grass-fed bison for its famous Buffalo Bill burger or as an alternative patty option in any burger on the menu. The new partnership is Hopdoddy's latest step in evolving and elevating the better burger concept it pioneered more than a decade ago with the opening of its first Austin location.

Located in Dripping Springs, Texas, Force of Nature is committed to regenerative farming...

Checkers® & Rally's® Beefs (and Butters) Up a Classic for a Limited Time

Checkers & Rally's, an iconic and innovative drive-thru restaurant chain known for its bold and flavorful food at an exceptional value and its people-first attitude, today rolls out a fresh, innovative take on the boss of all burgers with the new Garlic & Butter Bacon Buford.

Available for a limited time starting Monday, Nov. 15, the Garlic & Butter Bacon Buford features two of Checker's & Rally's largest, 100 percent hand-seasoned beef hamburger patties topped with two slices of Swiss cheese, two slices of crispy bacon, crisp...

BurgerFi's Ultimate Bacon Bash Proves Everything is Better with More Bacon

BurgerFi, one of the nation's fastest-growing, premium fast-casual concepts, will launch today its first-ever Ultimate Bacon Bash meal including three crave-worthy and better-with-bacon premium options from its award-winning, chef-inspired menu. Additionally, BurgerFi will offer for a limited time a newly crafted Maple Bacon Shake and free delivery via the BurgerFi app at participating locations.

"BurgerFi loves to put a new spin on a classic, fan favorite," says Paul Griffin, Chief Culinary Officer of BurgerFi. "There's never too much bacon, and this..."

Hard Rock Cafes Nationwide Honor Military Service Members With A Free Legendary® Steak Burger 

Hard Rock International, owner of one of the world's most recognizable and iconic brands, announces that all Hard Rock Cafes in North America will honor military service members this Veterans Day with a free original Legendary® Steak Burger topped with applewood bacon, cheddar cheese, a crispy onion ring, leaf lettuce and vine-ripened tomato. The free burger offer includes a side of fries and is available all day long on Thursday, November 11 for any active or retired military member with a valid ID...

SONIC Drive-In brings back beloved Garlic Butter Bacon Burger

SONIC® Drive-In is bringing back the fan-favorite Garlic Butter Bacon Burger with some delicious upgrades at participating Drive-Ins nationwide. Guests can try the irresistible, melted garlic butter goodness for a limited time only at participating locations through December 26 while supplies last.

Creating craveable bliss for garlic and butter lovers alike, the SONIC® Garlic Butter Bacon Burger starts with a perfectly seasoned, 100% pure beef patty topped with creamy garlic butter and layered between two slices of melty American cheese, with...

Chili's Adds Four New Mouth-Watering Big Mouth Burgers To Its Menu

When we say we've got some big news, we mean Big Mouth big. We've elevated the Chili's® Grill & Bar's fan-favorite lineup of Big Mouth Burgers® by adding not one, not two, not even three – but four delectable new Big Mouth Burgers to our menu. But that's not all! Because go big or go home, right? Two of the new Big Mouth Burgers boast two (yes, TWO) beef patties for a full pound of beef!

In other Big Mouth News, after launching Chili's Big Mouth Crispy...

Technomic Reveals Global Opportunities for the Burger Menu Category

Technomic released the 2021 Burger Global Menu Category Report exploring an in-depth look into global sales, consumer preferences, menu trends, operator insights and brands to watch related to the burger category.

“Burger is one of the largest and most dynamic menu categories on the global stage, and restaurant operators have significant opportunities as recovery scenarios begin to set in across international markets” explains Aaron Jourden, senior research manager of global at Technomic. “The new Global Burger Menu Category Report allows operators and suppliers alike to..."