Wendy’s on Tuesday debuted its latest burger, a Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger that is designed to replicate burgers served in a gastropub.
The burger features a quarter pound of beef topped with Muenster cheese, three strips of bacon, honey mustard, warm beer cheese sauce, crispy fried onions and pickles on a soft pretzel bun.
“We’ve been watching and listening as customers have been craving for us to bring pretzel back,” Chief Marketing Officer Carl Laredo said in a statement. “We married the fervor of our former pretzel bun with the increased love for gastropub-inspired flavors and created a cheeseburger that is, in a word, unforgettable.”
Fast-food chains have picked up the pace of menu innovation in recent weeks as sales have largely recovered and competitiveness between the different concepts has intensified. Both Domino’s and Papa John’s have introduced new items recently, as has Wendy’s rival McDonald’s when it announced the pending introduction of Spicy Chicken McNuggets.
Wendy’s has been targeting both budget customers with its 4-$4 value offer, as well as premium diners with its “Made to Crave” line of higher-end burgers. The Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger will go on the Made to Crave line.
In this instance, the chain is targeting the gastropub crowd. John Li, vice president of culinary innovation, said in a statement that the company combined techniques and ingredients found at popular pubs and combined them with Wendy’s ingredients.
Wendy’s is also using the burger to push delivery and get customers to try it. The company will give one of these cheeseburgers away with a purchase made of $15 or more through the delivery provider Postmates, with the code name “pretzel.” The burger's recommended price is $5..69. Customers can swap the burger for chicken at $6.19.
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