This is a list of countries with Burger King franchises. Burger King (BK) itself began as a franchise of its progenitor company, Insta-Burger King. It grew in the United States using a combination of corporate locations and franchising, before divesting itself of its corporate holdings in 2013. It began its international expansion in 1969 with a location in Canada, followed by Australia in 1971, and Europe in 1975. Latin America and South America became part of its market later in that decade, Asia followed in the 1980s, and Northern Africa and the Middle East followed shortly thereafter. Sub-Saharan Africa and the former nations of the Iron Curtain came much later, beginning in the late 1990s and continuing into the 2010s.
As of 2014, Burger King operates in almost every country in the Western Hemisphere, and most of Europe and East Asia. It has embarked on a plan to base a good portion of its future growth in the BRIC Nations of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with plans to open more than 3000 locations in three of those four countries. Burger King also has a longstanding presence at U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force installations worldwide, dating back to the 1980s under a contract with Army and Air Force Exchange Service. Today, while other chains such as Taco Bell, Popeyes, and Subway have a presence on military bases, virtually every major Army and Air Force installation hosts a BK restaurant.
History
Burger King was first founded in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953, as Insta-Burger King. Shortly after the acquisition of the chain by Pillsbury in 1967, Burger King opened its first Canadian restaurant in Windsor, Ontario, in 1969.[1]: 66 [2] Other international locations followed soon after: Oceania in 1971 with its Australian franchise Hungry Jack's, and Europe in 1975 with a restaurant in Madrid, Spain.[3][4] Beginning in 1982, BK and its franchisees began operating stores in several East Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.[5] Due to high competition, all of the Japanese locations were closed in 2001; however, BK reentered the Japanese market in June 2007.[6] BK's Central and South American operations began in Mexico in the late 1970s, and by the early 1980s it was operating locations in Caracas, Venezuela, Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina.[5]
While Burger King lags behind McDonald's in international locations by over 12,000 stores, by 2008 it had managed to become the largest chain in several countries, including Mexico and Spain.[7]
The company divides its international operations into three segments: The Middle East, Europe and Africa division (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In each of these regions, Burger King has established several subsidiaries to develop strategic partnerships and alliances to expand into new territories. In its EMEA group, Burger King's Switzerland-based subsidiary Burger King Europe GmbH is responsible for the licensing and development of BK franchises in those regions.[8] In the APAC region, the Singapore-based BK AsiaPac, Pte. Ltd. business unit handles franchising for East Asia, the Asian subcontinent and all Oceanic territories.[9][10] The LAC region includes Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands.: 6, Exhibit 21:1
Africa
During 2012, the African market saw a new agreement with Grand Parade Investments of South Africa to enter then Africa's largest economy, with restaurants opening in 2013.[11] The company began its move into Sub-Saharan Africa in May 2013 when Burger King opened its first outlets in South Africa. The company sold franchise rights to local gaming and slots machine operator Grand Parade Investments Ltd. The South African operation sold over double its initial forecasts in its opening weeks with sales of $474,838 at just one of its outlets in Cape Town in its first seven weeks. In a deal with local petrochemical company Sasol, outlets were opened at filling stations across the country starting in 2014.[12] In April 2014 it was announced that due to high demand, the number of new outlets being opened in 2014 would be increased from 12 to 14 across the country.[13] As of December 2015 there are 51 Burger King restaurants in South Africa.[14] 10 restaurants are set to open in Mauritius by 2021.
