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Burger King adds pancakes in breakfast push

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By Emily Fredrix, Associated Press 10:43 PM Tuesday, September 7, 2010

NEW YORK — Burger King is introducing nine new breakfast items including blueberry biscuits and pancake platters and planning a major breakfast marketing blitz — all with an eye toward eating up some of McDonald’s morning business.

The chain said the move Tuesday, Sept. 7, is its biggest introduction of new items at one time ever. It also includes iced coffee from Seattle’s Best.

Chief Marketing Officer Mike Kappitt said the company has dabbled in breakfast for years since Burger King introduced breakfast in 1979 but is now making it a major focus.

The rollout includes a marketing campaign featuring six new television ads highlighting the menu overhaul. The campaign will last about twice as long as most other Burger King campaigns.

“We’ve almost abdicated it to McDonald’s,” Kappitt said of Burger King’s breakfast, “and we feel that it’s time to take it back, or at least our fair share of it. That’s our ambition.”

The move comes just as Burger King receives an expected infusion of capital from a new owner. Last week the nation’s perennially No. 2 hamburger chain said it is selling itself to New York-based 3G Capital in a deal valued at $3.26 billion.

It has struggled in the weak economy as its most fervent customers — men between 18 and 34 — suffer high rates of unemployment.

Breakfast accounts for about 12 percent of Burger King revenue, while McDonald’s gets one-fourth of its revenue from breakfast, Kappitt said.

The new offerings include platters of pancakes, eggs, sausage and other breakfast items ranging from $2.29 to $4.29 and a ciabatta sandwich with eggs, ham, bacon, tomatoes and cheese for $2.89.

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