Baconator

The Baconator is a brand of cheeseburgers introduced by the international fast-food restaurant chain Wendy's in 2007. The primary product consists of two quarter-pound beef patties topped with mayonnaise, ketchup, two slices of cheese, and six strips of bacon. Single and triple patty versions were formerly offered, as well as limited-time seasonal variants.

Baconator

The Baconator
Nutritional value per 1 double sandwich (304 grams)
Energy	960 kcal (4,000 kJ)
Carbohydrates	40 g
Sugars	10 g
Dietary fiber	2 g
Fat	62 g
Saturated	25g
Trans	1 g
Protein	63 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Vitamin A equiv. 9% 83 μg Vitamin C 19% 17 mg Vitamin E 307% 46 mg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 15% 200 mg Iron 29% 5.25 mg Sodium 80% 1850 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Cholesterol	211 mg
Energy from sandwich	570 kcal (2,400 kJ)
This information is effective as of March 2013.
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2] Source: www.wendys.com

The brand was later expanded with the Son of Baconator, which uses smaller patties, and the Breakfast Baconator, which replaces the hamburger patties with a sausage patty topped with an egg and a melted Swiss cheese sauce.

History

The Baconator was introduced in April 2007 as part of a "back to basics" reorganization by Wendy's new CEO Kerrii Anderson.^[3] The addition of the product was part of a push to add menu items that appeal to the 18- to 34-year-old demographic and expand late-night sales. This product and others, coupled with a new advertising program, contributed to an increase in store sales of approximately 11% during the period of five fiscal quarters ending in October 2007.^[4]

Advertising

As a cross promotion with the Canadian Football League, the Baconator has been named the official burger of the league.^[5] They held a promotion running from April–May 2009 in which special scratch tickets shaped like bacon were given out with each purchase. In addition to being able to enter a draw to win an Xbox 360 by texting the number, the person could enter the numbers online to win a chance to compete in a halftime CFL contest to build a giant Baconator, with the winner getting $25,000. This was termed the 'Baconator Boot Camp'. During the promotion, the store workers wore T-shirts advertising the contest. On August 14, 2009, Pete Richardson from Halifax, Nova Scotia won the contest and the prize of $25,000, in front of a capacity crowd of 24,754 at the Rogers Centre.

Economic indicator

The popularity of the Baconator has led to politicians and others using the burger as an example of the price of goods related to inflation and so-called "price gouging". US Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts has used the burger in examples of what she perceives to be price gouging and to lobby for more government control.^[6]

Ingredients

• Bacon strips
• Hamburger bun
• Two whole-beef patties
• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• American cheese

See also

• BK Stacker – a similar product from Burger King