First location opened in Cape Town on 9 May 2013, with plans for more nationwide.[22][23]
102
Tunisia
2019
General First Food Services Tunisia
First location is in Sousse in the Mall of Sousse; Halal.[24]
8
Asia
The first Burger King in Asia opened in Granville Road, Hong Kong on 7 August 1979, as the 2500th Burger King globally.[25] In 1982, franchisees opened stores in several East Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.[5]
In 1982, the license for Burger King's operations in Singapore was given to Food Systems. It planned to open its first outlet at Peninsular Plaza.[26]
Burger King expanded to Japan in 1993 as a 50-50 venture with Seibu Railways Group. Its first outlet in Iruma opened on September 22, with another in Yokohama and another suburb expected to open that year. Additional outlets were expected to open in station buildings owned by Seibu. Burger King was a latecomer in Japan's hamburger market, coming at a time of "recession". Unlike its competitor McDonald's, Burger King plans to leave its original menu untouched. [27] Later owned by Japan Tobacco,[28] it withdrew from the Japanese market[6] in February 2001 with all of its 25 outlets sold to Lotteria.[28] Burger King reentered the Japanese market by opening the first outlet in Shinjuku, Tokyo in November 2006.[29]
It also reentered the Hong Kong market in December 2007. This time its Hong Kong operation is wholly owned by North Asia Strategic, who obtained the exclusive right to operate from BK AsiaPac Pte Limited.[30][31] The first outlet was opened on 29 December 2007 in the Sun Arcade, Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.[31] As of 2008, 15 stores were in operation,[32] including five in Hong Kong Island (Central, Wanchai, Causeway Bay and Fortress Hill), five in Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom, Mongkok, Wong Tai Sin and Tsz Wan Shan) and five in the New Territories. However, due to fierce competition, legal problems, and rising rents, the number of stores was reduced to two (HKIA and The Peak) in late 2015.[33]
2012 saw a major international expansion initiative. The primary thrust was aimed at the BRIC nations, with several new master franchise agreements in those countries that will eventually create upwards of 2500 new stores by 2020.[34][notes 1] One of these deals also creates the single largest international franchise agreement in the company history, a deal to open over 1000 stores in China with a new "super"-franchise headed by the Kurdoglu family of Turkey.[35] An updated agreement with its Russian franchisee will see a major expansion into Siberia. This move puts Burger King in a superior position to its chief rival McDonald's, as it currently does not operate any locations east of the Ural Mountains.[36][37]
汉堡王 (in Chinese) First outlet opened in Shanghai on 28 June 2005.[40] 12,000th location opened in Beijing.[41][42] Some outlets in Nanchang were reported in 2020, through the CCTV 3.15 evening party, that use expired foods as materials.[43]
堡加敬 (1970s to early 1980s), 漢堡飽王 (1980s to 1990s), 漢堡王 (2006 to present) (in Chinese) First operated in Hong Kong (then a British colony) between the 1970s–1990s.
India
2014
Blue Foods (western India), Everstone (North India)
The first store opened in November 2014 in Delhi. 450 stores.
Indonesia
2007
PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk
Previously operated in the country from 1986 to 1998. The first outlet was opened in Jalan MT Haryono, West Tebet, South Jakarta with management from PT Bekasari Pratama Food, which is one of the Gelael business groups (the group also owned KFC franchisee PT Fast Food Indonesia Tbk),[46] and closed in 1998 after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. It was reopened on 26 April 2007 with the biggest outlet in Southeast Asia, with management from PT Sari Burger Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk. The first outlet was in Senayan City, Central Jakarta.[47]
Israel
2016
Pierre Besnainou
ברגר קינג(in Hebrew) Previously operated in the country from 1994 to 2010. The locations were Re-branded as Burger Ranch.[48] In June 2015, the chain announced that it will relaunch in Israel. The first branch in Tel Aviv at the location of Rabin Square was opened on 1 February 2016. Burger King Israel has 8 outlets: 4 in Tel Aviv and another 4 in Beer-Sheva, Hertzliya, Ra’anana and Hod Hasharon.
Subsidiary of Oyalan. Originally operated in the country in 1994–2005[57]
Pakistan
2013
MCR Group
The first Burger King branch in Pakistan opened in Dolmen Mall, Karachi on 5 October 2013. This was followed by an aggressive expansion strategy which resulted in opening of Burger King branches nationwide. Currently Burger King has more than twenty branches in Pakistan: various in Karachi, various in Lahore, one in Islamabad, one in Peshawar, one in Multan, one in Wah Cantt, one in Hyderabad, one in Faisalabad .[58]
The first Burger King branch in the Philippines opened at Robinsons Galleria, Quezon City in December 1997.[59] PERF Restaurants Inc. (formerly PhilKing Restaurants and Development Corp.), the Philippine franchisee of Burger King, was owned by Ayala Corporation until it was sold to BK Titans Inc. in 2006.[60] In 2011, Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired the majority stake from BK Titans Inc., leading to Burger King's growth in the country from having 23 branches (mostly in Metro Manila) at the time of the acquisition.[61][62]
버거킹(in Korean) South Korea received its first Burger King store in 1984, and has 236 outlets as of November 2016.[66] Burger King's 1000th store in Asia also opened in this country (Gwacheon) in January 2013.[67]
Burger King began its expansion in Europe in 1975 with its first location in Madrid, Spain.[79] The first German branch of Burger King was opened in 1976 at the Kurfürstendamm in West Berlin. And in 1990, A East German branch was opened at the town of Dresden.
