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102-588: Oban distillery is owned by Diageo . It has only two pot stills , making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a "West Highland" flavour that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands. The distillery was built in 1794 by the brothers John and Hugh Stevenson and operated by them until 1866, when it

204-807: A Guinness brewery and tourist attraction in Baltimore County, Maryland . The brewery could potentially host as many as 300,000 visitors per year. In October 2021, Diageo completed a £185m investment in Scotch whisky tourism with the royal opening by Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay , of its centrepiece visitor centre in Edinburgh , Scotland , promoting the Johnnie Walker brand of blended Scotch whisky. In October 2021, Diageo announced plans to invest $ 500m to expand its manufacturing in Mexico for

306-626: A corporate restructuring of the chain, first renaming the company Burger King. They ran the company as an independent entity for eight years (eventually expanding to over 250 locations in the United States), before selling it to the Pillsbury Company in 1967. Pillsbury's management tried several times to restructure Burger King during the late 1970s and the early 1980s. The most prominent change came in 1978 when Burger King hired McDonald's executive Donald N. Smith to help revamp

408-696: A damaging fiscal slump for Burger King and Pillsbury. Poor operation and ineffectual leadership continued to bog down the company for many years. Pillsbury was eventually acquired by the British entertainment conglomerate Grand Metropolitan in 1989. Initially, Grand Met attempted to bring the chain to profitability under newly minted CEO Barry Gibbons; the changes he initiated during his two-year tenure had mixed results, as successful new product introductions and tie-ins with The Walt Disney Company were offset by continuing image problems and ineffectual advertising programs. Additionally, Gibbons sold off several of

510-756: A federal lawsuit. As a result, the larger Burger King chain was ordered not to build any franchises within a 20-mile radius of the Mattoon Burger King. An existing trademark held by a shop of the same name in South Australia forced the company to change its name in Australia to "Hungry Jack's", while another state trademark in Texas forced the company to abandon its signature product, the Whopper, in several counties around San Antonio. The company

612-912: A former Guinness brewery which had closed in 2004 after producing beer since 1936. Diageo's previous head office facility had been located in Henrietta Place , in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London, since 1996. In 2009, Diageo announced that it was closing the Henrietta Place facility as part of a cost reduction programme and moved its employees to the Park Royal site. Diageo operates in 180 countries across five regions: Europe , North America , Latin America ,

714-603: A franchisee which is given the designation of master franchise for the territory. The master franchise will then be expected to sub-license new stores, provide training support, and ensure operational standards are maintained. In exchange for the oversight responsibilities, the master franchise will receive administrative and advertising support from Burger King Corporation to ensure a common marketing scheme. The 3G Capital ownership group announced in April 2011 that it would begin divesting itself of many corporate owned locations with

816-453: A geopolitical dispute involving Muslim and Jewish groups on multiple continents over the application of, and adherence to, international law . The case eventually elicited reactions from the members of the 22-nation Arab League . The Islamic countries within the League made a joint threat to the company of legal sanctions including the revocation of Burger King's business licenses within

918-556: A local master franchisee. However, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism revealed that Burger King retained its stake in the Russian franchises through an offshore joint venture with the Russian state-owned VTB Bank and a Ukrainian investment firm linked to corrupt deals with Ukraine's former pro-Russian leader. In October 2023, Tom Curtis, president of Burger King U.S. & Canada, announced

1020-806: A major owner of hotels, owning what is now Intercontinental Hotels prior to divestment before merging into Diageo, but the company still owned the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire , which had hosted events including the Ryder Cup and G8 summit . In 2015 Diageo reached an agreement to sell the hotel to the Ennismore Group, already owners of The Hoxton hotels. In November 2016, Diageo announced its intention of selling at auction Sir Edwin Landseer 's iconic 1851 painting The Monarch of

1122-689: A month ahead of plan after Menezes died on 7 June 2023. In May 2023, it was announced that Diageo has provided funding to establish the British Aluminium Consortium for Advance Alloys (BACALL), a collective of industry experts who will create a circular economy in the UK. In 1998, Diageo sold the John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. company including Aberfeldy , Aultmore , Craigellachie , Royal Brackla distilleries and Bombay Sapphire gin to Bacardi Limited . In 2001, Diageo acquired

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1224-401: A negative pall on its earnings. Beginning in 2011, the company began to move away from its previous male-oriented menu and introduce new menu items, product reformulations, and packaging, as part of its current owner 3G Capital's restructuring plans of the company. As of December 31, 2018, Burger King reported that it had 17,796 outlets in 100 countries. Of these, nearly half are located in

