Wendy鈥檚 NZ does black buns one better
Wendy's New Zealand outfit might be ahead in the burger customization game. It offers customized black, half-black, or normal buns for some sandwiches.
In this Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 a Wendy's restaurant sign is seen in Brunswick, Maine.
Pat Wellenbach/AP/File
驰别蝉迟别谤诲补测鈥檚听聽touched on McDonald鈥檚 efforts to increase customization and on Burger King鈥檚 flirtation with black burger buns. It seems the other member of the Big Three is way ahead of them: In New Zealand, Wendy鈥檚 is currently offering a burger it calls the Gourmet Kiwi Classic on Brioche. The customization angle? It can be ordered on an all-black bun, a half-black bun or regular non-black brioche bun.
Activated charcoal is used to blacken the bun. The burger is priced at $10.90 NZD ($6.92 US), with a chicken version priced at $11.40 NZD ($7.24 US).
Wendy鈥檚 says the Gourmet Kiwi Classic is an assemblage of locally sourced favorites: New Zealand beef, manuka-smoked bacon [manuka or tea trees are indigenous to New Zealand], natural Colby cheese, beetroot, free-range egg, red onion, tomato, lettuce and mayo. This isn鈥檛 the first time Wendy鈥檚 New Zealand operation has outdone its US parent: Earlier this year it made the Baconator burger the centerpiece of a menu that also included聽 Chickenator and Spiceanator versions.
And if you鈥檙e still not impressed, my UK colleague Burger Lad points out that Burger King now has a聽聽Whopper on offer in Saudia Arabia.