Burger King’s Advent Calendar Is Back — But It Won’t Stick Around

Everyone has an advent calendar. Everyone. There are a whole host of them this year, from food and drinks companies as wide-ranging as AriZona, Fishwife, and Tillamook, and we’d imagine there will be a couple more to come in the days and weeks leading up to the holidays. What are slightly less common, though, are advent calendars released by fast food franchises – but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Oh, no. Burger King’s got one, and soon, you could have it, too.

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But what is it? Is it full of burgers? Fries? Crown Nuggets? Why has Burger King done this in the first place? And do you even want it? Some of these questions might be easier for me to answer than others, but I’ll give it my best shot. 

Burger King Advent Calendar

Last week, Burger King announced that it was bringing back its advent calendars, which it first debuted in 2024. This now seems to be a yearly tradition for the restaurant, which takes the opportunity to inject a little holiday cheer into the air with these limited-edition collectible calendars – although if you work in the hospitality industry, this year’s theme might make you think twice about getting one. 

Why? Well, according to its press release, this year’s calendar “gives lucky fans the chance to build their very own Burger King restaurant featuring minis.” As you open each of its 12 doors, you collect various tiny versions of BK menu and restaurant items, like a mini Whopper, the King’s Booth, and a soda fountain – and then, on the last day, the whole thing unfolds to release a miniature Burger King restaurant (as well as to reveal a $5 digital coupon for Royal Perks members). You can then play pretend that you work at Burger King, constructing scenarios featuring stacked-up orders, unhappy customers, stuff like that. The calendar itself is undeniably very cute, but if you’re not on-shift, it might remind you a little too much of what awaits you next time you clock in.

How Do I Get One?

Okay, so here’s the deal: This thing is very limited-edition. There are only 110 of them available every day, each for $19.54 (which is, Burger King says, a reference to the restaurant’s founding year), and they’ll drop on Monday, November 16 at 12 p.m. ET. You can try your luck at purchasing them daily at midday through to Friday, November 20, but they won’t stick around that long; in the last few years, its calendars have sold out in just a couple of minutes, so you’ll need to be quick off the mark on your chosen day to nab one.

Interested? Head to its website and bookmark it for the big day. As advent calendars go, this is one of the quirkiest I’ve seen so far this year, and so I do have to say I’m a fan of the whole concept — and I’d hazard a guess others will be, too. It does remind me slightly of my restaurant days, but that’s my own cross to bear.