In a surprising turn of events this past year, a catchy Burger King jingle, “Whopper Whopper,” became an instant hit for the fast-food giant.
And it quickly became viral online.
The jingle has amassed an impressive 9+ million streams on Spotify and has inspired various remixes, including a special one created for the 2023 Video Music Awards.
With Whopper’s new found popularity, it seemed like the perfect moment to explore the rich and Latino origin story of its mini self: the Whopper Jr.
Did we mention it was created by a Latino entrepreneur by accident?
The Accidental and Latino Story of the Whopper Jr.
In the world of fast food, where innovation and creativity often lead to culinary sensations, one of the most beloved items, the Whopper Jr., had a humble and unexpected beginning.
Unlike the conventional trajectory of spinoffs arriving years after their original counterparts, the miniature version of Burger King’s trademark sandwich is almost as old as the Burger King franchise itself.
In 1954, the first Burger King restaurant opened its doors in Miami. Nine years later, in 1963, Luis Arenas-Perez found himself faced with a challenge that would inadvertently lead to the creation of the Whopper Jr.
“Arenas … was the first employee that Burger King had in Puerto Rico, when in 1963, the chain began its operations on the island …” an EFE Agency piece explains.
According to the newspaper El Nuevo Día, Arenas-Perez was a Cuban who emigrated to the United States in 1961 after studying business administration in Havana and having worked at Chase Manhattan Bank.
The businessman later became the CEO and president of Burger King in Puerto Rico, encountered a dilemma in the days leading up to the grand opening of a new Burger King location in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
“They say that on the opening day in Carolina, the molds to make the classic Whopper bread had not arrived and Arenas decided to use traditional hamburger buns, which were smaller, as a replacement,” Primera Hora writes.
Arenas-Perez’s quick decision changed the course of fast-food history.
He instructed his team to use standard-size hamburger molds and placed all the classic Whopper ingredients – lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup, and pickles – between a sesame seed bun.
Burger King Hall of Fame
Thus, the Whopper Jr. was born.
“Due to the success that it had in Puerto Rico, Burger King adopted it and made it worldwide after thus giving it the name Whopper Jr.,” YouTuber Dean Huertas recently explained, in the video “The Whopper Jr. Is From Carolina, Puerto Rico.”
The Jr. variant turned out to be a huge success with customers, and its popularity soared.
“Because of his quick thinking, Luis Arenas-Perez was officially inducted into the Burger King Hall of Fame …” the outlet World Times Today writes.
And he was named the official founder of the Whopper Jr.
Today, according to Zippia, Burger King sells 2.1 billion Whoppers annually, with the Whopper Jr. securing its place as a top five “beloved item” alongside the flagship burger, french fries, Impossible Whopper, and chicken garden salad.
Arenas-Perez died in 2015 at the age of 76, due to a lung complication. But he is remembered for his quick thinking and community involvement.
“The man dedicated the rest of his life to this chain – where he is the only Latino who is part of the firm’s ‘Hall of Fame’ – and was its top manager in Puerto Rico for years, although he also stood out locally for his philanthropic work,” EFE explains.
