Steve Hansen Smythe wrote:
> usual suspect wrote:
> > Larry Fruity wrote:
> >
> >> http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=4949
> >
> >
> > This is to replace their "veggie whopper," which has been an
> > underperforming menu item. The new one will likewise underperform. Just
> > consider the math:
> >
> > BK plans to run the table, though, with a nationwide roll out by
> > the end of the month. No word on the reaction from BK
> > franchisees who operate about 90% of the chain's restaurants.
> >
> > And:
> >
> > With the number of serious vegetarians stagnating at less than
> > 2% according to some estimates, the market potential may be just
> > too small, though, for a QSR selling to a mass market.
> >
> > I think it's highly unlikely you'll be able to find their new fake
> > burgers outside of urban areas -- where this miserly, stagnant 2% of the
> > population who are "serious vegetarians" spend their lives -- except at
> > BK-owned units (I suspect they operate very few non-urban units
> > themselves). How many of that stagnant 2% will venture to BK to eat a
> > burger? They didn't show up to buy the old "veggie whopper."
>
> I agree that it's likely to underperform, but not based on whatever
> figure their statistical methods might churn out for the number of
> vegetarians in the population (whether it's 2% or 20% is immaterial),
> but because v's tend to avoid restaurants with a strong focus on animal
> products in the first place. The restaurant has to try to draw its
> primary prey, the carnivore, because that's where it's making most of
> its money. In the very act of attracting meat-eaters it's bound to turn
> off the very people who might eat their new meatless burger.
>
> So the new burger isn't good news, or bad news. It's no news; a doomed
> gesture.


Sounds about right.
One thing is for sure, etter won't be dining out at BK any time soon
unless they can guarantee that the putrifying beef he is eating was
grass fed.......and he'll likely want the udder as well.