🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 197 (from laksa145)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa197.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.foodrepublic.com/2109934/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-rival-menu-flop-aw/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.foodrepublic.com/2109934/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-rival-menu-flop-aw/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/2109934\/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-rival-menu-flop-aw\/","crawl_time":1772480595,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,foodrepublic!www,\/2109934\/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-rival-menu-flop-aw\/ s443","src_root_hash":"16426082786812640397","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"The McDonald's Quarter Pounder Competitor Menu Item That Flopped","meta_descriptions":["A&W’s third-pound burger flopped against the Quarter Pounder because customers mistakenly thought it was smaller — but it wasn't."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Skynesher\/Getty Images\nThe quarter-pound burger has long been the gold standard in weight for beef patties. It's one of the simplest ways to divide a pound of ground beef: in half, and then in half again. The result is satiating burgers that aren't too big, nor too small. McDonald's recognized this in the 1970s, when a franchisee created and coined the Quarter Pounder, and before long, his invention spread like wildfire (there's a reason the Quarter Pounder with Cheese took the No. 2 spot in\nFood Republic's burger ranking\n).\nHowever, something peculiar happened during the next decade, when fast food giant A&W attempted to take on the QP. The\nAmerican burger chain, beloved by Canadians\n, rolled out a one-third-pound hamburger stateside, only for it to flop. But why?\nOn paper, the third-pounder had everything going for it. It featured a bigger patty than the QP, it was the same price (so Americans would be getting more meat for their dollar), and A&W was marketing the heck out of it. But its sales remained much lower than executives were expecting, particularly for such a great deal. So, to get to the bottom of it, A&W ran some focus groups. The results were astounding. Because the number three is lower than the number four, Americans thought the third-pounder was smaller. Never mind that, in fractions, a third is actually larger than a fourth. They turned up their noses at the idea of paying the same for less.\nHow A&W turned a historic math fail into a fun marketing win\nAfter living with the knowledge for nearly 40 years that Americans' ignorance of fractions led to one of the most storied flops in fast food history (worse than even some of \nMcDonald's' menu item fails\n), in 2021, A&W did the funniest thing possible for its new ad campaign. In reference to the misbegotten idea that the number three is smaller than the number four, and therefore one-third must be smaller than one-fourth, A&W reintroduced its third-pounder as the 3\/9-lb. burger. \"After all, if people thought ¼ was bigger than ⅓, then they should think 3\/9 is way way WAY bigger. Right?\" a\npress release\nread.\nThe campaign also suggested that if any restaurant is out of the 3\/9 burger, it could replace it with a 2\/6-pound burger (mathematically the same size, in case your fractions are still lacking!). The company also released limited marketing materials to help promote the mostly digital campaign. While A&W hasn't directly attributed its growth in the past few years to this 3\/9 promotion, the company has seen a financial shift for the better in the time since beginning it, reporting a 3.1% increase in system sales throughout Q3 when comparing 2024 to 2025 (per\nRetail Insider\n).","attrs_markdown":"[![Food Republic](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/img\/food-republic-icon-small.svg)](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/)\n\n- [Recipes](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/recipes\/)\n  - [Course](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/course\/)\n  - [Dish Type](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/dish-type\/)\n  - [Main Ingredients](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/main-ingredients\/)\n  - [Drinks](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/drinks\/)\n  - [Baking](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/baking\/)\n  - [Dietary Considerations](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/dietary-considerations\/)\n  - [Preparation](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/preparation\/)\n  - [Cuisine](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cuisine\/)\n  - [Occasions](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/occasions\/)\n- [Cook](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cook\/)\n  - [Grilling and Smoking Tips](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/grilling-and-smoking-tips\/)\n  - [Baking Tips](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/baking-tips\/)\n  - [Cooking Tips](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cooking-tips\/)\n  - [Cookbooks](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cookbooks\/)\n  - [Storage and Preservation Tips](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/storage-and-preservation-tips\/)\n  - [Cleaning Tips](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cleaning-tips\/)\n  - [How-Tos](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/how-tos\/)\n  - [Kitchen Tools](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/kitchen-tools\/)\n  - [Entertaining](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/entertaining\/)\n- [Kitchen](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/kitchen\/)\n- [Facts](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/food\/)\n  - [Food History](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/food-history\/)\n  - [Food Science](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/food-science\/)\n  - [World Cuisines](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/world-cuisines\/)\n- [Drink](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/drink\/)\n  - [Mixology and Techniques](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/mixology-and-techniques\/)\n  - [Beer and Wine](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/beer-and-wine\/)\n  - [Cocktails and Spirits](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cocktails-and-spirits\/)\n  - [Non-Alcoholic](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/non-alcoholic\/)\n  - [Coffee and Tea](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/coffee-and-tea\/)\n  - [Smoothies and Shakes](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/smoothies-and-shakes\/)\n- [Restaurants](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/restaurants\/)\n  - [City Guides](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/city-guides\/)\n  - [Fine Dining](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/fine-dining\/)\n  - [Bars](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/bars\/)\n  - [Coffee Shops](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/coffee-shops\/)\n  - [Fast Food](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/fast-food\/)\n  - [Casual Dining](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/casual-dining\/)\n  - [Pizzerias](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/pizzerias\/)\n- [Grocery](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/grocery\/)\n  - [Shopping Tips](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/shopping-tips\/)\n  - [Stores and Chains](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/stores-and-chains\/)\n- [Exclusives](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/exclusives\/)\n- [Gardening](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/gardening\/)\n- [Features](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/features\/)\n\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/subscribe.foodrepublic.com\/newsletter?utm_source=foodrepublic&utm_medium=side-nav \"Newsletter\")\n\n- [About](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/about\/)\n- [Editorial Policies](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/policies\/)\n- [Our Experts](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/our-experts\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.static.com\/foodrepublic-privacy-policy)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.static.com\/terms)\n\n© 2026 [Static Media](https:\/\/www.static.com\/). All Rights Reserved\n\n[![Food Republic](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/img\/food-republic-logo-default.svg)](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/)\n\n[![Food Republic](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/img\/food-republic-icon-small.svg)](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/)\n\nThe McDonald's Quarter Pounder Competitor Menu Item That Flopped\n\n[Recipes](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/recipes\/) [Cook](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/cook\/) [Kitchen](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/kitchen\/) [Facts](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/food\/) [Drink](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/drink\/) [Restaurants](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/restaurants\/) [Grocery](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/grocery\/) [Exclusives](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/exclusives\/) [Gardening](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/gardening\/) [Features](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/features\/)\n\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/subscribe.foodrepublic.com\/newsletter?utm_source=foodrepublic&utm_medium=top-nav \"Newsletter\")\n\n- [Restaurants](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/restaurants\/)\n- [Fast Food](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/category\/fast-food\/)\n# The McDonald's Quarter Pounder Competitor Menu Item That Flopped\nBy [Cara J Suppa](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/author\/carajsuppa\/)\n\nMarch 2, 2026 9:17 am EST\n\n![Two hands hold up a cheeseburger](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/img\/gallery\/the-mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-competitor-menu-item-that-flopped\/intro-1772038617.jpg)\n\nSkynesher\/Getty Images\n\nThe quarter-pound burger has long been the gold standard in weight for beef patties. It's one of the simplest ways to divide a pound of ground beef: in half, and then in half again. The result is satiating burgers that aren't too big, nor too small. McDonald's recognized this in the 1970s, when a franchisee created and coined the Quarter Pounder, and before long, his invention spread like wildfire (there's a reason the Quarter Pounder with Cheese took the No. 2 spot in [Food Republic's burger ranking](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/2099922\/every-mcdonalds-burgers-ranked\/)).