If I told you to tell me one sandwich from Burger King, you might say Whopper, the flame-grilled classic that it’s still a symbol of the brand. However, in the 70s there was a very different sandwich that many nostalgic people might remember: the Yumbo.
The difference with the Whopper which is mainly beef patties or flame grilling, the Yumbo was about simplicity: a hot ham and cheese served on a sesame seed bun. It looked like something you would buy at the café of your neighborhood, not at a drive-thru. This is what made it so special. So, let’s learn more about this sandwich.
Yumbo was a short time in the menu
This sandwich was available to the public in the end of the 60s and it was on the Burger King menu during the 70s. For a while, it was a different option than the Whopper and the rest of the burgers. Believe it or not, this novelty disappeared.
While the Whopper became well-known in the entire world, the Yumbo was a blurry memory–people weren’t sure whether it was real or a weird memory. This is part of what makes it so fascinating today.
The opportunity missed
For many Burger King fans, the Yumbo was one of the big missed chances of the chain. It was the perfect combination of simplicity and originality to stay alongside the Whopper as part of the permanent menu. However, it disappeared before it could become a true classic.
Those who remember it say that it wasn’t ‘’just a sandwich’’, but a fresh alternative among so many burgers. While the Whopper showed the traditional side of the brand, the Yumbo proved that Burger King could be different. And, maybe you agree with me that many times what’s different ends up being unforgettable.
2014 comeback
After decades, Burger King listened to their customers who wanted to eat the Yumbo again. So, in 2014, the chain worked on that idea but for a limited time and they ended up doing it with style: a retro marketing campaign as if it was taken out of the 70s.
The new Yumbo contained Black Forest ham, American cheese, lettuce, and mayo, served on a hoagie style bread. The price? $3.69. That’s not all, they even launched a tongue-in-cheek hotline dedicated to Yumbo with a humoristic tone to celebrate its comeback.
For some people, it was a very personal moment. For example, a woman remembered how she and her late husband shared Yumbos in 1974, and she told that she had written to Burger King for years asking for its comeback. For her family, that revival was way more than a marketing strategy: it was a living memory.
Disappearing again
Despite all the enthusiasm, the Yumbo disappeared again a bit later. Since then, Burger King has done the same with other nostalgic products like Chicken Fires or 90s menus. However, many fans believe that not launching the Yumbo again as a permanent product, has been one of the huge mistakes of the chain.
In the end, everybody knows that the Whopper is the king of the menu, but forgetting about a ham and cheese classic hurts those who tested it.
Whopper and Yumbo: the two sides of Burger King
The Whopper represents the constancy and identity of the brand: flamed meat and classic flavor. The Yumbo, however, represents the difference: a simple and strange experiment, but at the same time unforgettable.
Yumbo’s story is not about failure, it’s about a sandwich that never had the chance to have a definite place along with the Whopper. And maybe that’ s the reason why it keeps being part of the memory of so many people. Are you one of those who tried the Yumbo?