1326-431: A new 150,000 square feet (14,000 m ) five-story headquarters building to be built at 5707 Blue Lagoon Drive, just down the street from its existing nine-story headquarters at 5505 Blue Lagoon Drive. This was slightly smaller than the 200,000 square feet (19,000 m ) it was leasing in its current headquarters building at the time. In 2018, Burger King moved into its new headquarters at 5707 Blue Lagoon Drive after it

1428-539: A new luxury division to combine its luxury spirits and experiences, with brands like Brora , Port Ellen and the company's 15 brand homes and distiller experiences. The company said it would also help to grow Justerini & Brooks . Diageo's head office is in Great Marlborough Street , London after moving from its previous location in Park Royal , London Borough of Brent , on the site of

1530-399: A new still house was built. In 1989 a new visitors' centre was installed. The Oban Distillery is primarily known for its 14-year-old malt, which is marketed as part of Diageo's "Classic Malts Selection" range, launched in 1988. Also available is a "Distiller's Edition" bottling, which is finished in a Montilla Fino sherry cask before bottling. There is also an 18-year-old limited edition and

1632-547: A new store design at its annual franchisee convention in Canada, branded "The Sizzle". The company planned to remodel existing Burger King locations with a new look inside and outside, to tackle slowing business after the 2020 coronavirus pandemic . The overhaul plan included more kiosks, dedicated pickup areas for mobile app orders, food-ordering platforms like Doordash , Uber Eats , and Grubhub , and an improved drive-thru service. In 2023, Burger King remodeled several locations in

1734-522: A number of brands, businesses, and assets which were not in the core alcoholic drinks category. The company has gradually disposed of these assets to focus on beverages as its core business. This included the sale of the Pillsbury Company to General Mills in 2000, and the 2002 sale of the Burger King fast food restaurant chain to a consortium led by US firm Texas Pacific for US$ 1.5 billion. The predecessor company Grand Metropolitan had been

1836-761: A primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange . Diageo is an invented name that was created by the branding consultancy Wolff Olins in 1997. The name is composed of the Latin word diēs , meaning "day", and the Greek root geo- , meaning "earth"; and is meant to reference the company slogan "Celebrating Life, Every Day, Everywhere". Diageo

1938-645: A rare 32-year-old edition which is limited to 6000 bottles. In December 2014 Oban introduced a NAS (non-age-statement) bottling, called Oban "Little Bay". In 2023, Diageo released an 11-year-old Oban called "The Soul of Calypso" as part of the Special Releases. It was matured in Caribbean rum casks. 56°24′52.92″N 5°28′22.08″W  /  56.4147000°N 5.4728000°W  / 56.4147000; -5.4728000 Diageo Diageo plc ( / d i ˈ æ dʒ i oʊ / dee- AJ -ee-oh )

2040-564: A restaurant in Madrid . Beginning in 1982, BK and its franchisees began operating stores in several East Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan , Singapore and South Korea . Due to high competition, all of the Japanese locations were closed in 2001; however, BK reentered the Japanese market in June 2007. BK's Central and South American operations began in Mexico in the late 1970s and by

2142-693: A revamped menu strategy, a series of programs designed to revamp individual stores, a new restaurant concept called the BK Whopper Bar , and a new design format called 20/20 . These changes successfully re-energized the company, leading to a score of profitable quarters. Yet, despite the successes of the new owners, the effects of the Great Recession weakened the company's financial outlooks while those of its immediate competitor, McDonald's, grew. The falling value of Burger King eventually led to TPG and its partners divesting their interest in

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2244-507: A substantial portion of its revenue was dependent on franchise fees. During the transitional period after 3G Capital acquired the company, Burger King's board of directors was co-chaired by John W. Chidsey, formerly CEO and chairman of the company, and Alex Behring , managing partner of 3G Capital. By April 2011, the new ownership had completed the restructuring of Burger King's corporate management and Chidsey tendered his resignation, leaving Behring as CEO and chair. Burger King Corporation

2346-469: A support organization for the families and friends of cancer patients. When the predecessor of Burger King first opened in Jacksonville in 1953, its menu consisted predominantly of basic hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. After being acquired by its Miami, Florida, franchisees and renamed to its current moniker in 1954, BK began expanding the breadth of its menu by adding

2448-548: A takeaway food shop in Adelaide . As a result, Burger King provided the Australian franchisee, Jack Cowin , with a list of possible alternative names derived from pre-existing trademarks already registered by Burger King and its then corporate parent Pillsbury, that could be used to name the Australian restaurants. Cowin selected the "Hungry Jack" brand name, one of Pillsbury's US pancake mixture products, and slightly changed