In December 2012, BK returned to the French market, based on an agreement with multinational operator Autogrill,[80] a move that has met with some excitement in the country.[81][82] In July 1997, it was announced the chain would be leaving the country, closing its 22 franchised and 17 corporate locations, after a poorly executed entry into the market that left it unable to compete against McDonald's and local chain Quick.[83][84] The partnership with Autogrill is a move to consolidate BK's presence in travel plazas along major highways in France, Italy, Poland and other European nations.[85]
In November 2013, Groupe Bertrand, who owns several restaurant franchises, acquired the BK master franchise Autogrill, becoming one of their franchisees.[86] In September 2015, Groupe Bertrand announced being in talks with Quick's owner, investment fund Qualium, to take over all the franchise and convert all Quick restaurants in France into BKs.[87]
In December 2013, BK returned to Finland, after three decades of absence. The first restaurant, located on Mannerheimintie in central Helsinki, instantly proved so popular that on every day since its opening, people queued in front of the restaurant to get in, sometimes for over half an hour. The only exception so far has been Christmas time, when the restaurant was closed. According to Mikko Molberg, the leader of the Finnish Burger King franchise, the restaurant has attracted over 2000 customers on every single day, which has surprised the restaurant employees and the franchise owners. The long queues have been extensively covered and ridiculed in social media, comparing them to people queuing in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow in the early 1990s, and contrasting them with the nearly nonexistent queues at the BK restaurants in Stockholm.[88]
In 2018, BK expanded into Armenia, Azerbaijan, Greece, and the partially unrecognozed state Kosovo, as well as re-entering the Slovakian market after nearly 7 years of absence under a exclusive license from AmRest. In June 2019, BK opened its doors in Albania after 7 months of hype in the QTU Shopping Mall.
In 2020, the first 3 BK restaurants opened in Estonia. This was the period of the COVID-19 pandemic so the outlets had to be opened via Tallink by the popular videoconferencing software program Zoom.[89] In December 2020, BK restaurants were opened in Latvia and Lithuania.[90][91] In October 2023, the first BK restaurant was opened in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[92]
Country/territory
Year entered
Number of locations
Master franchisee
Notes
Albania
2019
11
Buçaj Retail
The first outlet opened at the QTU Shopping Mall in early June 2019.[93]
All BK restaurants in Cyprus were closed down after BK Europe launched legal proceedings against King Franchises LTD (the Cyprus franchisee that belonged to businessman Lambros Christofi) in 2012.[103] BK re-entered Cyprus in 2014 by opening a restaurant in Paphos in March. As of November 2019, there are 10 outlets, one of which is located inside the departure halls of Larnaca Airport.[104][105] In December 2019, it was announced that the unofficial BK affiliate in Turkish-occupied Cyprus, called Burger City, would rebrand in 2020 to become BK.[106]
First 3 restaurants opened in May 2020. These were the first BKs to be opened via Zoom. Two restaurants opened in 2016 and 2022 operate aboard Tallink cruise ships MS Megastar and MyStar, sailing between Tallinn and Helsinki.[89][109]
First BKs opened in Helsinki and Tampere in 1982, but closed a few years on. Returning to Finland in late 2013, the first new BK was opened in Helsinki on 13 December. As of July 2019, 58 restaurants has opened, including two aboard cruise ships of ferry company Tallink, sailing between Helsinki and Tallinn.[110]
France
1980-1998, 2012
469
Bertrand Group, Autogrill
There is one restaurant in Marseille Provence Airport, opened 22 December 2012. No restaurants in France between 1997 and 2012. BK returned with one outlet in Paris, Saint-Lazare Station on 16 December 2013. In late 2015, BK took over French competitor Quick and will convert most of their outlets into BK. As of December 2019, BK has 335 restaurants in France.[111]
First BK restaurant opened on 26 December 2022 in capital of Podgorica, located near a big supermarket called "HD Lakovići" in Zabjelo (near a big roundabout in Zabjelo).
BK expanded again in Romania by opening restaurants in Bucharest in 2019, after 7 years with only one location at the Henri Coanda-Otopeni Airport, functional as of 2008.[130][131]
First outlet opened in March 2010 by Tekaz, a company with no previous experiences in gastronomy; closed in Dec 2011 due to bankruptcy. AmRest got an exclusive license in 2018 and opened their first outlet in Slovakia on 23 Nov.[133]
Spain
1975
874
Restaurant Brands Iberia
First ever BK in Europe opened in Madrid.[79] Largest burger chain in Spain,[7] the country with the most numerous BK's in Europe, with 701 restaurants as of June 2017.[134]
North America is the company's home territory and home to its first non-American stores; it opened its first international restaurant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1969.[1][2]
Since its purchase in 2011, Burger King has seen a 14% sales increase in its Latin American and Caribbean operations.[140] The continued expansion in these market could provide a significant portions of Burger King's growth during the decade of the 2010s.[141] In the Mexican market, Burger King sold 97 corporate-owned locations to its largest franchisee in that country. The deal means multi-chain operator Alsea S.A.B. de C.V will eventually operate approximately half of Mexico's 400+ Burger King locations while receiving exclusive expansion rights in Mexico for a twenty-year period.[142]
Elsewhere in Central America, Burger King entered in a deal with another of its franchises, the Beboca Group of Panama, to create a new corporate entity to handle expansion and logistics in the LAC region, which until this time had no centralized operations group.: 6, Exhibit 21:1 [143] The deal follows a unification of the company's web presence in Latin America and the Caribbean,[144] as well as aligning all of its various web initiatives including mobile services, Facebook presence and guest relation tools.[145] The Latin American moves are part of a corporate plan to take advantage of the growing middle class in these regions.[146]
Burger King's growth into the Caribbean began in 1963 when the company opened its first location in Puerto Rico. These locations were the first restaurants the company opened outside the continental United States.[147]
Country/territory
Year entered
Master franchisee
Notes
Antigua and Barbuda
2012
?
