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<p>NEW YORK &#8212; Burger King is looking for a new crown: Hot Dog King.</p><p>The Miami-based chain says it plans to put hot dogs on its menu nationally for the first time starting Feb. 23. It may seem like a jarring addition for those who know the chain for its Whoppers. But Burger King says its ability to flame-grill meat makes hot dogs a natural fit on its menu.</p><p>&#8220;This is probably the most obvious product launch ever,&#8221; said Alex Macedo, president of Burger King North America.</p><p>With the launch, Burger King says it will offer hot dogs at all 7,100 of its U.S. restaurants &#8212; more U.S. locations than any other chain. Smaller chains that sell hot dogs include Dairy Queen and Sonic Drive-In.</p><p>The move comes as Burger King works to push up sales amid intensifying competition, with McDonald&#8217;s offering breakfast items all day to spark a turnaround, while Wendy&#8217;s offers a &#8220;4 for $4&#8221; deal to get customers in the door. In 2014, Burger King&#8217;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.</p><p>The hot dogs are being supplied Kraft Heinz, which owns Oscar Mayer. Investment firm 3G Capital manages both Restaurant Brands and Kraft Heinz, which also supplies ketchup to Burger King.</p><p>Macedo said hot dogs would build on Burger King&#8217;s momentum given their growing popularity, including at trendy eateries.</p><p>Tests of the hot dogs in a handful of cities last year resulted in unspecified sales increases, according to Burger King. The food-review website The Impulsive Buy noted the hot dogs seem &#8220;small and not quite substantial enough&#8221; but otherwise gave them a positive review.</p><p>Still, fast-food history is riddled with menu flops, and Burger King is no exception. In 2013, for instance, the chain launched lower-calorie fries called &#8220;Satisfries.&#8221; They failed less than a year later.</p><p>Macedo recalled another Burger King failure from the past.</p><p>&#8220;At some point, they tried popcorn. They would give it away for free to guests in the restaurants. I wasn&#8217;t here, but I hear a lot about the popcorn days,&#8221; Macedo said.</p><p>Burger King&#8217;s &#8220;Grilled Dogs&#8221; will come in two varieties. The &#8220;classic&#8221; hot dog will be topped with ketchup, mustard, chopped onions and relish, and 310 calories. The company suggesting franchisees sell it for $1.99. A chili cheese version has 330 calories, with the suggested price of $2.39.</p><p>To get workers excited, Burger King says it enlisted Snoop Dogg and Charo to star in training videos for making the hot dogs. The company says they&#8217;re internal videos, but allowed reporters to record them on their phones, meaning they&#8217;re likely for marketing purposes.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Burger King is looking for a new crown: Hot Dog King. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_bkhotdog.jpg</photo0><caption0>Burger King is looking for a new crown: Hot Dog King. </caption0><photoCredit0>Facebook </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By The Associated Press</p></bylineMeta></div>

Burger King’s next conquest: Hot dog king