• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, April 2, 2008 11:45 AM

Burger King CEO John Chidsey--the 45-year-old certified public accountant behind the fast-food chain's turnaround--says that success came when it figured out who its target customer was. Chidsey also says the CEO position is overrated, and that BK's success over the last five years is due to the quality of its team.

Chidsey admits that he was a bit surprised to discover that BK's core customer base is almost split evenly between males and females, but takes issue with the assertion that its marketing in sports venues is more targeted at males. "If you rip the demographics apart, women are humongous NFL fans," he says. "NASCAR has an enormous female following."

The world's No. 2 hamburger chain by locations behind McDonald's is using what it calls a "barbell" menu strategy that pushes both upscale products--like its new Steakhouse Burger with Angus beef--alongside $1 sandwiches to appeal to cash-strapped customers. It also plans to introduce the Whopper Bar--a smaller, hipper restaurant--this year.

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