Burger King sees its plan to remodel about 400 of its locations this year as a way to help it rule fast food.
The fast food chain is in the midst of a multi-year plan to modernize its restaurants and has seen sales at remodeled locations increase in the mid-teens, said Joshua Kobza, CEO of Burger King’s parent company Restaurant Brands International, during a May 8 earnings call, according to a transcript from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“We still have a lot of remodels to get done,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of restaurants that aren’t at the modern image.”
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Burger King is expected to complete about 2,000 remodels by 2028; at that point, more than 85% of the U.S. restaurants would reflect the new “Sizzle” modern image, which emphasizes digital ordering and drive-thru.
That initiative is part of Burger King’s “Reclaim the Flame” plan, announced in September 2022 to enhance and renovate its U.S. restaurants. The Miami-headquartered Restaurant Brands International (RBI) plans to spend up to $700 million through 2028 as part of its plan to revitalize Burger King.
In addition to Burger King, RBI also owns Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs.
Restaurant updates have helped Burger King weather better than some of its competitors a fast-food industry sales slump in the three month-period ending March 31, company executives said. Burger King reported a 1.1% decrease in comparable sales in its U.S. restaurants for the period, outpacing McDonald’s, which saw a 3.6% decrease. Wendy’s reported a 2.6% decline for the quarter.
“Burger King U.S. continued to outperform the broader burger QSR (quick service restaurant) category, reflecting the ongoing progress of our ‘Reclaim the Flame’ plan in capturing share,” Kobza said.
Still, there are some Burger King’s restaurants struggling. Consolidated Burger Holdings of Destin, Florida, which operates 57 Burger King locations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 14 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida, according to court documents. The restaurants will continue operating as the company seeks a potential buyer.
Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Burger King remodeling 400 restaurants, with more to come by 2028
