Whopper

The Whopper is the signature hamburger brand of international fast food restaurant chain Burger King, its Australian franchise Hungry Jack's, and BK Whopper Bar kiosks. Introduced in 1957 in response to the large burger size of a local restaurant in Gainesville, Florida, it became central to Burger King's advertising, including the chain's tagline "the Home of the Whopper." Burger King's competitors began releasing similar products in the 1970s designed to compete against it.

The hamburger has undergone several reformulations, including changes to portion size and the bread used. Burger King sells several variants that are either limited-time seasonal promotions or tailored to regional tastes and customs. A smaller version called the Whopper Jr. was introduced in 1963.

History

The Whopper was created in 1957 by Burger King co-founder James McLamore and originally sold for 37 US cents (equivalent to US$4.24 in 2025). McLamore created the burger after he noticed that a rival restaurant in Gainesville, Florida, was succeeding by selling a larger burger. Believing that the success of the rival product was its size, he devised the Whopper, naming it so because he thought it conveyed "imagery of something big". Major fast food chains did not release a similar product until the McDonald's Quarter Pounder and the Burger Chef Big Shef in the early 1970s.