The History of the Whopper Jr.

Burger King’s famous Whopper was created in 1957, but the Whopper Jr. didn’t come along until several years later. And in fact, it was an unintentional creation born out of necessity! In 1963, Luis Arenas Pérez was preparing to open his Burger King franchise in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The Grand Opening was approaching, but the arrival of the molds for the Whopper buns was delayed. Since the extra-larger molds wouldn’t arrive by opening day, Pérez decided to use the molds intended for the regular-sized hamburger buns instead, but he topped them with the same ingredients that the larger-sized Whopper typically featured: a flame-broiled beef patty, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, ketchup, and pickles. Despite the fact that Burger King’s signature Whopper was missing from the opening day menu, the event was a success and the smaller-sized Whoppers were gobbled up by customers and corporate visitors alike. In fact, Pérez’s innovation was such a hit that Burger King added it to their official menu as the Whopper Jr. not long after. At almost exactly half the size of the regular Whopper, executives guessed that the Whopper Jr. would be perfectly sized for kids and adults who didn’t want to eat an especially larger burger. They were correct, and today the Whopper Jr. is one of Burger King’s most beloved offerings.