Burger King president says GLP-1 trend will have a ‘profound impact’ on fast food restaurants

Burger King is getting ready for a future where people still want fast food, just less food. “This GLP-1 movement is going to have a profound impact on the industry,” said Tom Curtis, Burger King’s president of U.S. and Canada, in an interview with NBC News. The chain is already testing items like Whopper Bites and protein-forward bowls to satisfy shifting appetites.

The stakes are real. A Gallup poll found 11% of U.S. adults are currently on a GLP-1 medication, nearly four times the number from two years ago, and nearly half of GLP-1 users told the National Restaurant Association they’ve cut back on dining out. JPMorgan estimates GLP-1s could wipe out $30 billion to $55 billion in annual food and beverage industry revenue by 2030.

Curtis said Burger King isn’t rushing to overhaul the menu yet, since Whopper sales remain strong. The chain is instead leaning on its $2 billion “Reclaim the Flame” turnaround, which helped drive a 5.8% same-store sales increase last quarter, reversing a 1.1% decline the year before.

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