\n\nHowever, something peculiar happened during the next decade, when fast food giant A\\&W attempted to take on the QP. The [American burger chain, beloved by Canadians](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/1845304\/aw-fast-food-chain-popular-canada\/), rolled out a one-third-pound hamburger stateside, only for it to flop. But why?\n\nOn paper, the third-pounder had everything going for it. It featured a bigger patty than the QP, it was the same price (so Americans would be getting more meat for their dollar), and A\\&W was marketing the heck out of it. But its sales remained much lower than executives were expecting, particularly for such a great deal. So, to get to the bottom of it, A\\&W ran some focus groups. The results were astounding. Because the number three is lower than the number four, Americans thought the third-pounder was smaller. Never mind that, in fractions, a third is actually larger than a fourth. They turned up their noses at the idea of paying the same for less.\n\n## How A\\&W turned a historic math fail into a fun marketing win\n![Promotional photo of the 3\/9 burger from A\\&W](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/img\/gallery\/the-mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-competitor-menu-item-that-flopped\/how-aw-turned-a-historic-math-fail-into-a-fun-marketing-win-1772038619.jpg)\n\n[A\\&W Restaurants](https:\/\/www.awrestaurants.com\/press\/press-release\/101921-aw-rebounds-from-worst-marketing-fail-with-burger-for-math-challenged\/)\n\nAfter living with the knowledge for nearly 40 years that Americans' ignorance of fractions led to one of the most storied flops in fast food history (worse than even some of [McDonald's' menu item fails](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/1829696\/mcdonalds-menu-item-fails\/)), in 2021, A\\&W did the funniest thing possible for its new ad campaign. In reference to the misbegotten idea that the number three is smaller than the number four, and therefore one-third must be smaller than one-fourth, A\\&W reintroduced its third-pounder as the 3\/9-lb. burger. \"After all, if people thought ¼ was bigger than ⅓, then they should think 3\/9 is way way WAY bigger. Right?\" a [press release](https:\/\/www.awrestaurants.com\/press\/press-release\/101921-aw-rebounds-from-worst-marketing-fail-with-burger-for-math-challenged\/) read.\n\nThe campaign also suggested that if any restaurant is out of the 3\/9 burger, it could replace it with a 2\/6-pound burger (mathematically the same size, in case your fractions are still lacking!). The company also released limited marketing materials to help promote the mostly digital campaign. While A\\&W hasn't directly attributed its growth in the past few years to this 3\/9 promotion, the company has seen a financial shift for the better in the time since beginning it, reporting a 3.1% increase in system sales throughout Q3 when comparing 2024 to 2025 (per [Retail Insider](https:\/\/retail-insider.com\/retail-insider\/2025\/10\/aw-reports-3rd-straight-quarter-of-sales-growth\/)).\n## Recommended","attrs_readable_markdown":"![Two hands hold up a cheeseburger](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/img\/gallery\/the-mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-competitor-menu-item-that-flopped\/intro-1772038617.jpg)\n\nSkynesher\/Getty Images\n\nThe quarter-pound burger has long been the gold standard in weight for beef patties. It's one of the simplest ways to divide a pound of ground beef: in half, and then in half again. The result is satiating burgers that aren't too big, nor too small. McDonald's recognized this in the 1970s, when a franchisee created and coined the Quarter Pounder, and before long, his invention spread like wildfire (there's a reason the Quarter Pounder with Cheese took the No. 2 spot in [Food Republic's burger ranking](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/2099922\/every-mcdonalds-burgers-ranked\/)).\n\nHowever, something peculiar happened during the next decade, when fast food giant A\\&W attempted to take on the QP. The [American burger chain, beloved by Canadians](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/1845304\/aw-fast-food-chain-popular-canada\/), rolled out a one-third-pound hamburger stateside, only for it to flop. But why?