Burger King opens product innovation center Flame Lab
Customers choose bun, patty and sauce to build their own burger
Customer recipes feed into new product development
"We've set this up so you can build your very own burger in the same environment as our stores."
Two 150-gram beef patties — larger than the standard Whopper patty — went in, along with three slices of cheese. Aiming for an American-style cheeseburger where the meat and cheese take center stage, lettuce and tomato were left out entirely. Pickles, ketchup and mayonnaise went in more generously than the standard recipe. The result was a custom Whopper that no regular Burger King store sells.
Flame Lab, Burger King's product innovation center in Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, opened Oct. 19. The research and development space is where the chain develops new menu items and refines the quality of existing ones. It also runs "Have it Your Way," an experience program that lets customers build a burger entirely to their own taste — choosing the bun, patty and sauces.
Each participant assembles two burgers: the classic Whopper and a fully customized creation, both of which can be eaten on the spot or taken away. The session begins with the Whopper, walking participants through the ingredients and the order of assembly. A flame-grilled beef patty goes on the bottom bun — the "heel" — seasoned with salt and pepper, then topped with pickles, ketchup and onions. Mayonnaise is spread on the top bun, the "crown," which gets lettuce and tomato. Press the two halves together and the Whopper is done.
After assembling the classic, participants move on to their own creation. The options are wide. Beyond the standard bun, they can choose a brioche bun with a buttery flavor. Patty choices include the standard beef, a 150-gram beef patty, a chicken patty made from thigh or breast meat, and a shrimp patty.
Toppings are equally varied — not just the usual lettuce, tomato and cheese, but also garlic pepper shrimp, K-cube galbi and Philly cheesesteak. Ten sauces are available beyond ketchup and mayonnaise, including diablo sauce, smoky mustard sauce and truffle mushroom sauce.
"This is a chance to get introduced to the Whopper — the heart of Burger King — and make one yourself," said Choi Young-jin, head of Burger King's Flame Lab product innovation center. "You can experience firsthand what standards go into making a Whopper, how much process and effort it takes, and how the balance of flavors comes together."
The program, which launched Oct. 29, has proven so popular that reservations fill up within 10 minutes. Only those with reservations may attend, and sessions run three times a day on weekdays — at noon, 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. — with a maximum of eight participants per session. Each session lasts about 60 minutes. The regular participation fee is 25,000 won ($19), though an opening discount currently brings it down to 15,000 won. Burger King said it is also considering expanding the number of sessions or extending operating hours.
The center's primary purpose, however, goes beyond the customer experience — its core mission is product research and development. The building spans four levels, from one below-ground floor to two above-ground floors and a rooftop, housing everything from ideation spaces and development labs to a consumer experience area under one roof.
The basement level is dedicated to brainstorming new menu and product ideas. It also features a hydroponic growing facility where lettuce, romaine and other ingredients used in the Whopper are cultivated on-site. The first floor is the operational heart of the center, where R&D core rooms, a main development lab and a flame room are used to develop new menu items and improve existing ones.
The second floor is a consumer-facing space where visitors assemble Whoppers themselves and interact with researchers. A "Whopper Library," developed in collaboration with Japanese bookstore and lifestyle brand Tsutaya, stocks books related to flame-grilling. On the rooftop, a chimney has been installed as a symbol of Burger King's flame-grilling philosophy.
Previously, Burger King developed its core menu items at a separate in-house lab while renting an additional makeshift development space in Seongsu-dong to work on exclusive items for its flagship stores. Flame Lab brings those previously scattered development teams and facilities together in one place.
"Our old lab was centered on equipment for developing standard Burger King burgers," Choi said. "Now we have the equipment and space to develop chef-driven tasting-menu dishes like those served at our flagship store Flame Ground, as well as signature items we've never offered before."
Burger King's decision to run a consumer experience program is also tied directly to product development. The chain collects the recipes written by "Have it Your Way" participants and feeds them into an internal program to analyze which ingredients and sauces customers choose most often.
Going forward, Burger King plans to use the program to gauge customer preferences for ingredients still under development by offering them as new options during sessions. Once enough data has been accumulated, the company intends to use the findings as reference material for new product development starting next year.
Burger King has a track record of translating customer tastes into actual products. Last year it released the Jeong Seung-je 6318 Burger in collaboration with math instructor Jeong Seung-je, and launched the Penta Cheese Whopper reflecting the preferences of League of Legends esports player "Ruler." The Daeho Burger, developed with former baseball player Lee Dae-ho, was sold as a regional limited item in Busan, South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan.
The chain has also been opening a series of new spaces aimed at giving customers fresh experiences. The flagship store Flame Ground, which opened in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, in September, introduced "The Gastro" — a course-meal reinterpretation of the Whopper — along with other exclusive menu items.
"Burger King has launched many new products since last year and has been increasing its investment in product development and research while strengthening its capabilities," said Park Jin-a, PR team leader at BKR, the operator of Burger King in Korea. "Flame Ground and Flame Lab are the result of thinking hard about what new engines of growth Burger King needs to move forward."
korean@heraldcorp.com
