Burger King is Adding ‘Your Way Champions’ to Restaurants as Guest Feedback Tour Continues

Burger King fielded “tens of thousands” of phone calls when U.S. and Canada brand president Tom Curtis publicly shared his phone number. The goal for the brand, in plain terms, was to show it was listening to customers. Curtis personally responded to texts and calls and had talks with guests on action items from menu suggestions to store-level feedback.

Today, Curtis’ leadership team listens and reacts, reaches out to restaurants to congratulate them (or give them direction). As he told QSR earlier, “they feel like they’re a part of where this brand is going.”

The next iteration of Burger King’s guest-centric era arrived Monday. Four months after Curtis displayed his digits, the brand unveiled two initiatives inspired by the massive scroll of responses. And they address the prevailing theme heard from the ground—can Burger King provide a more consistent, accurate, and welcoming in-restaurant experience?

One way it’s going to do so is with “Your Way Champions.” The other is something Burger King is calling “the Whopper Guarantee.”

Customers often told Curtis and his team they wanted a person in-restaurant who could quickly remedy requests. So, a “Your Way Champion” is going to enter the arena. This, Burger King said, will be a reimagined restaurant manager role aimed at empowering store leaders. More than overseeing operations, the brand explained, “Your Way Champions” serve as a dedicated point person for diners, clearly identifiable in a Your Way Champion uniform. They’ll welcome customers. Ensure orders are prepared the way they are requested. And they’ll be available to address any questions in real time.

To further reinforce this “commitment to getting things right,” Burger King’s Whopper guarantee does what it proposes. If a guest thinks their Whopper didn’t show up as envisioned, Burger King will remake it on the spot, like it always has, but now with an added caveat: The next Whopper’s on the brand.

Customers who aren’t satisfied can scan a QR code provided inside their Whopper box to receive a unique six-digit code redeemable for a free burger on their next visit. To note, it’s a Whopper that already underwent the 70-year-old classic’s first upgrades in nearly a decade fueled by customer requests. That included a new clamshell box, creamier mayo, and a glazed bun.

“When we asked guests where we could do better, they gave us a lot of honest feedback, and now it’s our responsibility to act on it,” Curtis said in a statement. “We’re not going to get everything right every single time, but we’re committed to listening intently and improving every day. When guests choose us, they expect high-quality food, orders made the way they asked, and a team that’s there when they need us. That’s what these changes are about. We’re raising the standard in our restaurants, so every guest feels like they made the right choice.”

Burger King U.S. and Canada president Tom Curtis is serving as the opening keynote speaker for QSR Evolution. Reserve your spot today!

Burger King said Your Way Champions will be a clear point of contact for diners throughout their visit. They’ll be tasked with creating a welcoming environment, double-checking orders, and paying heed to anything involving customization. More broadly, the idea is the employee will assist as needed.

As part of the move, Burger King will invest in training employees and providing more restaurant resources, it said.

The brand hinted guests can expect to see additional initiatives tied to feedback throughout the year, including menu news “later this summer.”

Burger King is coming off a Q1 where same-store sales rose 5.8 percent in the U.S.—a 5 percentage point gap from the larger burger QSR segment.

Parent company Restaurant Brands International, which also directs Popeyes, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse Subs, is set to report Q2 results on August 6.

Placing customers central to marketing (instead of the old “King” mascot) has been a theme for Burger King throughout its turnaround.

“You Rule” was the banner of 2022’s new effort and modernized brand launch. The chain hosted a Million Dollar Whopper contest where it invited guests to dream up creations. Burger King received north of a mullion submissions and debuted the results, like the Maple Bourbon BBQ version, in stores across the U.S. last November.

Burger King officially retired The King during the Oscars with a “There’s A New King And It’s You” spot.