A&W menu hack: A hash brown on a burger
Industry News

A&W’s new Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burgers draw inspiration from a popular menu hack

If you’re looking to spice things up, A&W has got you covered with the launch of their new limited-time offer (LTO), the Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burger. The new Buddy Burger brings the heat with a distinctive piri piri sauce (hot chili pepper flavour), topped with crisp whole-leaf lettuce, and a slice of tomato and red onion, and comes with your choice of seasoned 100 per cent breaded chicken breast, a 1.6 oz. grass-fed beef patty, or opt for a crispy hash brown potato patty. Sandwiched between a freshly toasted bun, each Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burger in this fiery new lineup is just $3.99.

The Potato Buddy Burger: powered by a popular menu hack!

The Spicy Piri-Piri Potato Buddy Burger is A&W’s first Buddy Burger that highlights a crispy hash brown as the star. The new LTO is a result of community-driven innovation. With this hack, a crispy hash brown replaces the usual beef patty and is garnished with red onion, lettuce, tomato, and the spiciest sauce available. The Potato Buddy Burger is a new option that recreates familiar flavours from home.

“For years A&W employees and guests (predominantly from the South Asian community) have been quietly making this menu hack for themselves. Its popularity was clear to me during a meeting with Ontario operators, where every one of them knew the exact same menu hack recipe because of how many guests were ordering it,” said Priya Dhillon, franchisee of over 40 A&W Restaurant locations in Canada.

“This hack was happening organically at A&Ws all across Canada. It was a no-brainer for us to develop a recipe that complements our guests’ love for a potato patty substitute and adds a nice flavour kick to it,” said Karan Suri, Director of Menu Development at A&W Canada. “This is an exciting opportunity to introduce a new menu item that reflects the diversity of our guests. Our take on a spicy piri piri sauce that is zesty, spicy and addictive is designed to satisfy more of our guests’ cravings for spice and to suit their dietary preferences. I can’t wait for Canadians to try it.”

In Prayag Mishra’s recent TikTok, a viral Canadian content creator, he shared his experience trying the new Spicy Piri-Piri Potato Buddy Burger at his local A&W. “It’s crazy to see the power of the internet and what happens when a brand listens to their community, leading to this menu hack becoming an actual offering for non-meat eaters like myself. So when they proposed collaborating on this Potato Buddy Burger, it was an immediate yes. Proof that even Pookies’ dreams can come true.”

Gather your spiciest buddies and treat them to the new Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burger, now available for just $3.99 at all A&W locations across Canada, for a limited time only.


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