Big King facts for kids
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North American version of
the BK Big King sandwich (April 2016) |
|
| Nutritional value per 1 sandwich (198 g) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 530 kcal (2,200 kJ) |
|
38 g (13%)
|
|
| Sugars | 8 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2 g (8%) |
|
31 g (48%)
|
|
| Saturated | 11 g (55%) |
| Trans | 1.5 g |
|
Protein
|
19 g (38%)
|
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Sodium |
53%
790 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Cholesterol | 75 mg |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. Source: Burger King USA Nutritional guides: Core, Regional and Limited Time Offerings, April 2016 |
|
The Big King is a popular hamburger from the fast-food restaurant chain Burger King. It has been a part of their menu for over twenty years. In the United States, it is sold as the Big King XL, based on its 1997 recipe.
When it was first tested in 1996–1997, it was called the Double Supreme. It looked a lot like the McDonald's Big Mac, even having a three-part bun. Later in 1997, it was changed to be a more typical double burger. When it was officially launched in September 1997, it got its famous name, Big King.
In 2001, the sandwich was renamed King Supreme and slightly changed. Later, it was replaced by the BK Stacker line of sandwiches. After the Stacker line was stopped in the United States, the Big King came back in November 2013 as a regular menu item.
Even when it wasn't sold in the United States, the Big King was still available in many other countries. It had different names there. For example, in Europe, Burger King sold a bigger version called the Big King XXL. This version was inspired by the company's Whopper sandwich.
There was also a chicken version of the Big King in the United States and Canada. To keep people interested, Burger King sometimes offers special versions of the Big King for a limited time.
In 2020, Hungry Jack's in Australia introduced the burger as the Big Jack. It had a slightly different recipe. Its advertising campaign highlighted how similar it was to the Big Mac. This led to a lawsuit from McDonald's. A larger version was called the "Mega Jack."
History of the Big King
How the Big King Started
The sandwich that became the Big King was first called the Double Supreme cheeseburger. Burger King created it to compete with McDonald's famous Big Mac sandwich. It was tested in January 1996. Burger King wanted to use its growing sales to challenge McDonald's.
The Double Supreme looked a lot like the Big Mac. It had two beef patties, "King" sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions. It was served on a three-part sesame seed bun. Burger King's patties are flame-broiled and bigger than McDonald's patties. Also, the "King Sauce" was different from McDonald's "Special sauce." So, the sandwich tasted similar but not exactly the same.
After the first test, the sandwich was changed. The middle bun piece was removed. Burger King advertised the Double Supreme by saying it had 75% more beef and less bread than the Big Mac. A newspaper review confirmed these claims. It also said Burger King's ingredients were better.
The sandwich was renamed the Big King and added to the national menu in late summer 1997. This was Burger King's first big new product since the BK Broiler chicken sandwich in 1990. The new Big King did not have the middle bun piece like the Big Mac. Its ads still said it had 75% more beef.
The Big King was first sold in the United States for 99¢. This low price helped sales a lot. Many locations sold out of the burger patties.
McDonald's at first said the new sandwich was not a big deal. But their own Arch Deluxe sandwich was not successful. Their "Campaign 55" promotion, which lowered prices to 55¢, also failed. Meanwhile, Burger King's Big King was a success. Burger King also introduced new, better french fries in November 1997. These new products helped Burger King's sales grow.
The King Supreme
By 2001, Burger King's sales were slowing down. The company decided to change its menu to attract more customers. They launched several new products. Along with a new Whopper-based burger and a new breakfast sandwich, Burger King introduced the King Supreme. This was a new version of the Big King.
The King Supreme had mostly the same ingredients as the Big King. However, the King Sauce was changed. The company said this new sauce made the grilled burger patties taste even better. This new menu was designed to compete with McDonald's new menu, which had come out earlier that year.
The BK Stackers
Burger King got new owners in 2002. The new owners decided to focus on creating menu items for young men aged 20–34. In late 2006, they introduced the new BK Stacker sandwich. This was a family of sandwiches with the same toppings. You could get it with one, two, three, or four hamburger patties.
The Stacker line was part of a group of bigger, higher-calorie products. These were made to attract the "super fan" customers. The Stacker had one to four 1.7 oz (48 g) beef patties, American cheese, bacon, and a special Stacker sauce. It was served on a sesame seed bun.
Some people thought the Quad Stacker was a very big burger. An internet trend even started where people would buy two Quad Stackers and combine them. They would try to eat this huge "Octo-Stacker" (with eight patties) in under five minutes.
Around 2008–2009, Burger King's sales went down. The Stacker line was changed in 2011. It had less cheese and bacon and was moved to the value menu. The Stacker line was removed in 2012 when a new company bought Burger King. The new owners wanted to attract more types of customers.
BK Toppers
The BK Toppers line was a group of cheeseburgers Burger King offered for a limited time in October 2011. These sandwiches used a new 3.2 oz (91 g) beef patty. The three sandwiches included a bigger version of Burger King's Rodeo Cheeseburger, one with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, and the Cheeseburger Deluxe. The Cheeseburger Deluxe had lettuce, pickles, onions, American cheese, and Stacker sauce, similar to the King Supreme.
