RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO - APRIL 01: An exterior view of a Burger King restaurant on April 1, 2019 in Richmond Heights, Missouri. Burger King announced on Monday that it is testing out Impossible Whoppers, made with plant-based patties from Impossible Foods, in 59 locations in and around St. Louis area. (Photo by Michael Thomas/Getty Images)
(CNN) — Burger King has suggested that one of its beef burgers deserves a Michelin star — and the marketing campaign has caught the eye of the respected culinary guide.
The fast food giant’s Belgian arm launched a petition demanding a sought-after star for its new Master Angus burger, encouraging followers to sign an online petition aimed at Michelin Guide inspectors.
“All right, we’ll happily concede that ‘star-rated’ and Burger King aren’t an obvious match at first sight,” the fast food chain admitted.
But, the company added, “How many places does your little red book have that serve exceptional dishes that are on the table in five minutes?”
“We deserve that little star, don’t you think?” the advertisement continued.
The stunt didn’t exactly take off at first — fewer than 500 people have signed the petition — but it did prompt a response on Facebook from the Michelin Guide’s social media team.
“Who said you needed silver service?” Michelin Guide wrote in response to a post by Burger King Luxembourg, which is also promoting the campaign, before suggesting that they would indeed try the burger.
Michelin jokingly promised that an inspector would judge the burger on its standard set of criteria, which includes the quality of its ingredients, the mastery of cooking, the harmony of flavors, and how much the personality of the chef comes through in the dish.
The first Michelin Guide was published in 1900 as a travel guide for motorists in France, and the publication has since become the foremost authority on gastronomy worldwide.
Inspectors use five criteria to judge a restaurant’s output, and have awarded at least one Michelin star to more than 15,000 restaurants worldwide. Burger King has, unsurprisingly, never made the cut.
Some 105 restaurants are currently listed in the guide as having been awarded the maximum of three Michelin stars.
The-CNN-Wire
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