Burger King is adding hot dogs to its menu, and a celebrity is helping get out the word.
The fast-food chain announced Tuesday that it will start offering its “grilled dogs” nationally starting Feb. 23.
Rapper Snoop Dogg helped "train" Burger King employees on how to prepare the new menu item in a video posted on Burger King's YouTube channel.
Burger King will offer the “classic” hot dog for $1.99 and a chili-cheese version for $2.29. Toppings on the “classic” dog include relish, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. It’s the first time in Burger King’s 62-year history that it will offer hot dogs.
With the launch, Burger King says it will offer hot dogs at all 7,100 of its U.S. restaurants — more U.S. locations than any other chain, according to the Associated Press. Smaller chains that sell hot dogs include Dairy Queen and Sonic Drive-In.
“We’ve worked to bring guests a hot dog that tastes like backyard barbecue,” Alex Macedo, who leads the company’s unit in North America, said in a press conference. According to CNNMoney, Burger King started experimenting with hot dogs in five cities last year, and decided to go nationwide after those sales exceeded targets.
The move comes as Burger King works to push up sales amid intensifying competition, with McDonald’s offering breakfast items all day to spark a turnaround, while Wendy’s offers a “4 for $4” deal to get customers in the door. In 2014, Burger King’s sales rose 2.1 percent at established locations in the U.S. and Canada. Parent company Restaurant Brands International Inc. reports results for 2015 next week.
The hot dogs are being supplied Kraft Heinz, which owns Oscar Mayer.
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