Burger King to Try Home Delivery Service

Burger King, the number two fast food chain in the country, is going to be testing a home delivery service at a select few of its Washington D.C. area locations, the company announced. Residents living within 10-minutes of the participating locations can order either by phone or online, and receive their orders for a $2 fee.

Burger King told MSNBC that there will be a minimum delivery order of $8-$10, and will be rolled-out on Jan. 23rd. If the roll-out is successful, they will expand the service nationwide. This service is nothing new for the company - they have had a delivery service in other countries for many years and has had great success with it all across the globe including in Mexico, Turkey, Brazil, Columbia and Peru, according to an e-mail from a company spokesman.

Burger King's sales have been slacking lately, and are poised to lose their number two spot to Wendy's for the first time since Wendy's was founded in 1969, according to MSNBC. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal showed that Wendy's 2011 sales were projected to be $8.42 billion, $53 million more than Burger King.

Most fast food chains have not entered the realm of home delivery, mostly because the food does not travel well, Industry market research firm Technomic president Ron Paul told USA Today. There are some real food-quality issues here. But there's no question that consumer expectations for having things delivered has risen.

But according to Washington Post writer Michael S. Rosenwald, who had an opportunity to try the delivered food, said that Burger King is doing it well. Once the food finally got here, it was pretty darn good: The fries were hot and crispy, the Whopper was fresh and unsoggy, [and] the salad was pretty.

Delivery could pose a problem for them though, Dominos Pizza spokesman Tim McIntyre told USA Today. We wish them luck. There is a reason that not all pizza places deliver: It isn't easy.