Burger King now offers burgers for breakfast

By Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer

Thursday, May 8, 2014 | 1:29 p.m.

NEW YORK — Burger King has some new additions to its breakfast menu — its flame-broiled burgers.

The Miami-based chain says its "Burgers at Breakfast" menu includes its Whoppers, cheeseburgers and Big King sandwiches, as well as its Original Chicken Sandwich, french fries and apple pie. The items are offered alongside the chain's normal breakfast menu.

Burger King Worldwide Inc. said in an email that more than 5,000 locations would participate in the program. The company said it began rolling out burgers for breakfast earlier this month but did not say whether it would be available permanently or for a limited time.

The rollout was reported earlier Thursday by the website BurgerBusiness.com.

Burger King's move comes as fast-food chains look to tap into the growing breakfast category. Most notably, Taco Bell recently launched its national breakfast menu by poking fun at McDonald's in TV ads. But finding success in the morning isn't necessarily easy for new players.

Wendy's Co., for instance, recently gave up on testing breakfast and says it doesn't plan to pursue it again anytime soon.

In a phone interview, Wendy's CEO Emil Brolick noted people tended to be "entrenched" in their morning habits and that they seemed "pretty happy with the offerings they have in the marketplace."

McDonald's, meanwhile, remains the leader in breakfast with its popular Egg McMuffins, Hot Cakes and other items. Fans of McDonald's breakfast have long wanted it to be available beyond normal breakfast hours, and executives have tinkered with some options.

Last year, the chain began offering an "After Midnight" menu at some locations that includes a mix of breakfast and lunch items, with the option to get either fries or hash browns as a side.