Escalating their price war with McDonald’s Corp., Burger King franchisees have narrowly approved a proposal to put the Whopper hamburger on sale for 99 cents for a limited time in January.
Burger King said Friday that the move, which required backing from at least two-thirds of the franchisees, won 69.6 percent of the vote. Burger King had lobbied hard for the promotion, saying it was necessary to keep market share.
The two chains are fighting for customers by offering big discounts at a difficult time for both. McDonald’s is seeking to regain momentum at its 13,000 U.S. restaurants after months of disappointing sales. Burger King is struggling to meet performance goals critical to its pending sale to a private investor group by parent Diageo PLC.
The suggested retail price for a Whopper is $2.19, though the price varies by market.
