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Burger King Corporation announces today the opening of its first franchised restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil. Located in the prime location of the Ibirapuera Shopping Center food court, the restaurant is one of 50 restaurants planned for São Paulo state in the next five years, creating approximately 3,000 direct new jobs.
Two additional restaurant openings are already scheduled within the next few days in Metro Tatuapé and Interlagos.
Nish Kankiwala, President of Burger King's International region, comments, "The Brazilian market is one of the most attractive growth opportunities for the Burger King Corporation around the world.
"Our value proposition in terms of great-tasting food, the famous fire-grilled Whopper, combined with a world-class business partner and franchisee Luiz Eduardo Batalha at BGK do Brasil, will be a winning formula.
"In Batalha we have found an experienced and successful entrepreneur who will take this brand from strength to strength."
Batalha comments, "It's been my dream to bring the Burger King brand to Brazil for years, as I have been committed to quality my whole life.
"The brand is also known for quality; it offers by far the biggest, best and only fire-grilled burgers in the industry and I know it will be the preferred burger of the Brazilian people."
Julio Ramirez, president, Burger King Latin America, says, "We worked effortlessly over the past year to build our local team to prepare the entry in this market, select our local suppliers and to open our first restaurant. Together with BGK do Brasil, we are building an effective platform to catapult this brand into the Brazilian market."
BGK
BGK do Brasil is an investors consortium group which will operate the Burger King restaurants in São Paulo state. The company is led by entrepreneur Luiz Eduardo Batalha, who has businesses in agriculture, construction and tourism, including the well-known Hotel Estância Barra Bonita and Chalet Agropecuária.
Burger King, the second largest burger restaurant chain worldwide, behind McDonald's operates more than 11,000 restaurants in all 50 U.S. 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 US$ 11.1 billion.
Burger King Corporation
www.burgerking.com
PRNewswire
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John Anderson
Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
jander31@excite.com