2550-609: A trademark dispute with a similarly named restaurant in Adelaide , South Australia , and a series of legal cases between the two. The predecessor to Burger King was founded in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida , as Insta-Burger King. After visiting the McDonald brothers' original store location in San Bernardino, California , the founders and owners (Keith G. Cramer and his wife's uncle Matthew Burns), who had purchased

2652-878: A winning prize that is usually a food or beverage product, but includes (rarer) items such as shopping sprees or trips. In the Northeast , BK has affiliated itself with the Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox and its charitable foundation, the Jimmy Fund . The group runs the contest in Boston. In the New York City area, it operates the contest in association with the Burger King Children's Charities of Metro New York and

2754-504: A £1 billion investment in Scotch whisky production over the following five years, with at least one new distillery to be constructed, several existing facilities to be expanded, and overall production capacity to be increased by 30 to 40 per cent. In December 2015, Diageo announced a US$ 10 million investment in Danish whisky brand Stauning , to facilitate expansion of production. In February 2017, Diageo announced plans to open

2856-624: Is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London , England . It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40 percent of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker , J&B and Old Parr . Its leading brands outside whisky include Guinness , Smirnoff , Baileys liqueur, Captain Morgan rum and Tanqueray and Gordon's gin . Diageo has

2958-513: Is an American multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants . Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida , the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King , a Jacksonville, Florida –based restaurant chain. After Insta-Burger King ran into financial difficulties, its two Miami-based franchisees David Edgerton (1927–2018) and James McLamore (1926–1996) purchased the company in 1959 and renamed it "Burger King". Over

3060-665: Is currently an independently operated subsidiary of RBI . RBI's present organizational structure includes five primary segments: Tim Hortons , Burger King, Firehouse Subs , Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and International. International encompasses the aggregated outcomes from the operations of each brand outside the United States and Canada. Josh Kobza, the CEO of RBI, was appointed in 2023. Before taking over as CEO in February 2023, Kobza served as CFO, CTO, and COO of RBI. Tom Curtis,

3162-518: Is the master franchise and thus is now responsible for oversight of the operations that country with Burger King only providing administrative and advertising support to ensure a common marketing scheme for the company and its products. Over a 10-year period starting in 2008, Burger King predicted 80 percent of its market share would be driven by foreign expansion, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Indian subcontinent regional markets. While

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3264-587: Is the McLamore Foundation, also a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that provides scholarships to students in the U.S. and its territories. In various regions across the United States, Burger King and its franchises have aligned themselves with several charitable organizations that support research and treatment of juvenile cancer. Each year, these coalitions hold a fund raising drive called "A Chance for Kids", in which Burger King restaurants sell lottery -style scratch cards for $ 1. Each card produces

3366-491: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , many companies, including Burger King, faced growing pressure to halt operations in Russia. In March 2022, Burger King claimed to have suspended all its corporate support, including operations, marketing, supply chain, investments and expansion in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, including support to the more than 800 fully franchised restaurant chains in Russia managed by

3468-556: The BSE and NSE in India. The IPO was subscribed over 150 times. The stock opened at ₹112.5 per share on December 14, nearly double the IPO price of ₹60 , and closed at ₹135 . Burger King has been involved in several legal disputes and cases, as both plaintiff and defendant, in the years since its founding in 1954. Depending on the ownership and executive staff at the time of these incidents,

3570-591: The Cutler census-designated place . In August 2014, the future of the company's Miami headquarters was again in doubt as reports surfaced that Burger King was in talks about buying the Canadian restaurant chain Tim Hortons . The merger between Burger King and Tim Hortons created the fast food company now known as Restaurant Brands International Inc. In 2016, Burger King signed a build-to-suit lease agreement on

3672-581: The Cîroc vodka brand, and this led to the joint purchase of the DeLeón Tequila brand in 2013. The partnership was terminated in 2024 after a legal dispute, leaving Diageo the sole owner of both brands. In 2007, Diageo sold the inactive Port Charlotte distillery buildings and contents to The Bruichladdich Distillery Co. Ltd. In 2010, Diageo opened Roseisle distillery at cost of £40million. In 2010, Diageo closed Port Dundas grain distillery that

3774-938: The New York Yankees . Funds raised in these areas go to support the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute , located in Boston. In Nebraska, the company is affiliated with the Liz's Legacy Cancer Fund "BK Beat Cancer for Kids" program at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha . In the Pittsburgh region, it funded the establishment of the Burger King Cancer Caring Center,

3876-616: The Sazerac Company for US$ 550 million, but kept the Seagram's Seven Crown brand. In September 2022, Diageo sold Archers brand to De Kuyper Royal Distillers. In November 2022, it was announced that Diageo would acquire Balcones Distilling, a whiskey distillery based in Texas . In October 2023, Diageo sold Windsor Global, which owns blended Scotch brand Windsor, to private equity firm PT W Co of South Korea , sponsored by

