It's Not About The Beef

I love Burger King Whoppers, particularly when they don't add the mayo, and it never never never comes within 10 feet of a pickle. Extra onions are great. So is the 2-for-$6 deal they've been offering for a long time now. Technically, it's a mix and match special that includes chicken sandwiches as well, but for me, it's about the Whoppers.

I didn't realize quite how good the deal was until I ordered a single Whopper once. It came to about $5! How could that be? A quarter pound grilled beef with trimmings cost $5? When I can get two for just a buck more, take one home, pop it in the fridge, and have it, nearly as good,  for another meal? I never order just the one anymore. I never even go if one is calling me but one is all I can eat in the next, say, 24 hours. That $1 Whopper is a steal! There will never again be a hamburger available with all the trimmings for that buck. I can't even make myself a $1 burger at home.

Once it came to me, it was obvious, but it took something like a year before it popped into my head. It's not about the sandwich. It's about the everything else. Whether I buy a single or double, it takes the same amount of time the grill has to be heated and the fridge and freezer to keep things fresh, The same for the lights and the restrooms and the price of the building itself. The employees do essentially the same amount of work for two as for one items per customer and their wages plus benefits (uh, they do have benefits, right?) are the same. The same bag holds both, there are usually three or four napkins for either order, I use the same space in the drive thru line, it's the same smile - or not - from whoever is at the window, the same time at their cash register.

So the $5 pays for the fact I stopped for a whatever. The extra for a buck more is the enticement to get me to stop by rather than pick any other option for my meal(s). That more directly reflects their cost for the ingredients, so not much if any loss for them. The only real loss to them is if I don't stop by. So it's not the meat, it's the overhead.

Duh!

Hmmm, one would be good right now.... And tomorrow....