Star Chef Collaborations: Burger King’s Winning Strategy for Market Share in France

Michel Sarran last summer, Dabiz Muñoz the year before, and Paul Pairet in 2025. From Tuesday, June 3, to mid-July, Burger King is offering burgers crafted by the chef who has been a part of the “Top Chef” jury since 2020 and is based in China. The goal? To leverage the fame of Michelin-starred chefs, innovate, and draw in a new demographic by altering the typical “fast-food” image. This strategy is increasingly employed by major fast-food chains, especially given the limited purchasing power of the French public.

Rather than relying solely on promotions to attract customers, France’s second-largest fast-food chain behind McDonald’s, owned by the Bertrand Group, has opted to focus heavily on innovation. This is already their third collaboration with a renowned figure from the culinary world. For a few euros more, customers can enjoy a peppercorn burger, a Japanese-style chicken burger, or a falafel burger designed by a chef. The offer is quite tempting.

The outcome for the brand has been very positive. In an interview with Le Figaro, Alexandra Laviolette, Burger King France’s marketing director, revealed that in 2024, during their latest collaboration, “28% of the burgers sold were ‘Chef’s Masters’”. According to the brand, foot traffic always spikes during these periods. From January to September 2024, Burger King’s sales increased by 5% in value and 2% in volume. In contrast, its main competitor, McDonald’s, saw a decrease of 2% in value and 3% in volume, as per the Joko 2024 study.

Will the current campaign prove just as successful? It’s certainly what the brand is betting on, having enjoyed a string of successes. Most recently, at the end of 2024, Burger King and KFC launched a joint product, the “BFF” for Best Friends Forever. Another winning move: the chicken burger sold 800,000 units at the former and was featured on one in five trays at the latter. In April, Burger King also launched a burger in collaboration with rapper Ninho.

The chain, with 580 restaurants, is not alone in increasingly relying on a strategy of differentiation and innovation. Since their split, Quick has also pursued several partnerships with well-known figures, such as Tony Parker and Soprano. KFC’s “Delamama” burger with Mister V sold over 1.2 million units in a month. Is this a strategy that might eventually run its course?