By Marcy Magiera
Restaurant Brands International reported this week that its Burger King restaurants posted a comp store sales increase of 6.7% and system-wide sales increase of 11.6% in the most recent quarter, due in large part to the popularity of its licensed A.1. Hearty Mozzarella Bacon Cheeseburger. BK has two burgers featuring Kraft Foods’ savory A.1. Thick & Hearty sauce on its menu. The other is the A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger. In comparison, BK’s comp sales increased just 2.1% for full year 2014.
The licensing of food brands is a growing trend, with restaurants increasingly both putting packaged food brands on their menus, and also licensing their own brands for packaged foods. Retail sales of licensed food and beverages in the U.S. and Canada surpassed $10 billion in 2014, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey, up 6.1% from the prior year. The category has grown consistently since 2009.
Other licensed items on the B.K. menu include the Oreo Shake, Otis Spunkmeyer Cinnamon roll and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie.