Burger King’s kids’ meals are all the rage — and not only with kids. Sales of the King Jr. meal jumped 40% year over year last quarter, reaching their highest level in a decade, according to Restaurant Business.
The chain credits upgraded chicken nuggets, with sales up 35%, and a themed tie-in with the anime series Dragon Ball Super. But Burger King President Tom Curtis admits more adults are ordering the meals than he’s seen before. “We are definitely seeing more adults saying that’s their way to a smaller portion,” he says.
Adults have long ordered kids’ meals for the smaller portions and perceived value, but the trend seems to be growing. Circana data shows adult kids’ meal orders up 28% since 2019, and Technomic finds six in 10 kids’ meal orders happen with no kids present. Curtis can’t say for sure whether weight-loss drugs are fueling the Burger King kids’ meal surge.
The shift comes during a strong year for the chain, with U.S. same-store sales up 8.4% last quarter. Now Burger King is rethinking the King Jr. meal to serve both audiences. “We need to figure out what that looks like so we don’t alienate either side,” Curtis says.