No More 99-cent Nuggets: Burger King, Jersey Mike’s, El Pollo Loco Leaders Talk Value, Traffic and Franchisee Profitability

From left, CNBC contributor Michelle Caruso-Cabrerra leads a discussion with Burger King's U.S. president, Tom Curtis, the CEO of Jersey Mike's, Charlie Morrison, and Liz Williams, CEO of El Pollo Loco, during the 2026 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference in Las Vegas.

Burger King introduced its new chicken nuggets in September with an emphasis on its use of 100 percent white meat chicken and a crispier breading. But just a few years ago, in the midst of a deeply discounted promotion, “people thought our nuggets weren’t fit for their pet,” noted Tom Curtis, president of Burger King U.S. and Canada.

“Because if it’s a 99-cent order of nuggets, what could actually be in that bag?” he quipped. “So, no more 99-cent nuggets.”

Joined on stage Tuesday at the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference by El Pollo Loco CEO Liz Williams and Jersey Mike’s CEO Charlie Morrison, Curtis said Burger King is making more investments to improve food quality, such as with the rebuilt Whopper, while still recognizing its position as a value player.

“I think that the strategy that we’ve pursued over the last few years is how can we really improve the benefits, but try to hold on the price. So, the more that we add the benefits, the more we’re rewarding consumers, but they can still get a consistent price,” he said.

Burger King, which during the third quarter reported a 8.4 percent increase in U.S. same-store sales but remains firmly in turnaround mode, is more mindful than it had been in the past of how value promotions impact the bottom line for franchisees. When introducing a new product aimed at generating a traffic lift, Curtis explained, the brand sets the expectation of higher quality and the short duration of an offer so consumers don’t presume the promotional price will stay the same—and franchisees can tolerate it in the P&Ls.

“It’s abundant and it’s delicious, and we’re so proud of it that for the next seven days or for the next 10 days, you can come get it for some, I’ll call it, ridiculous price,” Curtis said. “But you can’t sustain that because of the franchise P&L for very long. So I believe if you’re going to do that kind of disruptive offer, it needs to be for a very short period of time, and you have to lead with, it’s a product that you’re so proud of you want them to come try it this bad.”

At El Pollo Loco, which in the third quarter reported its systemwide comparable restaurant sales were up 5 percent, Williams said the aim is pair value with innovation to give consumers another reason to visit. The brand is continuing to test a crispy chicken sandwich to broaden its appeal, and it’s maintaining a position in the category that’s just beneath fast casual on price while looking for different ways to drive check.

“It doesn’t have to all be pricing. How do we also do things with beverages or desserts?” Williams said. “I know a lot of us are doing a lot of delivery these days. Those are higher check. So, how do we take advantage of that so it’s not just all in the pricing?”

Jersey Mike’s, noted Morrison, is known for subs that are substantial in size and use premium ingredients, which means the $3 or $5 price points of other quick-service restaurants aren’t really an option. The brand instead looks for ways to balance the expectation it’s set with consumers with offers that still provide a lower entry point that will help it pull in new customers.

“Right now, we’re doing a bundle of a mini sub with chips for $7.99. We rolled out Mike’s Hot Italian sub at $8.95 for a regular size, and both enjoy really good food costs,” Morrison said. “So it doesn’t erode margins for our franchise owners, and so we can find ways to play in value while still being a premium brand in the eyes of the consumer.”

Jersey Mike’s, which went public this summer and in October reported same-store sales growth of 3 percent for the third quarter, also looks for opportunities to attach drinks or chips to orders, which Morrison noted helps lift check without taking price.

On the digital and delivery front, all three leaders agreed their brands still need to have a presence on the third-party delivery platforms—but they’re working to pull more customers into their own first-party channels via loyalty programs and apps.

“With the rising commission rates, the challenges our franchise owners are seeing dealing with that, the economics of that are a challenge,” said Morrison, and Jersey Mike’s is making investments to build first-party occasions.

“Third-party delivery, in particular, is something that’s here, something we have to work with,” he continued, “but at some point we’ve got to pull that customer back and make sure they’re part of our brand.”

The Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, produced by Franchise Times’ sibling publication Restaurant Finance Monitor, runs November 9-11 at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas.