India, Oct. 2 -- Burger King Worldwide Inc. (BKW) is accelerating its U.S. turnaround by selling company-operated restaurants to local franchisees, with about 200 locations expected to be refranchised by the end of 2026.
The strategy follows Restaurant Brands International's roughly $1 billion acquisition of Carrols Restaurant Group in 2024, which added more than 1,000 company-owned Burger King restaurants. The company ultimately aims to operate about 300 locations directly, with franchisees running the rest of its more than 6,000 U.S. restaurants.
The shift comes as Burger King's turnaround gains momentum. The chain reported an 8.5 percent increase in domestic same-store sales in its latest quarter and recently overtook Wendy's in U.S. s...