Burger King is one of the largest franchisees globally and has its fans and critics. While many love the flame-broiled Whopper and value menu items, critics tend to steer clear of the burger joint altogether.
Is Burger King really so bad, or does the franchise get a bad rap? If you’ve always wondered how and why Burger King is considered bad by some, read further!
Why Is Burger King So Bad?
1. The Food Is Considered Unhealthy
The number one reason people describe Burger King as bad is that the food is high in unsaturated fats, fillers, and cholesterol.
That said, Burger King’s food is also loaded with sodium, which can be harmful to people suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure.
With this in mind, Burger King has attempted to add alternative products to its value menu, including salads and the plant-based Impossible Whopper.
While the latter has its issues, it’s a step in the right direction.
2. Burger King’s Breakfast Menu
People who enjoy a good grab-and-go breakfast in the mornings take issue with the fact that Burger King hasn’t updated or expanded its menu in this regard.
To be competitive with the likes of McDonald’s and Starbucks, Burger King has to bring its A-Game.
In addition, even though Burger King has been making breakfast since the 80s, it hasn’t introduced new items.
So, people wanting something new and different with their morning coffee must go elsewhere.
3. Burger King’s Customer Service
Providing stellar customer service to an ever-increasing demanding consumer base is quite the challenge.
However, Burger King has suffered a few mistakes. For instance, an incident at one of its New Mexico franchises led to a physical altercation after a complaint about the onion rings.
While this is not the norm, many Burger King patrons constantly complain that customer service is lacking.
To nose up, Burger King will have to provide better training for its employees and staff.
4. Burger King’s Location and Drive-Thru
Some have complained about the location of Burger King stores and the tightly confined drive-thru spaces.
For example, one frequent customer complained that the franchise fails to consider if the parking and drive-thru landscape would be adequate.
Because of this, it can be a nightmare to back up or turn around when you need to.
Burger King could, of course, improve the experience by ensuring its stores are built on real estate that allows expansive parking and a better drive-thru set-up.
5. Grazing Cattle On Protected Lands
Burger King came under fire for its association with a Brazilian company that grazes its cattle on protected forest land.
The South American company was called out by environmental watchdog Ibama, who linked them to Burger King.
In response, Burger King has since tried to redeem its image with sustainable, green packaging, which has marginally worked.
Still, Burger King would do well to truly vet companies it desires to work with them in the foreseeable future.
6. Modern Branding Issues
While McDonald’s and Starbucks have made some genuinely questionable moves in this area, Burger King has made a few mistakes.
One was its merger with Popeyes and Tim Hortons, which some fast food pundits feared would create branding issues
That said, the speculation hurt Burger King’s branding big time, causing a drop in its shares.
However, the fast-food giant eventually adjusted, but not before suffering a bit of a blow to its reputation.
7. Really, Really Bad Marketing
In the late 2000s, Burger King tried to compete with McDonald’s Happy Meals with mental health-oriented “Real Meals” and asked soul singer Mary K. Blige to hawk chicken wings.
However, these head-scratching campaigns left a bad taste in consumers’ mouths.
For example, many were disgusted that Burger King was trying to capitalize on mental illness financially with its “Real Meals.”
Others were more than shocked that it found it appropriate to have a Black woman sell fried chicken products.
8. Burger King’s Vegan Whopper Isn’t Vegan
Vegans and vegetarians had high hopes for Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, but unfortunately, the plant-based patty is cooked on the same grill as meat products.
While this is not a problem for flexitarians, it angered many vegans.
Not surprisingly, vegans and many vegetarians do not want to ingest any part of an animal, beef in particular.
For this reason, cooking plant-based patties on a grill smeared with meat fat turned vegans off.
9. Speed and Efficiency
From a 20-minute wait in the drive-through to sitting in the parking lot while food is prepared, people often cite slow speeds as a chief Burger King concern.
That said, this is a problem because people want fast food to be, well, fast. In a recent study, Burger King was cited as the slowest drive-thru in all fast-food chains.
While reasons for this vary, employees indicated arriving at rush hour times and customers bringing huge orders to the window to be mainly at fault.
10. Some Of Burger King’s Salads Are Fattening
While trying to recoup its image, Burger King offered salads to provide an alternative menu option.
Sadly, Burger King salads can be just as fattening as a burger, depending on which one you order.
Take, for instance, the Crispy Chicken Garden Salad, which clocks in at 870 calories and has a ton of sodium in it. Also, adding dressing provides an added 260 calories to boot!
To know more about Burger King, you can also read our posts on why is Burger King so cheap, if Burger King owns Popeyes, and if Burger King’s beef is real.
