It was a super-secret stealth operation of Trump-tastic proportions. One minute after the third season premier of NBC's The Apprentice wrapped Thursday night -- an episode which had two sides competing to sell versions of a new Burger King sandwich -- the fast food chain's store managers and franchisees were dialing a 1-800 number to find out just what new product they'd be unveiling at noon yesterday.
In Canada, it's called the Western BK Steak Burger, made with 100% Canadian steak, cheddar, tomatoes, Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce and one defining ingredient: Breaded onion rings.
The stores already had boxes containing posters and menu boards each featuring business mogul Donald Trump's smug Apprentice mug tucked away in a corner at the ready. The ingredients were delivered at 10 a.m. yesterday for the noon product launch.
Larry Keen, who heads a group which owns all 24 Burger King stores in Eastern Ontario, said with all the attending buzz and Apprentice promos airing this week, the launch was a welcome challenge.
"They (customers) were coming into the restaurant for the last couple of days, asking what it was all about," he said.
It's all quite over-the-top for an item which is only available until Feb. 4. But Burger King's national marketing manager Lisa Brenneman said the company just couldn't wait "to take the burger from the boardroom to the bedroom."
Apprentice watchers, says Brenneman, are the very sort of people who walk into Burger King on a regular basis.
"It's an exciting piece of work," she said. "This is not so much about the burger as it is about making a connection with the consumer."
Apprentice producers approached Burger King about the tie-in last summer. Company chefs created six versions and on last night's episode, shot in October, the winning team's choice -- named the Western Angus Steak Burger in the U.S. -- became the new special in stores across North America.
Yesterday afternoon Jordan Abraham was oblivious to the hoopla, as he sat munching a Whopper for lunch in a west-end store. When asked if he would be ordering a Western BK Steak Burger on his next visit, he inquired about the ingredients.
"Ew, no," he responded. "I don't think onion rings should go on a burger."
