Less than a week after McDonald’s announced another disappointing quarter, its old rival Burger King is asserting some bragging rights.
The chain, owned by Canadian Restaurant Brands International Inc., reported that same-store sales jumped 6.7% in the second quarter, compared to Mickey D’s 0.7% drop. The company attributed the growth to “innovative product launches,” listing the A.1. Hearty Mozzarella Bacon Cheeseburger, Extra Long Pulled Pork Sandwich, and Chicken Fries as examples.
For the three months ending June 30, Burger King same-store sales in the US and Canada were up 7.9%; for McDonald’s most recent quarter, US same-store sales were down 2%. Burger King’s best market for growth was in Latin America and the Caribbean, where same-store sales were up 8.5%; the Asia-Pacific region was slower, clocking 2.3% growth in same-store sales. McDonald’s Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa group, meanwhile, recorded a 4.5% drop in same-store sales, which the company said was a result of ”broad-based consumer perception issues in Japan along with negative performance in China and other Asian markets.”
One place Burger King is losing to McDonald’s is Germany, where some of some its restaurants on the country’s autobahn highway will be converted to McDonald’s, though McDonald’s wouldn’t confirm how many of its 100+ planned new locations will be former Burger King sites. Burger King did not immediately respond to request for comment.