Transcript
Jessica Mendoza (0:05)
Recently, Burger King posted a clip on social media of one of their executives taking a big bite of their signature Whopper.
Tom Curtis (0:18)
Not bad, right? Only one thing missing, a napkin.
Jessica Mendoza (0:25)
The clip went viral because the execs seem to really enjoy his burger. Last week, I sat down to talk to him. So glad to have you on. Thank you again for taking the time.
Tom Curtis (0:38)
Hi, Jess. Great to be here.
Jessica Mendoza (0:39)
Just for the record, could we start by just having you introduce yourself, please?
Tom Curtis (0:43)
Okay. I'm Tom Curtis. I'm the president of Burger King in the United States and Canada.
Jessica Mendoza (0:49)
Tom joined burger king in 2021, and he knew coming in that there were problems that needed fixing.
Tom Curtis (0:56)
I don't think that we're an exceptional brand yet. I don't think that we are the absolute best that we can be. And I think that people catch that and see that every single day. I don't want consumers to think that we're standing up and saying, we're perfect, we're fixed, we get it all right every day. Because it's simply not true.
Jessica Mendoza (1:18)
Why aren't you the best? It's usually pretty hard to admit when you're not hitting up to par, right? How are you failing?
Tom Curtis (1:28)
I think our restaurants especially were allowed to decline for many, many years. And a restaurant remodel is very expensive. And so every single day, every we're operating at, every single day, one restaurant becomes a beautiful example of what Burger King can be.
Jessica Mendoza (1:52)
But with growing competition and rising prices, Tom has been fighting an uphill battle.
Tom Curtis (1:58)
Hey, I remember when I was a kid and I would get a crown and my parents would take me to BK after we won the game or after we lost the game, whatever the case may be. But just that once I was at bk, people would say, I remember when. And that kept occurring to me, that, man, we've gotta somehow reignite that love and get people to have a modern love for Burger King and a live relationship with the brand. And it was just a matter of finding something that could unlock that.
