Burger King Corporation Brings 'Magic' to Their Hometown
Magic Johnson Enterprises Becomes Burger King Corporation's Newest Franchisee With a Total of Three BURGER KING® Restaurants in Miami.
December 2, 2004
12/3/2004 3:47:00 PMMIAMI, Dec 3, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/-- Burger King Corporation and an affiliate of Magic Johnson Enterprises announced that the two companies have executed a multi-year agreement in which basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Company becomes the newest BURGER KING® franchisee. Making his mark in South Florida, Magic's first BURGER KING® restaurant, located at 5401 N.W. 7th Avenue and now open for business, hosted a grand opening celebration today. Working together with the City of Miami, Burger King Corporation and Magic reached out to several minority contractors through the Neighbors And Neighbors Association (NANA). NANA works to secure funding that will invigorate commercial properties and businesses that serve disadvantaged areas such as Liberty City. Anchoring the South gateway to Osun's Village©, a community and economic revitalization initiative which spans four blocks on NW 7th Avenue, this magicized BURGER KING® restaurant serves as a catalyst for the community's enhancement efforts. Upon completion of the bidding process, Renaissance Builders was chosen as the primary contractor and Miami-based KDI Architecture, Inc. was brought on as the architecture and design firm for the project. KDI Architecture established a unique design through the use of bold colors and rich symbols, which speak to the African, Caribbean and Latin origins of this multi-cultural community. The exterior pillars of the restaurant are decorated in mosaic tiles that have been installed by area youth as a community arts initiative led by the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department's African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. In addition, the restaurant's interior walls feature original artwork by local artists installed and supervised by Community Builders Holistic Development Corporation (CBHDC) -- a non-profit organization dedicated to utilizing the arts as a medium for economic development and cultural unity. There will be a total of three BURGER KING® restaurants covered by the agreement between Magic Johnson Enterprises and Burger King Corporation in Miami. The properties are located in Liberty City, Doral and North Miami. The Doral and North Miami restaurants are currently undergoing interior and exterior renovations and are slated to open in 2005. Burger King Corporation is thrilled to be re-establishing itself in these neighborhoods by reaching valued customers while elevating the BURGER KING® brand. "Magic Johnson is a proven entrepreneur in the areas of urban development, job creation and operations excellence," said Clyde Rucker, senior vice president, chief support officer, Burger King Corporation. "What's more, he knows our customers and our employees and how to motivate them to achieve their full potential. We found Magic to be very inspirational. We knew we wanted to work with him to help us intensify our focus on developing the retail environment within urban markets as we continue building momentum for the BURGER KING® brand." "We believe that increasing our focus on existing minority-owned franchisees as well as developing more minority-owned franchises is a significant benefit for the BURGER KING® system, and in addition, healthy franchisees help build wealth and expand job opportunities within urban communities in our hometown," said Rucker. "In getting to know Burger King Corporation, I've come to appreciate their respect for people, their core values and their high standards, and I am proud to be associated with this global company as it continues to grow," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson, chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. "With these restaurants, we expect that new jobs will be created and relationships with minority contractors will be strengthened in Miami and Miami-Dade County." "We are very fortunate to welcome and support a partnership between two true pros in Magic Johnson and BURGER KING®," said City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. "Magic's business acumen and Burger King Corporation's commitment to this community promises that our new 'Magic City' BURGER KING® Restaurant will be a wonderful success that will serve as a cornerstone for our urban renewal efforts in Liberty City and Miami in general." "My thanks to Magic Johnson for his willingness to invest in the future of Miami-Dade County," said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dr. Barbara Carey- Shuler. "It's a win-win situation. The public benefits by having a well- managed and reputable business enterprise in its neighborhood; contractors get a chance to build; and local people get a chance to work." Although Johnson is universally known for his 13-year professional NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he led them to nine appearances in the NBA Finals and five championships -- Johnson has re-defined himself as a businessman by revitalizing under-served communities focused on providing quality entertainment services, creating much needed jobs and employing local minority contractors and service vendors. To date, Johnson has provided more than 12,000 jobs to minorities through his many business ventures. They include, Starbucks Coffee, Magic Johnson Theatres, Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund, Magic Johnson 24 Hour Fitness Clubs, TGIF Restaurants and now BURGER KING®. "Magic Johnson has the know-how and the resources to operate restaurants that can become an integral part of each local community by providing quality food and service and also by providing programs that give back to the guests in the cities in which we serve," said Rucker. "Magic's business ventures have helped revitalize neglected communities, and we are confident that his phenomenal track record will translate into positive experiences for our customers, our employees and our vendor partners." About Magic Johnson's Business and Charitable Interests Earvin "Magic" Johnson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), which is responsible for the direction and expansion of the Magic Johnson Brand. He also heads Johnson Development Corporation, which fosters local growth and financial empowerment in long- neglected urban and suburban neighborhoods; and the Magic Johnson Foundation (MJF) -- a non-profit entity addressing the critical issues of health, technology, educational and social needs of inner-city youth. Additionally, MJF empowers minority communities through advancing and supporting worthy charitable organizations.About Burger King CorporationThe BURGER KING® system operates more than 11,200 restaurants in all 50 states and in 62 countries and territories around the world. Ninety percent of BURGER KING® Restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. Burger King Holdings, Inc., the parent company, is private and independently owned by an equity sponsor group comprised of Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. In fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, Burger King Corporation had system-wide sales of $11.1 billion. To learn more about BURGER KING, please visit the company's website at http://www.burgerking.com.source:Burger King Corporation