3978-600: The continental United States in 1963 with a store in San Juan, Puerto Rico , it did not have an international presence until several years later. Shortly after the acquisition of the chain by Pillsbury, it opened its first Canadian restaurant in Windsor, Ontario in 1969. Other international locations followed soon after, including Australia in 1971, with a restaurant in the Perth suburb of Innaloo , and Europe in 1975, with

4080-432: The 1970s, all of which were spurned by Pillsbury. After the failed attempts to acquire the company, the relationship between Chart House and Burger King soured and eventually devolved into a lawsuit. Chart House eventually spun off its Burger King operations in the early 1980s into a holding company called DiversiFoods which, in turn, was acquired by Pillsbury in 1984 and absorbed into Burger King's operations. As part of

4182-486: The 1970s, structural deficiencies in Burger King's franchise system became increasingly problematic for Pillsbury. A major example was the relationship between Burger King and Louisiana-based franchisee Chart House, Burger King's largest franchisee group at the time with over 350 locations in the United States. The company's owners, William and James Trotter, made several moves to take over or acquire Burger King during

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4284-598: The AmeriKing failure; one of BK's regional owners, Miami-based Al Cabrera, purchased 130 stores located primarily in the Chicago and the upper mid-west region, from the failed company for a price of $ 16 million , approximately 88 percent of their original value. The new company, which started out as Core Value Partners and eventually became Heartland Foods , also purchased 120 additional stores from distressed owners and revamped them. The resulting purchases made Cabrera

4386-524: The Asian subcontinent and all Oceanic territories. The LAC region includes Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands and has no centralized operations group. Australia is the only country in which Burger King does not operate under its own name. When the company set about establishing operations down under in 1971, it found that its business name was already trademarked by

4488-423: The Burger King headquarters with the remainder moving in phases in August 2002. Prior to the moving to its current headquarters in 2002, Burger King had considered moving away from the Miami area to Texas; Miami-Dade County politicians and leaders lobbied against this, and Burger King stayed. Before 2002, the company's previous headquarters was located in a southern Dade County campus located on Old Cutler Boulevard in

4590-435: The Canadian restaurant and coffee shop chain Tim Hortons and merge it with Burger King with backing from Warren Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway . The two chains retained separate operations post-merger, with Burger King remaining in its Miami headquarters. A Tim Hortons representative stated that the proposed merger would allow Tim Hortons to leverage Burger King's resources for international growth. The combined company became

4692-457: 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. In APAC region, the Singapore-based BK AsiaPac, Pte. Ltd. business unit handles franchising for East Asia,

4794-489: The Caribbean , Asia Pacific and Africa . Diageo also owns a 34% stake in the Moet Hennessy drinks division of French luxury goods company LVMH . In 2017, the company was awarded top place in the Institute of Directors ' and Chartered Quality Institute 's Good Governance Index. Diageo operates many whisky distilleries in Scotland and around the world: Diageo's beverage brands include: Burger King Burger King Corporation ( BK , stylized in all caps )

4896-432: The Glen – which the company owned, but which has been on loan to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh since 1999 – as it has "no direct link to our business or brands", being used on the label of rival brand Glenfiddich , owned by William Grant & Sons . Following a fundraising campaign, the painting was sold to the National Galleries of Scotland for around half its assayed value of £8 million. In 2015,

4998-470: The Indian market has the company at a competitive disadvantage with other fast food restaurants such as KFC because of the aversion of the country's large Hindu majority to beef. BK hopes to use their non-beef products, such as their TenderCrisp and TenderGrill chicken sandwiches, as well as other products like mutton sandwiches and veggie sandwiches, to help them overcome this hurdle to expand in that country. 3G has reported that it will continue with

5100-412: The Pine Tree Investment & Management Co. In February 2024, a report claimed Diageo was looking to sell the brands Pimm's , Safari and Pampero Rum . Both Safari and Pampero rum were sold in July 2024. In 19 March 2024, Diageo reopened Port Ellen distillery after 40 years been closed and a £185 million (US$ 235m) restoration. In November 2024, the company formed Diageo Luxury Group,

5202-432: The TPC Capital-led group on hold. The developments eventually forced Diageo to lower the total selling price of the chain by almost $ 750 million . After the sale, newly appointed CEO Brad Blum initiated a program to help roughly 20 percent of its franchises, including its four largest, who were in financial distress, bankruptcy or had ceased operations altogether. Partnering with California-based Trinity Capital, LLC,

