Have it your way

The Rhinelanders say "Jede Jeck es anders" (every person is different) - a nice paraphrase for the diversity of people, which at the same time results in respect in dealing with others and their differences. In good Rhenish: "Levve un levve losse", live and let live. A liberal world view that also characterizes many people outside the Rhineland - and I personally like to include myself in this.

An integral part of this world view is the freedom of the individual. And what constitutes this freedom is a personal question. It doesn't always have to be the big things. It is often the seemingly small things that are emotionalizing. And that includes the fact that people have the right to do things that others consider wrong or strange, as long as they don't harm others. Freely adapted from Immanuel Kant, who said almost 200 years ago that "the freedom of the individual ends where the freedom of others begins".

For me, it is part of my value system that others can go their own way in this sense and within these limits - according to the motto "Have it your way". And this "Have it your way" was also an important element in my decision to take on my current professional role:

For more than 50 years, "Have it your way" has been more than just the slogan of the global Burger King brand. And it is only superficially about the possibility for guests to put together their burger according to their wishes, for example without mayonnaise and with double tomatoes instead - or vice versa. "Have it your way" is a beacon in terms of content, a cultural anchor and defines how we interact with each other in terms of granting personal freedom and the unrestricted acceptance of diversity. Around 100 nations work together in the Burger King Germany team, an enormous range of cultural diversity.

I am also happy to commit to this guiding principle of "Have it your way" in my professional role. And it's fitting that we - within the Group, but also within the QSR business in Germany - have a pioneering role in the diversity of our range when it comes to one important component: Burger King offers almost the entire range in Germany with plant-based products as an option. For example, customers can decide whether they want their Whopper with a classic beef patty or alternatively with a plant-based patty.

This has been the case for some time now. At the same time, however, we have noticed that many people have the wrong idea about plant-based products and do not consider them as an option. This is mainly due to the fact that "meat substitutes" still have the image of soggy and bland tofu patties. But that's long gone: burgers with plant-based patties taste really good - and that's what really matters when you go out for a burger.

With this in mind, we have decided to make it even easier for our guests and create an incentive for them to try plant-based products. Burger King Germany announced today that the selling price of the plant-based variants will be reduced by 10 cents below the meat product in order to make it easier to get to know and perhaps even love another product variant.

Personally, I am very excited to see how this initiative will be received by guests and what feedback we will get. For me personally, it is important that we, as one of the leading brands in German gastronomy, make this option available to our customers. And that's what it's all about, "bringing it closer" - not proselytizing and not pointing a finger. Everyone can, no one has to. Those who make it their way to eat the plant-based option occasionally, often or always are just as welcome as those who stick exclusively to beef or chicken. Have it your way!

This initiative corresponds to my understanding of corporate responsibility, which I clearly prefer to government intervention in people's personal dietary preferences. And that brings us full circle, because that's exactly what people in the Rhineland mean when they say "Levve und Levve losse", live and let live.