\n\nOn paper, the third-pounder had everything going for it. It featured a bigger patty than the QP, it was the same price (so Americans would be getting more meat for their dollar), and A\\&W was marketing the heck out of it. But its sales remained much lower than executives were expecting, particularly for such a great deal. So, to get to the bottom of it, A\\&W ran some focus groups. The results were astounding. Because the number three is lower than the number four, Americans thought the third-pounder was smaller. Never mind that, in fractions, a third is actually larger than a fourth. They turned up their noses at the idea of paying the same for less.\n\n## How A\\&W turned a historic math fail into a fun marketing win\nAfter living with the knowledge for nearly 40 years that Americans' ignorance of fractions led to one of the most storied flops in fast food history (worse than even some of [McDonald's' menu item fails](https:\/\/www.foodrepublic.com\/1829696\/mcdonalds-menu-item-fails\/)), in 2021, A\\&W did the funniest thing possible for its new ad campaign. In reference to the misbegotten idea that the number three is smaller than the number four, and therefore one-third must be smaller than one-fourth, A\\&W reintroduced its third-pounder as the 3\/9-lb. burger. \"After all, if people thought ¼ was bigger than ⅓, then they should think 3\/9 is way way WAY bigger. Right?\" a [press release](https:\/\/www.awrestaurants.com\/press\/press-release\/101921-aw-rebounds-from-worst-marketing-fail-with-burger-for-math-challenged\/) read.\n\nThe campaign also suggested that if any restaurant is out of the 3\/9 burger, it could replace it with a 2\/6-pound burger (mathematically the same size, in case your fractions are still lacking!). The company also released limited marketing materials to help promote the mostly digital campaign. While A\\&W hasn't directly attributed its growth in the past few years to this 3\/9 promotion, the company has seen a financial shift for the better in the time since beginning it, reporting a 3.1% increase in system sales throughout Q3 when comparing 2024 to 2025 (per [Retail Insider](https:\/\/retail-insider.com\/retail-insider\/2025\/10\/aw-reports-3rd-straight-quarter-of-sales-growth\/)).","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

1 month ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	1.6 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.foodrepublic.com/2109934/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-rival-menu-flop-aw/
Last Crawled	2026-03-02 19:43:15 (1 month ago)
First Indexed	not set
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	The McDonald's Quarter Pounder Competitor Menu Item That Flopped
Meta Description	A&W’s third-pound burger flopped against the Quarter Pounder because customers mistakenly thought it was smaller — but it wasn't.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Skynesher/Getty Images The quarter-pound burger has long been the gold standard in weight for beef patties. It's one of the simplest ways to divide a pound of ground beef: in half, and then in half again. The result is satiating burgers that aren't too big, nor too small. McDonald's recognized this in the 1970s, when a franchisee created and coined the Quarter Pounder, and before long, his invention spread like wildfire (there's a reason the Quarter Pounder with Cheese took the No. 2 spot in Food Republic's burger ranking ). However, something peculiar happened during the next decade, when fast food giant A&W attempted to take on the QP. The American burger chain, beloved by Canadians , rolled out a one-third-pound hamburger stateside, only for it to flop. But why? On paper, the third-pounder had everything going for it. It featured a bigger patty than the QP, it was the same price (so Americans would be getting more meat for their dollar), and A&W was marketing the heck out of it. But its sales remained much lower than executives were expecting, particularly for such a great deal. So, to get to the bottom of it, A&W ran some focus groups. The results were astounding. Because the number three is lower than the number four, Americans thought the third-pounder was smaller. Never mind that, in fractions, a third is actually larger than a fourth. They turned up their noses at the idea of paying the same for less. How A&W turned a historic math fail into a fun marketing win After living with the knowledge for nearly 40 years that Americans' ignorance of fractions led to one of the most storied flops in fast food history (worse than even some of McDonald's' menu item fails ), in 2021, A&W did the funniest thing possible for its new ad campaign. In reference to the misbegotten idea that the number three is smaller than the number four, and therefore one-third must be smaller than one-fourth, A&W reintroduced its third-pounder as the 3/9-lb. burger. "After all, if people thought ¼ was bigger than ⅓, then they should think 3/9 is way way WAY bigger. Right?" a press release read. The campaign also suggested that if any restaurant is out of the 3/9 burger, it could replace it with a 2/6-pound burger (mathematically the same size, in case your fractions are still lacking!). The company also released limited marketing materials to help promote the mostly digital campaign. While A&W hasn't directly attributed its growth in the past few years to this 3/9 promotion, the company has seen a financial shift for the better in the time since beginning it, reporting a 3.1% increase in system sales throughout Q3 when comparing 2024 to 2025 (per Retail Insider ).
