FREE FRIES BRING FRENZY; GIVEAWAY DOUBLES PATRONAGE AT BURGER KING.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

If it's free, they will come.

At least that turned out to be the case at local Burger King restaurants Friday as hungry patrons lined up to take advantage of the fast food chain's Free FryDay giveaway.

About twice as many people were at Burger King on Devonshire Street in Chatsworth during the lunch rush as normal, officials said. All were there to try the restaurant's recently reformulated french fries.

Among them were Elizabeth Lansen, who brought 11-year-old son Nicholas and 9-year-old daughter Jaclyn after hearing a radio advertisement in the morning.

``That's the first thing I heard this morning, and they came downstairs and said, `Guess what day it is? It's Free FryDay!' '' the Chatsworth resident said. ``So here we are.''

So how did the new fries rate? Nicholas thought they were crunchier and warmer than before. ``They feel - they taste - more fried,'' he said. ``I think they're better, anyway.''

Burger King officials say their taste tests concluded that people prefer the new formula to McDonald's fries, 57 percent to 35 percent.

``The consumer response has been overwhelming,'' said Kim Miller, Burger King Corp. spokeswoman.

The new fries have been available for personal taste tests since Dec. 10, but Burger King still expected to give away about 15 million small orders of fries by the end of the day Friday, Miller said.

Miami-based Burger King is gunning for the undisputed champion of french fries - McDonald's.

But the folks at McDonald's Corp. aren't worried about the competition, said Lisa Dellerson, a regional marketing supervisor. In fact, sales of McDonald's fries have actually jumped since Burger King unveiled its new formula.

``Our theory is that all the advertising about french fries is making people crave them and when people think of fries they think of McDonald's,'' she said. ``We put them on the map.''

At a McDonald's near the Chatsworth Burger King, Northridge resident Doreen Nader wasn't interested in going back for the freebie after already trying the Burger King fries. ``They're awful,'' she said.

Back at the Burger King, Dan Beer of North Hills found the new fries tasty enough. ``I think they're a little different,'' he said. ``Whether they're better, I don't know.''

Elizabeth Lansen didn't notice much difference either. ``I still like the McDonald's fries better,'' she said.

Leonor Velasquez, a 20-year-old college student, brought her parents and brother from their Sylmar home to try the new Burger King fries.

``I work at a McDonald's, but I prefer these fries,'' she said.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) McDonald's employee Leonor Velasquez, right, samples her free fries Friday at Chatsworth Burger King with brother Frankie, 14.

(2) Nicholas, 11, and Jaclyn Lansen, 9, enjoy their free french fries, part of a Burger King promotion Friday.

Tina Gerson/Daily News