Opened on 27 March 2012,[148] second branch opened in 1st half of 2013
Aruba
1981
All American Burgers Inc.
First hamburger QSR (quick service restaurant) to enter market
Closed in October 2015 because of numerous issues with local franchiser and license usage; returned in June 2016 with a new restaurant opened in San José
When Burger King moved to expand its operations into Australia, it found that its business name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide.[159] The Canadian-Australian franchisee, Jack Cowin, selected the "Hungry Jack" brand name, one of then Burger King's owner Pillsbury's U.S. pancake mixture products, and slightly changed the name to a possessive form by adding an apostrophe and "s" to form the new name "Hungry Jack's". In 1996, shortly after the Australian trademark on the Burger King name lapsed, Burger King began to open its own Australian stores in 1997.[160][161][162][163] As a result of Burger King's actions, Hungry Jack's owner Jack Cowin and his company Competitive Foods Australia, began legal proceedings in 2001 against the Burger King Corporation. Hungry Jack's won the case,[164][165][166] and Burger King eventually left the country.[167] Hungry Jack's took ownership of the former Burger King locations and subsequently renamed the remaining Burger King locations as Hungry Jack's.[161][168] As of June 2019, Burger King had 83 stores operating in New Zealand.[169] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Burger King went into receivership in April 2020.[170]
Country/territory
Year entered
Master franchisee
Notes
Australia
1971
Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd
Hungry Jack's is the master franchisee for Australia.
Operated from 1997 to 2003 due to violating franchise agreements; all stores re-branded in 2003 as Hungry Jack's[184]. 10,000th location opened in Sydney.[185]
4 Burger King locations in Deniz Mall, Park Bulvar, 28 Mall and Ganjlik Mall suddenly closed down in February 2023 without warning. In February 2024, Burger King reopened. Currently, only available through Bolt Food.
Costa Rica
1992
2015
2016
?
29 restaurants were available in Costa Rica from 1992, but they all closed in October 2015, due to a financial crisis of the Costa Rican Burger King franchise.[186][187] Reopened in June 2016 with a new franchise.[citation needed]
Finland
1982
1985
2013
?
Burger King operated in Helsinki and Tampere for a short period in the 1980s, then came back and opened the first new restaurant in Finland in 2013.[188]
France
1980
1998
2012
?
Closed French outlets in 1998 (most of restaurants bought by Quick and McDonald's), and a return had begun at Marseille Airport on 22 December 2012.[189]
Greece
late 1990s
2014
2018
?
It is unclear when Burger King first entered Greece but some articles stated that it was during the late 1990s. The company returned to Greece in 2018.
Closed on 9 May 2010. Rebranded as Burger Ranch.[48] In June 2015, the chain announced that it will relaunch in Israel. The first new restaurant is located on Rabin Square, Tel Aviv.
Nicaragua
2008
2018
2020
?
Reentered in 2020.
Romania
2008
2012
2019
?
Opened in April 2008; closed in 2012 due to bankruptcy. Expanded again in 2019 by opening restarunts in Bucharest.
Serbia
1991
1999
2022
?
Operated in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Closed in March 1999 due to the Kosovo War.
Slovakia
2010
2011
2018
?
Opened in March 2010; closed in December 2011 due to bankruptcy. Reopended in 2018 under license from AmRest.
Slovenia
2011
2020
2024
Sportina Group
Opened in March 2011; closed in 2020. Returned in early 2024.
Ukraine
2006
2006
2021
?
Operated in Kyiv and Odesa for a short period in 2006.
^Terry, Andrew; Forrest, Heather (2008). "Where's the Beef? Why Burger King Is Hungry Jack's in Australia and Other Complications in Building a Global Franchise Brand". Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, 2008. 28 (2): 171–214. ISSN0196-3228.
^"Burger King enters Suriname" (Press release). Burger King Corporation. 31 July 2008. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.