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5304-406: The TPG-led group continued BK's international expansion by announcing plans to open new franchise locations in Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Brazil, the company plan is focusing on the three largest markets – India, China, and Japan. The company plans to add over 250 stores in these Asian territories, as well as other places such as Macau , by the end of 2012. Its expansion into

5406-573: The United States with the "Sizzle" concept. While the remodel plan was an overhaul to the entire restaurant, Burger King was also investing in a "Refresh" initiative in order to replace equipment and upgrade technologies. By the end of 2023, Burger King completed 264 remodels and exited the year with 46% of its restaurants with a modern image. Burger King Holdings was the parent company of Burger King when it went public in 2002. Burger King derived its income from several sources, including property rental and sales through company owned restaurants; however,

5508-436: The United States, and 99.7% are privately owned and operated , with its new owners moving to an almost entirely franchised model in 2013. Burger King has historically used several variations of franchising to expand its operations. The manner in which the company licenses its franchisees varies depending on the region, with some regional franchises, known as master franchises , responsible for selling franchise sub-licenses on

5610-427: The Whopper to "look about 35% bigger in its advertising than it is in reality". Burger King has two in-house national charitable organizations and programs. One is the Have It Your Way Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit ( 501(c)(3) ) corporation with multiple focuses on hunger alleviation, disease prevention and community education through scholarship programs at colleges in the U.S. The other charitable organization

5712-475: The brand after agreeing to sell Bushmills Irish whiskey to Proximo Spirits , who had since acquired Jose Cuervo, in exchange for US$ 408 million and full ownership of the tequila brand. In 2004, Diageo sold the inactive Coleburn distillery buildings and contents to the Winchester Brothers with plans to transform the distillery grounds into a whisky resort. Diageo formed a relationship with rapper Sean Combs in an "equal-share venture" in 2007 to promote

5814-417: The brand. Neglect of Burger King by new owner Grand Metropolitan and its successor Diageo further hurt the standing of the brand, causing significant financial damage to BK franchises and straining relations between the parties. By 2001 and after nearly 18 years of stagnant growth, the state of its franchises was beginning to affect the value of the company. One of the franchises most heavily affected by

5916-429: The cases, the situations raised legal questions, dealt with legal compliance, or resulted in legal remedies such as changes in contractual procedure or binding agreements between parties. The resolutions to these legal matters have often altered the way the company interacts and negotiates contracts with its suppliers and franchisees, or how it does business with the public. Further controversies have occurred during

6018-468: The category. Whilst Diageo did acquire South African beer producer United National Breweries (UNB) in April 2015 shortly before the Red Stripe sale was made, they divested it again in the second half of 2019. In December 2023 it was speculated in the media that Diageo would exit from the beer market entirely, potentially including the Guinness brand, but this was denied by the company. The business has grown with purchases of alcohol businesses around

6120-409: The chain in a US$ 3.26 billion sale to 3G Capital of Brazil. Analysts from financial firms UBS and Stifel Nicolaus agreed that 3G would have to invest heavily in the company to help reverse its fortunes. After the deal was completed, the company's stock was removed from the New York Stock Exchange, ending a four-year period as a public company. The delisting of its stock was designed to help

6222-490: The collapsed Seagram 's spirits and wine businesses which included Captain Morgan and Seagram's blended whiskey. In 2002.Diageo sold Malibu rum to Allied Domecq for £560m ($ 800m). In 2002, Diageo sold the inactive Rosebank distillery buildings and contents to British Waterways . Diageo acquired a 50% stake in Don Julio tequila through a joint venture with owner Jose Cuervo , for which they paid US$ 100 million in 2003. They later obtained full ownership of

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6324-406: The communities they serve. On April 9, 2019, Nations Restaurant News reported that Burger King filed a lawsuit on Fritz Management LLC to remove Burger King trademarks from 37 units in South Texas after unsanitary conditions were found at a restaurant in Harlingen, Texas . In May 2019, the lawsuit was settled with the franchisee, Fritz Management (a subsidiary of Sun Holdings Inc), keeping

6426-552: The company a Q3, 2013 profit of US$ 68.2 million over the same quarter, 2012 of US$ 6.6 million. At the end of its 2013 fiscal year, Burger King was the second largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants in terms of global locations, behind industry bellwether McDonald's, which had 32,400 locations. At the end of 2014, Burger King ranked fourth among US food chains in terms of US sales, behind McDonald's , Starbucks , and Subway . Burger King now has over 12,000 stores worldwide. In January 2024, Restaurant Brands International,

6528-426: The company established the Franchisee Financial Restructuring Initiative, a program to address the financial issues facing BK's financially distressed franchisees. The initiative was designed to assist franchisees in restructuring their businesses to meet financial obligations, focus on restaurant operational excellence, reinvest in their operations, and return to profitability. Individual franchisees took advantage of

