Burger King Corporation Takes Reality TV to the Next Level on the Season Three Premiere of ``The Apprentice''.

MIAMI -- Burger King Corporation introduces task-winning Western Angus Steak Burger in 7,800 BURGER KING(R) restaurants nationwide

During Thursday's season premiere of "The Apprentice," Trump's management team served up a mammoth task to the latest crop of contestants: name, build, market and sell a new menu item at BURGER KING(R) restaurants. What the Trump trainees didn't know is that Burger King Corporation would actually flip for the winning burger - the Western Angus Steak Burger - and begin serving it nationwide the next day.

As the smoke cleared atop Trump Tower, BURGER KING restaurants from coast to coast began to prepare for the fastest new product launch in the company's 50-year history.

"At BURGER KING, our HAVE IT YOUR WAY(R) philosophy puts our customers in charge. It's all about empowerment and getting what you want, when you want it," said Russ Klein, chief marketing officer, Burger King Corporation. "That's why we couldn't wait even a day to take this burger from the boardroom to the lunchroom."

The Task

Faced with a meaty challenge, teams "Street Smarts" and "Book Smarts" beefed up their knowledge of the fast food industry by completing a substantial food safety and restaurant management-training course. Teams then consulted with Burger King Corporation Chief Concept Officer Denny Post and Senior Director, Product Innovation, Chef Calvin Harris to develop a marketing campaign with support from Burger King Corporation's promotional agency. Finally, each team took charge of a different Manhattan BURGER KING restaurant, running all operations and sales for the day.

During their stint, the winning "Street Smarts" team used their natural know-how to turn their new product into a cash cow, avoiding a trip to the boardroom and a heated showdown with "The Donald."

Getting the Product to Market

BURGER KING(R) franchisees and employees nationwide didn't know they'd have to fire up the grills for a new product until minutes after the first contestant was fired. On Friday morning, each store received a shipment including ingredients, instructions and "Apprentice"-themed promotional materials, giving them a matter of hours to add the new item to their menus. The high-speed turn-around was a first for both "The Apprentice" and Burger King Corporation, and is unprecedented in the chain restaurant industry.

For fans of "The Apprentice" who are hoping to try the winning product, the new Western Angus Steak Burger will be available for a limited time now through February 4, 2005.

About Burger King Corporation

The BURGER KING(R) system operates more than 11,000 restaurants in all 50 states and in more than 61 countries and territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family owned operations that have been in business for decades.

Burger King Holdings Inc., the parent company, is private and independently owned by an equity sponsor group comprised of Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. In fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, Burger King Corporation had system-wide sales of $11.3 billion. To learn more about BURGER KING, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.burgerking.com.