4 chain menu items making waves

In our latest roundup of new products pushing chain boundaries, Burger King debuts a hot dog-burger mashup, pretzels make a mark during breakfast and the state fair gets an unlikely homage at a QSR. 

Following the success of its Grilled Dogs, Burger King is rolling out a new Grilled Dog-Whopper mashup, appropriately called the Whopper Dog.

This new item features classic Whopper toppings—lettuce, pickles, tomato, chopped onions, ketchup and mayo—but replaces the burger patty with a hot dog, Fortune reports. Until the Whopper Dog’s debut, the chain offered just two varieties of Grilled Dog: classic and chili cheese.

Grilled Dogs, which debuted in February, have been a BK sales boon, helping drive Q1 comps growth of 4.6 percent.

The Whopper Dog sells for $1.99, or for $4.89 as part of a combo meal. 

Customers feeling nostalgic for corn dogs and cotton candy may soon find a fix at their local Popeyes. The chicken chain earlier this month debuted Southern Fair Tenders, an item it says delivers the “essence” of a day at the state fair. The tenders, which are served with Cajun Fries and a honey-mustard dipping sauce, sell for $4.99. 

As breakfast in the QSR sector heats up, chains are responding with more innovative morning items—including the latest breakfast sandwich from Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, which substitutes bread with a soft pretzel from sister chain Auntie Anne’s. The Pretzel Breakfast Sandwich features an egg, a sausage patty and two kinds of cheese.

Bacon is again having a big moment, as three chains recently announced they will debut an item stuffed with the cured meat and its favorite melty counterpart, cheese. Pizza Hut and Cicis are both bringing a bacon-stuffed-crust pizza on board, while Auntie Anne’s is adding bacon-cheddar-stuffed pretzel nuggets to its menu.