With the vast amount of competition in the fast food industry, Burger King has decided to set themselves apart by going back to the original “Whopper” this summer.According to USA Today, Burger King has rehired one of its co-founders, Dave Edgerton, to come back and help recreate the original “Whopper” sandwich. The new, “old Whopper” will have a slightly larger, more flavorful bun, real mayonnaise instead of the artificial mayo currently used, the lettuce will be fresher, the tomatoes will be of a better grade and more thickly sliced, the pickles will be thicker and a better grade, the onions will be freshly cut and, most importantly, the ground meat used in the burger will be more coarsely chopped to boost flavor.

Also, Burger King is currently giving away free whoppers with the purchase of medium fries and medium drink after calling the number on the back of your last receipt. The purpose of this promotion seems to be both a marketing concept and an honest inquiry into what they can do to serve you better.

When questioned about the change, “I didn’t know they were even updating or changing the Whopper,” Joey Tregre, a biology sophomore from Houma, said. Also, Steven Ashley, a freshman from Houma, reported he eats Burger King “about once a month because it is close to home.” While he said he eats “Whoppers,” he says no change in the product will give him any more reason to eat it again. He eats there because it is close to his residence.

I tried getting in touch with the Burger King Headquarters to discuss these new changes, but they would not return my phone calls. However, I did get in touch with the local franchise company, and the lady in charge of marketing was not friendly; however, the workers at the Highway 1 location were extremely nice and willing to take the time to talk.

One thing I have noticed is that Burger King has welcomed the Atkins’ craze by offering burgers without their buns. But, for those people who are not counting their carbohydrates, Burger king has released the TenderCrisp chicken sandwich. It has more of an upper scale bakery style bun that is corn dusted. Chef John Kozar, visiting lecturer and pastry chef in the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, noted that the corn “serves as a garnish for the buns like sesame seeds.”

There is no way to tell if this new and improved “Whopper” will bring back Burger King from its current state, but with fast-food places looking into better quality products, the real winner is the consumer.