6630-403: The company made major sales in both the beer and wine categories, selling the Red Stripe beer brand, along with interests in other breweries, and the rights to Guinness in some territories to Heineken , as well as the sale of most of its wine business to Treasury Wine Estates . The separate 2019 sale of the remaining wine brands including Navarro Correas and Chalone Vineyard saw Diageo exit

6732-432: The company repair its fundamental business structures and continue working to close the gap with McDonald's without having to worry about pleasing shareholders. In the United States domestic market , the chain fell to third place in terms of same store sales behind Ohio-based Wendy's . The decline was the result of 11 consecutive quarters of same store sales decline. In August 2014, 3G announced that it planned to acquire

6834-442: The company return to independence when it was purchased from Diageo by a group of investment firms led by TPG Capital for US$ 1.5 billion in 2002. The new owners rapidly moved to revitalize and reorganize the company, culminating with the company being taken public in 2006 with a highly successful initial public offering . The firms' strategy for turning the chain around included a new advertising agency and new ad campaigns,

6936-529: The company with the Canadian-based doughnut chain Tim Hortons under the auspices of a new Canadian-based parent company named Restaurant Brands International . Burger King's menu has expanded from a basic offering of burgers, french fries, sodas, and milkshakes to a larger and more diverse set of products. In 1957, the " Whopper " became the first major addition to the menu, and it has since become Burger King's signature product. Conversely, Burger King has introduced many products that have failed to catch hold in

7038-473: The company's assets in an attempt to profit from their sale and laid off many of its staff members. Burger King's headquarters experienced major damage in 1992 from Hurricane Andrew . After Gibbon's departure, a series of CEOs each tried to repair the company's brand by changing the menu, bringing in new ad agencies and many other changes. The parental disregard of the Burger King brand continued with Grand Metropolitan's merger with Guinness in 1997 when

7140-407: The company's behalf. Burger King's relationship with its franchises has not always been harmonious. Occasional spats between the two have caused numerous issues, and in several instances, the relations between the company and its licensees have degenerated into precedent-setting court cases. Burger King's Australian franchise Hungry Jack's is the only franchise to operate under a different name due to

7242-460: The company's expansion in the Middle East. The opening of a Burger King location in Ma'aleh Adumim , an Israeli settlement in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories , led to a breach of contract dispute between Burger King and its Israeli franchise due to the hotly contested international dispute over the legality of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories in accordance to international law. The controversy eventually erupted into

7344-517: The company's responses to these challenges have ranged from a conciliatory dialog with its critics and litigants, to a more aggressive opposition with questionable tactics and negative consequences. The company's response to these various issues has drawn praise as well as, in some instances, suggestions of political appeasement. A trademark dispute involving the owners of an unrelated restaurant also named Burger King in Mattoon, Illinois , led to

7446-414: The company. In a plan called "Operation Phoenix", Smith restructured corporate business practices at all levels of the company. Changes included updated franchise agreements, a broader menu and new standardized restaurant designs. Smith left Burger King for PepsiCo in 1980 shortly before a system-wide decline in sales. Pillsbury's Executive Vice President of Restaurant Operations Norman E. Brinker

7548-566: The early 1980s in Caracas , Venezuela, Santiago , Chile, and Buenos Aires , Argentina. While Burger King lags behind McDonald's in international locations by over 12,000 stores, as of 2008 it had managed to become the largest chain in several countries including Mexico and Spain. The company divides its international operations into three segments; the Middle East, Europe and Africa division (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin America and

7650-512: The entire marketplace. Controversies and disputes have arisen with groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), governmental and social agencies, and unions and trade groups over various topics. These situations have touched on legal and moral concepts such as animal rights , corporate responsibility , ethics , and social justice . While the majority of the disputes did not result in lawsuits, in many of

7752-490: The formerly failing stores showed growth approaching 20 percent. As part of 3G's restructuring plan, the company decided to divest itself of its corporate owned locations by re-franchising them to private owners and become a 100% franchised operation by the end of 2013. The project, which began in April 2012, saw the company divest corporate-owned locations in Florida, Canada, Spain, Germany, and other regions. The move gave

7854-571: The franchising reorganization segment of Operation Phoenix, Donald N. Smith initiated a restructuring of future franchising agreements in 1978. Under this new franchise agreement, new owners were disallowed from living more than one hour from their restaurants – restricting them to smaller individuals or ownership groups and preventing large, multi-state corporations from owning franchises. Franchisees were also now prohibited from operating other chains, preventing them from diverting funds away from their Burger King holdings. This new policy effectively limited

