FANS are in for a shock an iconic fast food chain has announced it will shut down more than 300 stores this year.
Burger King has estimated somewhere between 300 and 400 restaurants will shutter over the course of 2023, and underperforming stores will be the first to go.
Sales performance can greatly vary by store and location, Burger King’s parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) chairman Patrick Doyle said.
And when certain operators can’t keep up with the larger brand, they will be removed from the fleet, Doyle.
"There will always be a minority who aren't dedicated enthusiastic operators, and that's OK," Doyle said during RBI's first quarter earnings call.
"We'll work with them to leave the system and move on to do something else. There simply is no room for franchisees who are not willing or able to work hard to operate restaurants that are better than the system average over the long term.
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In the past, the fast food joint has consistently closed around 200 stores a year, so the target range between 300-400 is historically high.
While CEO Josh Kobza said there's “a fair degree of uncertainty” around the number, the brand intends to target the low-volume restaurants first.
Already, two Burger King franchisees, Meridian Restaurants Unlimited and TOMS King declared bankruptcy.
Due to this, Meridian will see 27 restaurants shutter across seven states.
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The following locations in these states are saying goodbye to customers as part of the bankruptcy:
MINNESOTA
- 209 Nokomis Street, Alexandria
- 926 Central Avenue Northeast, East Grand Forks
- 528 Western Ave, Fergus Falls
- 21 Depot Street, Litchfield
- 205 Lake Street, Long Prairie
- 586 Southwest 1st Street, Montevideo
- 516 East Bridge Street, Redwood Falls
- 100 21st Street North, Moorhead
- 1611 US-12, Willmar
MONTANA
- 1422 West Main Street, Lewistown
- 520 North 27th St, Billings
- 1211 9th Street West, Columbia Falls
KANSAS
- 2201 East Kansas Ave, McPherson
NEBRASKA
- 3627 South Lincoln Avenue, York
- 2504 O St, Lincoln
- 4230 North 27th Street, Lincoln
NORTH DAKOTA
- 3765 Gateway Drive, Grand Forks
UTAH
- 171 East Gateway Dr, Heber
- 7810 South 1300 E, Sandy
- 10235 South State Street, Sandy
- 729 North Main St, Clearfield
- 1466 East 3500 North, Lehi
- 119 East Crossroads Blvd, Saratoga Springs
- 147 East Bangerter Highway, Draper
- 5390 South 1900 West, Roy
- 1660 West North Temple St, Salt Lake City
WYOMING
- 1902 Mountain View Drive, Cody
And another, EYM King of Michigan stated in a WARN notice it would also be closing 26 restaurants in Michigan in April.
MICHIGAN
- Dearborn Heights: 20401 W. Warren (16)
- Detroit: 2155 Gratiot Ave. (8)
- Detroit: 9871 Livernois (13)
- Detroit: 8201 Woodward Ave. (14)
- Detroit: 18021 Kelly Rd. (20)
- Detroit: 20200 Grand River Ave. (22)
- Detroit: 13600 W. McNichols Rd. (22)
- Detroit: 15500 W. Seven Mile (21)
- Detroit: 20240 Plymouth Rd. (25)
- Detroit: 12661 Mack Ave. (11)
- Detroit: 9239 Gratiot Ave. (9)
- Detroit: 17440 E. Warren (30)
- Detroit: 16245 Livernois Ave. (14)
- Ecorse: 3863 W. Jefferson Ave. (11)
- Ferndale: 10336 W. 8 Mile Rd. (26)
- Flint: 3625 South Dort Hwy. (25)
- Flint: 3801 Clio Rd. (18)
- Highland Park: 13324 Woodward Ave. (13)
- Livonia: 28203 Plymouth Rd. (10)
- Livonia: 34835 Plymouth Ave. (19)
- Royal Oak: 31456 Woodward Ave. (17)
- Southfield: 23660 Telegraph Rd. (19)
- Southfield: 30711 Southfield Rd. (7)
- Walled Lake: 1113 E. West Maple Rd. (8)
- Warren: 2411 E. 8 Mile Rd. (13)
- Whitmore Lake: 9774 E. M-36 (13)
In Virginia, 37 Burger King locations are expected to be bought for $22million by DC Burger, according to Restaurant Business.
Meanwhile, another firm, known as Karali Group, is set to pay more than $7million for 27 stores in Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Across the company, same-store sales increased 8.7 percent in the first quarter, with the brand attributing $5 Your Way Meals and steady sales of the Whopper for the boost in profits.
Burger King also launched its Bacon Jam Brisket Whopper, a new signature dish that combines Whopper's traditional insides with added beef brisket, American cheese, crispy onions, and a sweet, but smoky jam.
Currently, the item is only available in Las Vegas or Minneapolis until May 25, but if successful, the new burger could be rolled out nationwide.
The menu innovation comes courtesy of a $400 million investment campaign to improve Burger King’s restaurants and overall brand.
The investment will also see Burger King take over some lower-performing franchisee stores.
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