Fast food giant Burger King has revealed plans to expand its presence in the UK by opening 30 new locations annually. The company, which currently operates 574 restaurants in the UK, intends to kick off this expansion from the upcoming year, focusing primarily on self-operated sites rather than franchise locations.
Despite facing a challenging economic environment, Burger King reported strong sales performance in its recent results. The company noted signs of improvement across its business, citing a slowdown in inflation. However, it acknowledged that financial pressures on customers and increased costs related to last year’s Budget have affected the hospitality sector in the UK.
Alasdair Murdoch, the CEO of Burger King UK, highlighted the impact of rising food and utility costs, along with increased labor expenses due to minimum wage hikes, on the sector’s operations. In a move to diversify its offerings, Burger King partnered with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in September to introduce an £11 wagyu burger.
The company reported robust trading in 2025, surpassing $1 billion (£748 million) in system-wide sales in the UK. Furthermore, Burger King UK expanded its franchise rights to the Republic of Ireland for the first time, enhancing growth prospects for the business.
In its financial disclosure for the previous year, Burger King reported a 7% revenue increase to £408.3 million in 2024. Additionally, underlying profits grew by 12% to £26 million, attributed to disciplined cost management practices.
Mr. Murdoch expressed satisfaction with the company’s performance in 2024, emphasizing revenue growth, positive like-for-like sales, and enhanced EBITDA through efficient cost control strategies amidst the challenging economic landscape.