Burger King Is Releasing A Spicy New Whopper Just For Halloween

Fast food favorites are going haywire for Halloween this year. Insomnia Cookies announced a partnership with Hershey's that's a trick-or-treat candy lovers' dream. Baskin-Robbins launched a new flavor, the Spicy 'n Spooky, a mix of dark chocolate and white chocolate ghost pepper ice cream, for the scariest month. There's even a rumor Mcdonald's is bringing back its Halloween Happy Meal pumpkin pails (via Fox8). No word if the buckets come with the adult-sized Happy Meal.

Not to be outdone, Burger King is getting into Halloween spirit with a spicy take on one of their classic offerings: The Whopper. And this isn't the first Halloween special they've offered, as the New York Post points out this isn't the first time Burger King's offered a Halloween twist for its famous oversized quarter pounder burger. In 2015, the fast food chain released a black-bunned Whopper and in 2018 it rolled out the Nightmare King, a Whopper on a green bun. The company even claimed the Nightmare King promoted Freddy Kruger-style dreams after conducting a study that revealed participants had a 3.5 times increase in nightmares after eating the scary burger (via CNBC).

This year, Burger King's featured Halloween offering is the Ghost Pepper Whopper. According to ChewBoom, the new Whopper features an assortment of spicy toppings — Ghost pepper cheese, spicy queso, crispy jalapeños, and bacon — layered on top of their flame-broiled burger. In a nod to the spooky season, the Whopper is encased in an orange burger bun. Instagrammer Markie Devo, a junk food hunter, per the Wall Street Journal, posted that Burger King will begin rolling out the Ghost Pepper Whopper in select markets on October 10 before launching nationwide on October 13.

Could this be part of Burger King's bid to increase sales after a lackluster quarter saw Wendy's seize the number two spot in fast food sales, which typically has been held by the flame-broiled franchise? According to CNN, the company is doubling down on its most famous offering. Tim Curtis, Burger King's North American president, tells the outlet that part of their plan to emerge from the earnings slump includes "reintroduce[ing] America's love affair with the Whopper."