Joseph Parker at a signing session event held at Burger King Moorhouse Ave, Christchurch. Photo / Joseph Johnson / www.photosport.nz
Joseph Parker at a signing session event held at Burger King Moorhouse Ave, Christchurch. Photo / Joseph Johnson / www.photosport.nz
Staff at Burger King will be getting a well-earned break today after its $2 Whopper special saw the chain sell just over 137,000 of the burgers in one day.
The fast-food brand, which is a key sponsor of Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker, launched the promotion offering $2 Whoppers all daySunday if Parker won his world title bout against Andy Ruiz Jr.
In the early hours of Sunday morning as Parker celebrated his win, Burger King staff began gearing up for a big day.
"We sold 137,000 Whoppers so we were producing about one every 4.89 seconds during the day across the country, so absolutely massive for us."
The Whopper is the company's trademark burger and retails for $6.55 on its own or $9.50 as part of a combo meal.
The promotion saw $897,350 worth of Whoppers sell for just $274,000.
The deal was available between 11am and 5pm yesterday with drive-thru's around the country inundated with customers and cars spilling out onto the street.
An hour after Parker's win, the burger chain updated the signage at its Papatoetoe restaurant, Parker's local, to Parker King in honour of the 'king of the ring'.
Burger King updated its signage at the Papatoetoe restaurant, Joseph Parker's local, after his win against Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday night. Photo / supplied.
This is the second time Burger King has run the promotion, after it was also held in June following Parker's fight with Carlos Takam.
The chain sold just under 100,000 Whoppers during the first promotion and according to Woodbridge, were prepared for the day, putting on extra staff and stocking up on ingredients.
"We knew it would be big and we had prepared ourselves for something bigger [than the June promotion] but getting close to 140,000 is just absolutely massive," Woodbridge said.
"So as many of our staff as possible are getting a good rest today."
Between 11am and 5pm, the company shifted more than 12,500kg of beef, 4,400kg of tomatoes, 2,200kg of lettuce and 2,500kg of mayo.
"We only ran into trouble in one restaurant down in Wellington airport where the flames in the flame grilling machine got so high that the fire department had to be called, but otherwise we got through the day solidly," Woodbridge said.
At 630 calories per burger, the chain sold 86.31 million calories on the day.
"Our association with Joseph over the past 2 years has been a win-win with Joe's personality showing through in all the communications we have put around the partnership," Woodbridge said.
"He's a really great, humble, down to earth guy and a good fit for us."
