Burger King to License Non-menu Food at Retail

MIAMI -- Hot on the heels of its decision to license the BK Joe coffee brand in the grocery market, Burger King here will be branching into non-menu products, including snacks, confections, ice cream, and desserts, all of which are "destined for supermarkets, club stores, convenience, and in some cases (snacks) vending," Bill Cross, partner and director of food-to-food programs at Montclair, N.J.-based Broad Street Licensing, which is handling the licensing deal, told Progressive Grocer. No rollout date has been scheduled yet, he added.

Noted Cross: "Licensing established food brands like Burger King relieves pressure on manufacturers in the grocery and convenience store channels struggling with high slotting fees. The Burger King brand is an enormous brand with instant credibility in foods associated with indulgence, satisfaction, a distinctive flavor, and creative new menu-items like BK Chicken Fries and BK Stacker."

Continued Cross: "This is another way for consumers to 'Have It Your Way,' and will bring the brand into the retail food marketplace."

Russ Klein, Burger King Corp.'s president, global marketing, strategy, and innovation, and president of Burger King Brands, Inc., characterized his company's path to food licensing as "careful and strategic. We chose Broad Street Licensing Group as our agency because of their extensive experience with food-to-food licensing, and feel our licensing program is now moving ahead in the areas where we intend to concentrate."

Burger King operates over 11,000 restaurants in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries and territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.

Broad Street Licensing Group's other customers include Bruegger's Bagels, the Culinary Institute of America, Wildlife Trust, Unilever, Faberge, Cutty Sark, Bugatti, Good Humor-Breyers, Snuggle, ReaLemon, and Popsicle.
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