Taco Bell has Waffle Tacos. McDonald's has its McCafe. Burger King has… more burgers.
Burger King is reportedly rolling out a "Burgers for Breakfast" menu at 5,000 of its more than 7,300 U.S. restaurants. The menu will allow customers to order certain lunch and dinner items, including Whoppers, Cheeseburgers, french-fries and apple pie, during the chain's breakfast hours.
Previously, Burger King restaurants wouldn't sell burgers until 10 or 10:30 a.m.
Chains such as Burger King and McDonald's have struggled to find the perfect time to switch over from breakfast to lunch, insisting that the different meals required different setups to make the process as speedy as possible. McDonald's recently toyed with the idea of extending breakfast hours from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. – when Taco Bell's recently launched breakfast menu ends.
Related: The Real Reason Taco Bell Made the Waffle Taco
The breakfast market is currently the hottest battle ground in the fast food industry. Taco Bell's new breakfast menu was the most-hyped menu mix-up so far in 2014. While McDonald's reported it was unconcerned with newcomers in the market, the chain was quick to offer free coffee for two weeks following Taco Bell's breakfast rollout. Plus, coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts seem hungrier than ever for breakfast food items to accompany their beverages.
Adding burgers early in the day isn't the boldest effort by Burger King, but it also isn't one that will hurt the chain. While adding a chicken and waffle sandwich might increase costs and slow down employees -- a problem McDonald's is struggling with -- serving burgers earlier simply gives the chain more time to sell their namesake menu offering. More burgers at Burger King isn't flashy like the Waffle Taco, a chicken and waffle sandwich, or even Satisfries, but it emphasizes the chain's image as customers' go-to for burgers at any time of day.
Related: McDonald's Profit Slips in Chilly First Quarter. Will Yum Brands Fare Better?
