Some Burger King locations in the U.S. are implementing a reduced nuggets policy.
Carrols Restaurant Group, the largest Burger King franchisee in the country, told investors during an earnings call last Thursday that it has decided to cut the number of nuggets in meals from 10 pieces to eight.
Carrols chief executive Daniel Accordino suggested that this change is a result of price hikes throughout the supply chain and Carrols’ own increased labor costs. “Domestic food, paper producers and distributors supplying most of our commodities are dealing with labor constraints, along with higher fuel costs, and are passing the increases on to us,” Accordino said during the call. “As a result, commodity inflation overall was approximately 16 [percent] this past quarter compared to the prior-year period.”
Accordino added that the change will “partially offset inflation” without deterring customers because the price will remain the same.
Carrols operates 1,028 Burger King restaurants in 23 states in the country, and it’s worth noting that its restaurants are the only ones that are pulling two nuggets out of each order ― at least for now.
Prior to the announcement of its reduced nuggets policy, Carrols recently pulled the Whopper from the discount menu, dropping the fan-favorite burger from its Two for $6 and Two for $5 promotions. But unlike the reduced nuggets policy, the removal of the Whopper from the value menu affects all Burger King restaurants nationwide.
Restaurant Brands International, Burger King’s parent company, made that announcement earlier in the month. In an interview with Reuters, Restaurant Brands International CEO Jose Cil said that the “iconic” sandwich had “been on this core discount platform for too long.”
Restaurant Brands International also suggested that the prices of other menu items could be increased this year. The company, however, did not elaborate as to which offerings would be impacted, or when exactly the price increase would be implemented.
How other fast-food chains are coping with inflation
Domino’s revealed last month that it is cutting the number of wings in its $7.99 carry out offer from 10 pieces to just eight in an attempt to keep the price point the same. Little Caesars, meanwhile, has increased the price of its Hot-N-Ready pizzas for the first time ever. Chipotle, McDonald’s, and Starbucks have also hiked prices because of inflation.