How many Krystal Burgers can you eat in 94 seconds?

It’s not time for the annual Krystal Square Off yet, but if you live in the Tampa Bay area then you won’t want to miss the chance to get your Square Off fix at the 94-second Krystal Burger Eating Contest taking place this Sunday, March 7 from noon – 2 p.m. at the new Bradenton, FL Krystal on 3108 First Street West.

That’s right. Krystal Lovers from across the Tampa Bay area will go head-to-head for 94 seconds straight to see who can put down the most Krystal Burgers and win a $100 Krystal Gift Card and two tickets to WILD 94.1′s Wildsplash concert.

The competition is free and open to all Krystal Lovers who arrive at the Bradenton Krystal Restaurant before the event time and who are at least 18 years of age with a picture ID. And according to Weather.com, the forecast is showing mostly sunny skies with a high of 68 degrees, so gather up all your friends and head on over this weekend for a Sunday Funday with fellow Krystal fans.

Good Luck!

38 Special's Jeff Carlisi performing at this year's Krystal Square Off in Chattanooga.

With the recent end of the 2009 Krystal Square Off VI and the beginning of the 2009 Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame, we thought it might be fun to do a video spotlight of a man that has been involved in both events as a loyal Krystal fan for years – 38 Special’s Jeff Carlisi.

While performing with the Hold On Bruce Lees at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. on Sept. 27, Carlisi entertained the crowd with a few of his own personal Krystal stories. Carlisi joked about everything from growing up with Krystal in Jacksonville, Fla. to his days of rehearsing with Lynyrd Skynyrd when they’d flip a coin to see who would go down the street to grab a Sackful of Krystals to his favorite “Krystal breakfast for two” story, the same tale that got him inducted into the 2007 Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame.

But we won’t ruin it all, as it’s much better coming from Carlisi anyway. Here he is telling the stories himself. Check out the video below.

Krystal Lovers have been enjoying The Famous Krystal Burger for more than 75 years!

Most of you have eaten a Krystal (shame on you if not) but many of you might not know some of the history behind the Krystal Burger and all its greatness. So, as a little end-of-the-week treat, here are 10 fun facts that you might not know about The Krystal Burger. Enjoy.

• The first Krystal Burger was eaten by French Jenkins in 1932.
• The Famous Krystal is not a mini burger but technically a Slider, according to A Hamburger Today, which is defined as: “A thin slice of beef, cooked on a griddle with onions and pickles piled atop the patty. The steam from the onions does as much cooking as the griddle. The buns are placed atop the onions, absorbing the flavor.” Though, The Krystal Company simply refers to its small, square famous burger as a Krystal or Krystal(s) when eaten in multiples.
• The most Krystal Burgers to be consumed in an eight-minute period of time is 103, done by Krystal Square Off IV winner Joey Chestnut in 2007.
• More than 239 million Krystal Burgers are eaten every year.
• Because of the many diehard Krystal Burger fans, the Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame was created to honor customers who have a passion for the brand. Those who are inducted get featured on over a million of his or her very own Krystal Burger or Cheese Krystal boxes.
• If you put Krystal Burgers end to end, it would take 5.5 billion to reach the moon, 184,654,680 to travel around the Earth and 7,750 to reach the top of the Empire State Building.
• Krystal’s introduction of chicken to the menu was in response to the nation’s food rationing (including beef) as a result of World War II. Once the war ended, Krystal went back to offering it’s signature, number one seller then and still today – The Krystal Burger.
• Unlike most ordinary double burgers that simply add an extra burger patty, Krystal took the concept to the next level with its Double Krystal that features double the burger, double the bun and double the toppings for twice the taste.
• The Krystal menu changes throughout the year to introduce new items, but because of it’s popularity, the Krystal Burger is always offered in the first four combo options, making it the most featured item on the menu at any given time.
• Krystal Burgers are sold in 384 Krystal restaurants in 11 states across the South.

All this talk has us hungry for a Sackful. I see a Krystal Run in our interns’ near future. Hey, don’t judge -  they have to stay busy somehow!

