Burger King Corp. has reached a significant milestone for the brand with the grand opening of its 12,000th restaurant, located in Beijing's Joy City. The opening supports the company's overall growth strategy and exemplifies its commitment to strengthening Burger King brand presence around the world.
"We are committed to profitably growing our brand and diversifying our global restaurant portfolio," said John Chidsey, chairman and CEO, Burger King Corp. "The opening of our 12,000th restaurant represents a significant milestone for our brand. The Burger King system grew more than 3 percent on a net new unit basis in fiscal 2009 — a growth rate at the top of the industry — and we are on target to open an additional 250 to 300 net new restaurants during this fiscal year."
The 12,000th Burger King restaurant is located in Beijing's Joy City and is the first BK restaurant in downtown Beijing's busy Xidan area. The opening represents another step forward in the brand's growth and development in the Chinese market following its entry into Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xiamen and Suzhou.
Peter Tan, president, Asia-Pacific, Burger King Corp said the chain opened more restaurants in the region this year than during the last four years combined, and more are planned for 2010. With only 25 BK restaurants operating in China, the company sees significant growth potential for the brand in that market.
The milestone opening celebration comes a just weeks after the introduction of Asia's first Whopper Bar in Singapore. The Whopper Bar is a completely new, enhanced spin-off concept of the traditional Burger King restaurant with a crisp, modern, bar-like look and feel inspired by the flame-broiled Whopper sandwich. A second Whopper Bar is scheduled to open in Singapore in the next few months.
Burger King, Joy City
The Joy City restaurant reflects the Burger King brand's commitment to creating a Have It Your Way dining experience intended to rival casual dining. Located in Beijing's busy Xidan area, the restaurant features an interior design reflecting post-industrialization vanguard style.
The new store features an MP3 music corner and the latest music hits from the West. The restaurant also features a gallery wall in support of Sino-American artists and local arts groups, providing them with a highly visible location on which to display their work. The location is operated by the franchisee Burger King (Beijing) Restaurant Co. Ltd.