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All Rights Reserved [![Food Republic](https://www.foodrepublic.com/img/food-republic-logo-default.svg)](https://www.foodrepublic.com/) [![Food Republic](https://www.foodrepublic.com/img/food-republic-icon-small.svg)](https://www.foodrepublic.com/) The McDonald's Quarter Pounder Competitor Menu Item That Flopped [Recipes](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/recipes/) [Cook](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/cook/) [Kitchen](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/kitchen/) [Facts](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/food/) [Drink](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/drink/) [Restaurants](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/restaurants/) [Grocery](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/grocery/) [Exclusives](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/exclusives/) [Gardening](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/gardening/) [Features](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/features/) - [Newsletter](https://subscribe.foodrepublic.com/newsletter?utm_source=foodrepublic&utm_medium=top-nav "Newsletter") - [Restaurants](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/restaurants/) - [Fast Food](https://www.foodrepublic.com/category/fast-food/) # The McDonald's Quarter Pounder Competitor Menu Item That Flopped By [Cara J Suppa](https://www.foodrepublic.com/author/carajsuppa/) March 2, 2026 9:17 am EST ![Two hands hold up a cheeseburger](https://www.foodrepublic.com/img/gallery/the-mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-competitor-menu-item-that-flopped/intro-1772038617.jpg) Skynesher/Getty Images The quarter-pound burger has long been the gold standard in weight for beef patties. It's one of the simplest ways to divide a pound of ground beef: in half, and then in half again. The result is satiating burgers that aren't too big, nor too small. McDonald's recognized this in the 1970s, when a franchisee created and coined the Quarter Pounder, and before long, his invention spread like wildfire (there's a reason the Quarter Pounder with Cheese took the No. 2 spot in [Food Republic's burger ranking](https://www.foodrepublic.com/2099922/every-mcdonalds-burgers-ranked/)). However, something peculiar happened during the next decade, when fast food giant A\&W attempted to take on the QP. The [American burger chain, beloved by Canadians](https://www.foodrepublic.com/1845304/aw-fast-food-chain-popular-canada/), rolled out a one-third-pound hamburger stateside, only for it to flop. But why? On paper, the third-pounder had everything going for it. It featured a bigger patty than the QP, it was the same price (so Americans would be getting more meat for their dollar), and A\&W was marketing the heck out of it. But its sales remained much lower than executives were expecting, particularly for such a great deal. So, to get to the bottom of it, A\&W ran some focus groups. The results were astounding. Because the number three is lower than the number four, Americans thought the third-pounder was smaller. Never mind that, in fractions, a third is actually larger than a fourth. They turned up their noses at the idea of paying the same for less. ## How A\&W turned a historic math fail into a fun marketing win ![Promotional photo of the 3/9 burger from A\&W](https://www.foodrepublic.com/img/gallery/the-mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-competitor-menu-item-that-flopped/how-aw-turned-a-historic-math-fail-into-a-fun-marketing-win-1772038619.jpg) [A\&W Restaurants](https://www.awrestaurants.com/press/press-release/101921-aw-rebounds-from-worst-marketing-fail-with-burger-for-math-challenged/) After living with the knowledge for nearly 40 years that Americans' ignorance of fractions led to one of the most storied flops in fast food history (worse than even some of [McDonald's' menu item fails](https://www.foodrepublic.com/1829696/mcdonalds-menu-item-fails/)), in 2021, A\&W did the funniest thing possible for its new ad campaign. In reference to the misbegotten idea that the number three is smaller than the number four, and therefore one-third must be smaller than one-fourth, A\&W reintroduced its third-pounder as the 3/9-lb. burger. "After all, if people thought ¼ was bigger than ⅓, then they should think 3/9 is way way WAY bigger. Right?" a [press release](https://www.awrestaurants.com/press/press-release/101921-aw-rebounds-from-worst-marketing-fail-with-burger-for-math-challenged/) read. The campaign also suggested that if any restaurant is out of the 3/9 burger, it could replace it with a 2/6-pound burger (mathematically the same size, in case your fractions are still lacking!). The company also released limited marketing materials to help promote the mostly digital campaign. While A\&W hasn't directly attributed its growth in the past few years to this 3/9 promotion, the company has seen a financial shift for the better in the time since beginning it, reporting a 3.1% increase in system sales throughout Q3 when comparing 2024 to 2025 (per [Retail Insider](https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2025/10/aw-reports-3rd-straight-quarter-of-sales-growth/)). ## Recommended
Readable Markdown	![Two hands hold up a cheeseburger](https://www.foodrepublic.com/img/gallery/the-mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-competitor-menu-item-that-flopped/intro-1772038617.jpg) Skynesher/Getty Images The quarter-pound burger has long been the gold standard in weight for beef patties. It's one of the simplest ways to divide a pound of ground beef: in half, and then in half again. The result is satiating burgers that aren't too big, nor too small. McDonald's recognized this in the 1970s, when a franchisee created and coined the Quarter Pounder, and before long, his invention spread like wildfire (there's a reason the Quarter Pounder with Cheese took the No. 2 spot in [Food Republic's burger ranking](https://www.foodrepublic.com/2099922/every-mcdonalds-burgers-ranked/)). However, something peculiar happened during the next decade, when fast food giant A\&W attempted to take on the QP. The [American burger chain, beloved by Canadians](https://www.foodrepublic.com/1845304/aw-fast-food-chain-popular-canada/), rolled out a one-third-pound hamburger stateside, only for it to flop. But why? On paper, the third-pounder had everything going for it. It featured a bigger patty than the QP, it was the same price (so Americans would be getting more meat for their dollar), and A\&W was marketing the heck out of it. But its sales remained much lower than executives were expecting, particularly for such a great deal. So, to get to the bottom of it, A\&W ran some focus groups. The results were astounding. Because the number three is lower than the number four, Americans thought the third-pounder was smaller. Never mind that, in fractions, a third is actually larger than a fourth. They turned up their noses at the idea of paying the same for less. ## How A\&W turned a historic math fail into a fun marketing win After living with the knowledge for nearly 40 years that Americans' ignorance of fractions led to one of the most storied flops in fast food history (worse than even some of [McDonald's' menu item fails](https://www.foodrepublic.com/1829696/mcdonalds-menu-item-fails/)), in 2021, A\&W did the funniest thing possible for its new ad campaign. In reference to the misbegotten idea that the number three is smaller than the number four, and therefore one-third must be smaller than one-fourth, A\&W reintroduced its third-pounder as the 3/9-lb. burger. "After all, if people thought ¼ was bigger than ⅓, then they should think 3/9 is way way WAY bigger. Right?" a [press release](https://www.awrestaurants.com/press/press-release/101921-aw-rebounds-from-worst-marketing-fail-with-burger-for-math-challenged/) read. The campaign also suggested that if any restaurant is out of the 3/9 burger, it could replace it with a 2/6-pound burger (mathematically the same size, in case your fractions are still lacking!). The company also released limited marketing materials to help promote the mostly digital campaign. While A\&W hasn't directly attributed its growth in the past few years to this 3/9 promotion, the company has seen a financial shift for the better in the time since beginning it, reporting a 3.1% increase in system sales throughout Q3 when comparing 2024 to 2025 (per [Retail Insider](https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2025/10/aw-reports-3rd-straight-quarter-of-sales-growth/)).
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