The company that owns the Burger King and Popeyes chains plan to combat sluggish sales growth by expanding delivery service by opening thousands of new stores worldwide. Restaurant Brands International said it plans to have 40,000 restaurants in operation globally over the next eight to 10 years, up from the current 26,000. Burger King is opening around 100 restaurants per year in Russia.
It’s also growing rapidly in India after developing a special lamb-based Whopper. It has opened nearly 200 stores in India since it entered the market in 2014. System-wide sales at the three chains have more than doubled to $32 billion annually since 2010. But that growth slowed in 2018 in the fiercely competitive industry.
Burger King partners with GrubHub, DoorDash, and Postmates to deliver the food. Menu innovations – like a move into plant-based meat substitutes – could also attract new customers. Tim Hortons is now testing Beyond Meat plant-based sausage patties in Canada. Burger King is expected to launch its Impossible Whopper – which uses a plant-based burger from Impossible Foods.