7956-550: The intent to increase the number of privately held restaurants to 95%. In 2016, the percentage of privately owned Burger King establishments grew to 99.5%. RBI maintains that approximately 100% of Burger King franchises are privately held restaurants. Burger King was formerly headquartered in a nine-story office tower by the Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. On Monday July 8, 2002, 130 employees began working at

8058-463: The lack of growth was the nearly 400-store AmeriKing Inc., one of the largest Burger King franchisees. By 2002, the franchise owner, which until this point had been struggling under a nearly US$ 300 million debt load and been shedding stores across the US, was forced to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The failure of AmeriKing deeply affected the value of Burger King, and put negotiations between Diageo and

8160-625: The largest minority franchisee of Burger King, and Heartland one of the company's top franchises. By 2006, the company was valued at over $ 150 million , and was sold to New York–based GSO Capital Partners . Other purchasers included a three-way group of NFL athletes Kevin Faulk , Marcus Allen , and Michael Strahan who collectively purchased 17 stores in the cities of Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia ; and Cincinnati -based franchisee Dave Devoy, who purchased 32 AmeriKing stores. After investing in new decor, equipment and staff retraining, many of

8262-531: The majority stake in Seedlip , a non-alcoholic spirits brand. In October 2022, it was announced Diageo had acquired the Australian cold brew coffee liqueur brand, Mr Black. In September 2024, it was announced Diageo had acquired Ritual Zero Proof a non-alcoholic spirits brand. In March 2023, it was announced that Debra Crew would succeed Sir Ivan Menezes as CEO of the company. Crew started her role

8364-428: The market. Some of these failures in the United States have seen success in foreign markets, where Burger King has also tailored its menu for regional tastes. From 2002 to 2010, Burger King aggressively targeted the 18–34 male demographic with larger products that often carried correspondingly large amounts of unhealthy fats and trans-fats . This tactic would eventually damage the company's financial underpinnings and cast

8466-590: The member states' territories. A related issue involving members of the Islamic faith over the interpretation of the Muslim version of canon law , Shariah , regarding the promotional artwork on a dessert package in the United Kingdom raised issues of cultural sensitivity, and, with the former example, posed a larger question about what companies must do to ensure the smooth operation of their businesses in

8568-449: The name to a possessive form by adding an apostrophe "s" forming the new name Hungry Jack's. After the expiration of the trademark in the late 1990s, Burger King unsuccessfully tried to introduce the brand to the continent. After losing a lawsuit filed against it by Hungry Jack's ownership, the company ceded the territory to its franchisee. Hungry Jack's is now the only Burger King brand in Australia; Cowin's company Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd.

8670-530: The next half-century, the company changed hands four times and its third set of owners, a partnership between TPG Capital , Bain Capital , and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners , took it public in 2002. In late 2010, 3G Capital of Brazil acquired a majority stake in the company in a deal valued at US$ 3.26 billion. The new owners promptly initiated a restructuring of the company to reverse its fortunes. 3G, along with its partner Berkshire Hathaway , eventually merged

8772-505: The owner of the brand, announced it would purchase the largest franchisee of the chain, Carrols Restaurant Group , for around $ 1 billion. At the time of the announcement, Carrols had 1,022 Burger King locations (along with 60 Popeyes locations). The goal was to remodel 600 of the restaurants, then sell them back to franchisees over five to seven years. The move represented a departure from the existing model of largely franchising locations. While BK began its foray into locations outside of

8874-455: The plans to grow globally, even ramping up the planned expansion to help increase their return on investment. It is expected that 3G Brazilian-based management connections in the region may help Burger King expand in Brazil and Latin America, where it has been having problems finding acceptable franchisees. In December 2020, Burger King India went in for an initial public offering (IPO) on

8976-498: The president of Burger King U.S. and Canada, was appointed in 2021 and oversees the operation of the Burger King Corporation in the United States and Canada. In North America, Burger King Corporation is responsible for licensing operators and administering of stores. Internationally, the company often pairs with other parties to operate locations or it will outright sell the operational and administrative rights to

9078-458: The rights to two pieces of equipment called "Insta-machines", opened their first restaurants. Their production model was based on one of the machines they had acquired, an oven called the "Insta-Broiler". This strategy proved to be so successful that they later required all of their franchises to use the device. After the company faltered in 1959, it was purchased by its Miami, Florida, franchisees, James McLamore and David R. Edgerton. They initiated

9180-562: The size of franchisees and prevented larger franchises from challenging Burger King Corporation as Chart House had. Smith also sought to have BKC be the primary owner of new locations and rent or lease the restaurants to its franchises. This policy would allow the company to take over the operations of failing stores or evict those owners who would not conform to the company guidelines and policies. By 1988, parent company Pillsbury had relaxed many of Smith's changes, scaling back on construction of new locations, which resulted in stalled growth of

