Will the real Burger King please stand up?

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This week, Burger King unveiled its new futuristic 20/20 store concept. Wow. The only thing missing from this concept is George Jetson and his boy Elroy.

This announcement follows another recent fast food makeover from McDonald’s that has designed a comfortable, café-like atmosphere. These makeovers are designed to increase dine-in traffic and compete head-to-head with fast causal restaurants like Panera and Atlanta Bread Company.

For many brands, creating a branded experience is a great way to bring the brand to life. For example, the Starbucks brand was built around the delivery of the “third place” experience. Other brands like Charmin and even Tide have thought out of the box (or package) to find ways to better connect with consumers and create a true experience around the brand.

But, what type of brand experience is Burger King trying to deliver? Will people remember their BK experience? Probably. Does the design reinforce its unique flamebroiled burgers? Well, the red flame chandeliers make me think so. Will it drive sales and increase brand loyalty? Only time will tell.

Let’s just hope its signature fragrance isn’t part of the welcome at the new stores.