The countdown to the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Championship on Sept. 27 continues with the final two qualifiers this weekend in Nashville and Knoxville. And while most of the “pros” have had their chance to eat BIG, now it’s your turn!

Available for a limited time only, Krystal is offering the Krystal Square Off VI Championship Value Meal, so you can eat like the pros without breaking the bank. Served hot-off-the-grill for only $5, the meal includes one Big Angus Burger, featuring 100% Angus beef dressed with your choice of seven premium toppings; two Famous Krystal Burgers; a basket of fries and a medium drink.

That’s a lot of food, but don’t worry, you don’t have to finish it all in under eight minutes like the eaters competing in the Krystal Square Off VI qualifiers this weekend in Nashville and Knoxville. However, if that little voice inside your head says, “Hey, I can do this!” then come out early to sign up for one of the five open amateur slots. You might just qualify to compete at the Championship and walk away with a piece of the $50,000 cash purse prize. As they say in the Krystal Square Off, “Go Big or Go Home!”

For more information about the Krystal Square Off VI, visit www.krystalsquareoff.com and follow @ksquareoff on Twitter.

It’s the start of Labor Day Weekend, or as some see it – the end of summer, the beginning of fall, the start of football season, the middle of Krystal Square Off Season and it’s real purpose – a weekend of rest. Oh, and don’t forget Krystal!

No matter how you plan to celebrate your holiday, Krystal will be right around the corner to help inject a little fun and deliciousness into your days off from work. And just in case you need a few ideas on how to make the most of it, we’ve listed the top 5 ways to celebrate Labor Day with Krystal. Check it out…

1. Make a Krystal Run: On your drive to the lake, beach or even mom and dad’s house, make the trip a little more exciting with a stop at Krystal to order your favorite food on-the-go. Helpful Hint: Krystal Corn Pups travel well and are easy to eat in the car.
2. A Krystal Picnic: Head to the park with a pack complete with a Sackful of Krystals and Sweet Bites for dessert. Helpful Hint: For a large family gathering, grab a Steamer Pack so there’s plenty to go around.
3. Get Energized with the Blitz: We know many of you will be enjoying outdoor activities such as water sports, beach volleyball, etc., so grab The Krystal Blitz energy drink to give you that extra boost in the last days of the summer heat. Helpful Hint: Order the Blitz “Frozen” and it will stay colder for longer.
4. Buy two Krystal Freezes, get $1 Off: Take advantage of Krystal’s limited time offer through Sept. 6 and order a round of Krystal Freezes for the whole gang after a long day. Helpful Hint: With four orders of two, you can try all of Krystal’s eight signature flavors for almost half the price!
5. A Labor Day Krystal Family Tradition: Labor Day is all about a rest from work and time with the family, so kick back, relax and enjoy a nice Sunday dinner at your local Krystal. It might just become the new weekend family tradition. Helpful Hint: The friendly employees at Krystal will serve your meal at the table, so order up because you won’t have to lift a finger!

Enjoy your weekend and safe travels to all!

All good things must come to an end, right? The warm temperatures are starting too cool down as the fall season begins. And with the end of summer also comes the final days of the summer-long Krystal Freeze Offer: Buy Two Freezes and Get $1 Off. But, don’t worry. We wouldn’t be telling you unless there were a few days left to take advantage!

The Krystal Freeze Offer extends through Sept. 6, so with four more days left, you can go on a Freeze Frenzy and try each of Krystal’s eight signature flavors: Coca-Cola, Blueberry, Strawberry, Cherry, Pomegranate, Grape, Banana and Green Apple. That’s two flavors a day, which works out perfectly since – you guessed it – you get $1 off for buying two at a time.

And we can’t let you go before reminding guests about more fun Krystal news. Yes, we admit that we’re a little sad to see our great patio weather go, but don’t forget that September brings the greatest fall event series ever… Hello Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Championship! Be sure to follow all the excitement on the Krystal Square Off Blog and on Twitter @ksquareoff.