These sandwiches were part of the new owners' plan to attract more customers, not just young men. The name "BK Toppers" was used before for a line of sandwiches in the 1980s.
The Big King Returns
In 2012, a new company bought Burger King. The new team decided to change the menu to attract more different customers. They changed the company's chicken nuggets in January 2013. They also added new products like smoothies and chicken strips. In November 2013, the Big King was brought back as a regular menu item.
The new Big King first used two 1.7 oz (48 g) hamburger patties. But customers thought they were too small. So, in February 2014, the sandwich was changed to use two larger 2 oz (57 g) Whopper Jr. patties instead. A chicken version was introduced in May 2014. The chicken Big King used two chicken patties instead of beef. It also had an extra layer of King sauce to keep it moist.
Burger King brought back the Big King because they wanted to offer fewer new products, but make sure those products appealed to more people. The company also found that bringing back older, popular items was easier. It allowed them to use existing advertising and supply chains. This also made customers feel nostalgic. The Chicken Big King was added because more people wanted chicken-based products.
Burger King said that bringing back the Big King helped their sales go up slightly in 2014.
Other Competing Burgers
The Big King sandwich was made to compete directly with the McDonald's Big Mac. Many other fast-food chains have also created sandwiches to compete with the Big Mac. For example, the Big Shef sandwich was from a chain called Burger Chef, and sometimes Hardee's brings it back for a limited time.
The Big King was launched around the same time McDonald's was planning a burger to compete with Burger King's famous Whopper. This burger was called the Big N' Tasty. It was tested in California in 1997, around when the Big King was launched nationally.
What is in a Big King?
The Big King is a hamburger. It has two 2 oz (57 g) grilled beef patties. It also has a sesame seed bun, King Sauce (which is like Thousand Island dressing), iceberg lettuce, onions, pickles, and American cheese. When it first came back in 2013, it used smaller patties. But in February 2014, it was changed to use two larger 2.0 oz (57 g) Whopper Jr. patties.
Different Kinds of Big King
The Chicken Big King was added in April 2014. This chicken version was part of Burger King's plan to offer simpler products. These products use ingredients the company already has, making them easier to make. This sandwich uses Burger King's Crispy Chicken Jr patty instead of beef. It also has an extra layer of King sauce to keep it moist.
The Big King XXL is a larger sandwich sold by Burger King in Europe and the Middle East. It is one of their products made for older teens and young adults. Besides the Big King XXL, there are also double cheeseburger and bacon double cheeseburger versions in this line.
The Big Jack is the version of the burger introduced in Australia by Hungry Jack's in 2020. It had a slightly changed recipe, with more lettuce and pickles on the bottom bun. It came in a regular size and a bigger "Mega Jack" size. Later, a Chicken Big Jack was also added. McDonald's filed a lawsuit because they felt the Big Jack was too similar to their Big Mac. Hungry Jack's then made funny ads about the lawsuit.
Advertising the Big King
Double Supreme Ads
The Double Supreme was advertised by a company called Ammirati Puris Lintas (APL). One TV ad compared the Double Supreme to the Big Mac. It said Burger King's burger had 75% more beef. Another ad showed actors playing McDonald's employees secretly going to Burger King to buy the new sandwich. These ads were meant to directly challenge McDonald's.
Burger King also used low prices to attract customers. They sold their famous Whopper sandwich for 99¢. This made McDonald's also lower its prices.
1997 Big King Ads
Ads for the Big King started on national TV on September 1, 1997. These TV ads were part of a big advertising plan. The Big King was introduced with a special price of 99¢ for the first two weeks. The ads used Burger King's new slogan, "Get Your Burger's Worth." They also attacked the Big Mac, saying, "Get ready for a new taste that beats the Big Mac." Other ads said, "just like a Big Mac, except it's got 75% more beef. And it's flame-broiled."
King Supreme Ads
The King Supreme was advertised with commercials featuring the famous blues musician B.B. King. The ads showed King talking or singing about the sandwiches. He was shown sitting on a crescent moon, playing his guitar. The ads encouraged people to eat the sandwich for lunch and dinner. The slogan for the ads was "BK and BB let you have it your way," which was a twist on Burger King's main motto.
BK XXL Ads
The ads for the XXL bacon double cheeseburger said it was a Whopper "with two enormous portions of flame-broiled meat that will give you all the energy you need to take the world by storm." They also used the slogan, "It's awful being a vegetarian, right?"
In Britain and Germany, an ad for a special Cheesy Bacon XXL burger used a changed version of an old Burger King commercial. The original ad was for the Texas Double Whopper. The new ad changed the words and pictures to show the Cheesy Bacon XXL.
Names and Trademarks
The name Big King was once a registered trademark of Burger King. This means Burger King owned the right to use that name. However, the registration was canceled in 2005. In 2014, the name was given to an ice cream maker in California. As of 2015, Burger King uses the "TM" symbol for Big King, which means they claim the name but it's not fully registered. In most other countries, it is still a registered trademark. The names King Supreme and Double Supreme were also once registered trademarks in the U.S.. King Supreme is still registered in Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Big King para niños