9282-612: The tequila category. Construction of the new facilities in Jalisco , Mexico is expected to begin in 2021. Diageo announced plans to build a €200 million brewery in Newbridge in July 2022. In February 2024, High Court proceedings were lodged against An Bord Pleanála by an Athy resident opposing the decision to approve the project. After mediation talks with Diageo, the challenge was withdrawn in April. In August 2019, Diageo bought

9384-403: The third-largest international chain of fast food restaurants. The deal led to a controversy over the practice of tax inversions , in which a company decreases the amount of taxes it pays by moving its headquarters to a tax haven , a country with lower rates, but maintains the majority of their operations in their previous location. As a high-profile instance of tax inversion, news of the merger

9486-399: The trademarks on all 37 units. On November 19, 2019, a lawsuit was filed by a vegan from Atlanta, Georgia against Burger King for allegedly failing to clearly disclose that Impossible Whopper burgers were heated on the same grill as their beef burgers. The lawsuit was dismissed. On March 28, 2022, a lawsuit was filed against Burger King, alleging the fast food chain falsely advertised

9588-426: The two organizations formed the holding company Diageo . Eventually, the ongoing systematic institutional neglect of the brand through a string of owners damaged the company to the point where major franchises were driven out of business, and its total value was significantly decreased. Diageo eventually decided to divest itself of the money-losing chain and put the company up for sale in 2000. The 21st century saw

9690-651: The world, including the 2011 part-ownership and 2013 full acquisition of the Chinese baijiu manufacturer Sichuan Shuijingfang Company in China. The company further acquired Turkish liquor company Mey Icki for US$ 2.1 billion in 2011, and in 2012 followed this with Brazilian cachaça manufacturer Ypióca for £300 million, and the Indian United Spirits which they acquired a majority stake for £1.28 billion. In June 2012, Diageo announced

9792-459: Was bought by Peter Curnstie. It was then acquired by Walter Higgin in 1883 and rebuilt. In 1898, Alexander Edward, who also owned Aultmore Distillery, bought out Higgin. In its first year of operation, it suffered major losses when a major blending company, Pattisons of Leith, went under. In 1923, Oban was sold to Dewars and joined Distillers Company with that company in 1925. It fell silent from 1931 until 1937 and again from 1969 to 1972 when

9894-583: Was criticized by U.S. politicians, who felt that the move would result in a loss of tax revenue to foreign interests, and could result in further government pressure against inversions. In 2019, Burger King reported that it planned to close up to 250 low-volume locations per year, with closures coming into effect in 2020. In February 2021, Burger King began testing a customer loyalty rewards program called "Royal Perks" in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, New Jersey and Long Island, New York. Following

9996-567: Was demolished in 2011. In March 2016, the company sold Grand Marnier , a cognac and bitter orange-based liqueur, to the Italian beverage company Campari Group . In June 2017, the Casamigos tequila brand – a US-based tequila, launched in 2013 was acquired by Diageo. In November 2018, Diageo sold Seagram's whiskey brand, along with Myers's Rum , Popov vodka, Booth's Gin , Goldschläger , Yukon Jack , Sambuca , and 11 other brands to

10098-516: Was finished. As of August 2024, the Burger King system operates more than 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. When Burger King Corporation began franchising in 1959, it used a regional model where franchisees purchased the right to open stores within a geographic region. These franchise agreements granted BKC very little oversight control of its franchisees and resulted in issues of product quality control, store image and design, and operational procedures. During

10200-532: Was formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan . Its creation was driven by the executives Anthony Greener and Philip Yea at Guinness, along with George Bull and John McGrath of Grand Metropolitan. Anthony Greener was the first executive chairman. Shares in Diageo began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 17 December 1997. As a legacy of the merger, Diageo owned

10302-457: Was only able to enter northern Alberta , in Canada , in 1995, after it paid the founders of another chain named Burger King . Legal decisions from other suits have set contractual law precedents in regards to long-arm statutes , the limitations of franchise agreements , and ethical business practices. Many of these decisions have helped define general business dealings that continue to shape

10404-839: Was tasked with turning the brand around, and strengthening its position against its main rival McDonald's. One of his initiatives was a new advertising campaign featuring a series of attack ads against its major competitors. This campaign started a competitive period between Burger King, McDonald's, and top burger chains known as the Burger wars . Brinker left Burger King in 1984, to take over Dallas-based gourmet burger chain Chili's . Smith and Brinker's efforts were initially effective, but after their respective departures, Pillsbury relaxed or discarded many of their changes, and scaled back on construction of new locations. These actions stalled corporate growth and sales declined again, eventually resulting in

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