On Sept. 27, the city of Chattanooga, Tenn. will play host to the most thrilling Major League Eating event in history as Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi and all of the world’s best eaters face off for the title of Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship. And thanks to the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau, one lucky family will get to experience this monumental event and a full weekend of fun-filled activities “VIP” style.

Beginning today, competitive eating fans hungry for the ultimate Chattanooga Family Vacation and Krystal Square Off VI Getaway can register for a chance to win by visiting Chattanoogafun.com/krystal. The package includes:

• Two-night luxury accommodations at the fabulous Sheraton Read House
• One Chattanooga area attraction VIP Pass good for two people at over 40 attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, the IMAX 3D Theater, Ruby Falls and Rock City Gardens
• Krystal Square Off VI VIP Access that includes your very own luxury suite “sky box” at the live televised championship, complete with catered food and beverages and the best view of the contest.

It’s definitely a weekend you won’t want to miss, so be sure and register today. The drawing will take place on September 21.

About The Krystal Square Off
The Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship is one of the majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger-eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports.  SportSouth, the nation’s largest regional sports network, will televise the finals of Krystal Square Off VI live from Chattanooga, Tenn. during a one-hour program.

We’ve been making it easy for you to get your hands on a free Krystal Blitz all week long, and now we’re running down our list of the top 10 ways to enjoy this summer’s most refreshing beverage. Just a little hint: the next free coupon is available somewhere in this post, so read carefully!

We suggest you enjoy an icy-cold, refreshing Blitz…

1. Before your next beach volleyball game. The extra kick will surely add fire to your serve.
2. While cruising in your car with the radio turned up and the windows down.
3. At the pool with your favorite raft that has the built-in cup holders.
4. To wash down an order of Krystal’s new Sweet Bites.
5. On a late afternoon stroll through the neighborhood.
6. For a little boost before studying for your last summer school exam.
7. During the “pause” break of that intense video game you’re determined to win.
8. While training for the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship.
9. At the park in between Frisbee games with friends.
10. For Free Right Now by clicking the following link: http://bit.ly/44PdGQ

Remember to check in with Krystal all week long on the following social media sites for more Free Blitz Offers: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

September is only 27 short days away, and in the South that month is synonymous with one thing and one thing only – Football Season. Well, maybe two things – hello Krystal Square Off Season! But back to the point at hand… We’re introducing you to The Southern Pigskin Preview presented by Krystal – the first ever college football pre-season TV special focusing on teams from the good ole South or as we like to call it, “Krystal country.”

The Southern Pigskin Preview is hosted by none other than Krystal’s very own Hall of Famer Bill Curry, also the current head coach at Georgia State and former head coach at Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia Tech. As part of this one hour special, you can expect to see interviews with players and coaches from every A.C.C. school, S.E.C. school and the Southern based schools from Conference USA and the Big East.

Starting August 8 – August 30, you can catch the syndicated show on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on network affiliate stations across the Southeast.

So be sure to check your local guide and set your DVR’s to record because there’s no better way to gear up for football season than with Krystal Hall of Famer and head coach Bill Curry talking about the game while eating the best tailgating food in the South. Unless that is, you’re eating a hot and steamy Krystal while watching the Pigskin Preview. Now we’re talkin’!

Last week we announced that Krystal Square Off season is officially here. What we didn’t tell you is how to help gear up for the big day. Our first suggestion? Watch the premiere of the new docudrama “I’m a Major League Eater” tomorrow night at 10 p.m. EST on the BIO Channel.

Not only will you get a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to prepare for a major league eating contest, but you will also see the eaters’ true personalities be revealed and learn more about their individual strengths and weaknesses. It will definitely help fuel your excitement for Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship scheduled for September 27 in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn.

Check out the “I’m a Major League Eater” trailer below featuring some of the sport’s biggest names including: Juliet Lee of Maryland, Gravy Brown of Chicago, Eater X Janus of NYC and his roommate Crazy Legs Conti. And as always, stay tuned here, on Twitter and on the Krystal Square Off Blog for all your Square Off news.