Burger King unveils hot dogs

Burger King unveiled two versions of the item — a classic and a chili-cheese dog — at a private event Tuesday. One executive called the hot dog the biggest launch since 1970s, when the company introduced its chicken sandwich. The “Grilled Dog” will be available starting February 23rd.

“We’ve worked to bring guests a hot dog that tastes like backyard barbeque,” said Alex Macedo who leads the company’s unit in North America.

Burger King started experimenting with hot dogs in five cities last year, and decided to go nationwide after those sales exceeded targets, said Macedo, who declined to provide additional details. Settling on standard toppings for the classic dog presented a challenge because of local and regional preferences. Burger King ultimately decided on relish, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup.

At $1.99 and $2.29 for the classic and chili-cheese, executives were also watching to see whether hot dog sales cannibalized higher ticket items like Whoppers and Chicken Sandwiches.