Burger King denies opening in Belgium
Despite a tweet yesterday that got journalists and consumers worked up about the arrival of American fast food chain Burger King, an new outlet is not opening in Belgium anytime soon
Tweet was apparently a fake
Overnight, however, Bryson Thornton, the company’s global communications officer, stated that “neither Burger King Worldwide, nor any of its franchisees, currently has plans regarding the opening of restaurants in Belgium”.
The strategy of leaking news on Twitter recalls what happened last December when the same style of message announced the opening of France’s first Burger King, operated by Groupe Bertrand. In that case, the location of the restaurant – in Paris’ Gare Saint-Lazard – was revealed just one hour before opening. It is now the second most successful branch outside the US, behind the one in Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (pictured).
Florida-based Burger King launched in 1953 and now has more than 13,000 outlets in 79 countries. Two-thirds of its outlets are in the US, although the company is now majority owned by 3G Capital of Brazil.
CEO Olivier Bertrand revealed in a recent interview that Groupe Bertrand owns not only the rights in France but also an option on rights in neighbouring countries. Groupe Bertrand plans to open 25 more branches in France this year, and 400 over the next decade.
Should Burger King eventually fulfil the wish to open in Belgium, it will be in competition with two strong opponents. McDonald’s has 67 outlets, and market leader Quick has 91.
photo courtesy SnackNieuws/Flickr Commons
