Customers ask ‘Where’s the beef?’ after whopper of a fire

EVERETT — You can’t get a burger at this Burger King.

What’s up with that?

The Burger King, 8525 Evergreen Way, hasn’t cooked burgers since a May 1 grease fire at the fast food eatery known for flame-grilled burgers.

Now it’s “just King,” read a comment on a thread on the Everett Reddit.

“We’re serving chicken,” district manager Rick Taylor said.

Or Ch’King, as it says on the menu.

And how’s that going?

“People think it is very hilarious that Burger King does not have burgers, except for when they’re trying to order the burgers, then at that moment they’re not very happy about it,” Taylor said.

After all, this is the Home of the Whopper.

There are signs emblazoned with “No Burgers” posted all over the establishment, but customers wonder, “Where’s the beef?”

“Some have called and complained. A lot think we messed up our truck order and didn’t order burgers or something,” Taylor said. “When I get on the phone with them they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’”

Ch’King, fish, fries and tots sizzle on.

“We still have fryers, thank goodness,” Taylor said.

The chain’s Impossible Whopper, a patty made from plants and cooked on the same broiler as beef patties, is available heated in a microwave. Most people pass.

“Without having the beef it has definitely impacted sales,” Taylor said. “We have been keeping our workers so we can go back to full hours and not have a staffing crunch.”

The dining room is open at certain times, but mostly it’s drive-thru service.

There was no wait on a recent weekday during the noon hour.

“They want burgers,” a cashier said. “We need the burgers back. I can’t wait.”

(The service was friendly and the fries were hot and delicious.)

Nobody was injured in the fire in the ventilation hood May 1. The eatery closed for several days, but has been open since.

“We have done the best we could,” Taylor said.

He doesn’t have an estimate for when burgers will be back on the grill. He said after the permitting process is done, it will take about three days to complete the required work.

Burger King is second to McDonald’s in fast-food hamburger chains worldwide, with over 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories, according to the website.

Still, what are the odds that unrelated fires would strike two places blocks apart on Evergreen Way?

There are no Happy Meals at the McDonald’s near the burgerless Burger King. The McDonald’s at 7920 Evergreen Way remains closed since a kitchen fire June 11.

To get a burger you have to head a few blocks away, to the Wendy’s.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.