Although millions of Americans continue to turn to fast food to feed their families, some fast-food giants are struggling to keep their doors open. Burger King recently announced that it has plans to shut down as many as four hundred locations by the end of the year. The iconic burger chain that has been in operation for decades will target its underperforming stores first, but it did not clarify whether or not it will shut down other stores that are performing well.
CEO Joshua Kobza announced that the burger chain would be closing between three hundred and four hundred stores by the end of 2023 after the company announced its first-quarter earnings results. The results were not as to be expected, and the chain believes that by cutting down on the number of locations it offers to customers across America, it can save enough money to remain afloat and succeed in the tough climate for fast food restaurants.
At the time of Burger King’s earnings release, it had shut down 124 locations in the year by March. Currently, Burger King has 6,964 restaurants in the United States that remain open to the public. But that could change in a matter of months as the chain looks to shut down more locations to save money on its bottom line.
Burger King found that sales performance varied a lot between various locations. They are currently on the hunt for additional franchisees who have what it takes to make the restaurant successful in their local communities.
Chairman Patrick Doyle said: “There will always be a minority [of franchisees] who aren’t dedicated, enthusiastic operators. We’ll work with them to leave the system and move on to do something else. There simply is no room for franchisees who are not willing or able to work hard to operate restaurants that are better than the system average over the long term.”
Earlier this year, two Burger King franchises declared bankruptcy. Now the chain is looking to cut back on the number of locations it has in America.
Until 2020, Burger King was the second-largest burger chain in the country. However, the pandemic year saw a shift as Wendy’s overtook Burger King to become the second-largest burger chain behind McDonald’s, of course.
The following Burger King locations are set to shut down in 2023.
Michigan
2155 Gratiot Ave
9871 Livernois
8201 Woodward Ave
18021 Kelly Rd
20200 Grand River Ave
13600 W. McNichols Rd
15500 W. Seven Mile
20240 Plymouth Rd
12661 Mack Ave
9239 Gratiot Ave
17440 E. Warren
16245 Livernois Ave
3863 W. Jefferson Ave.
10336 W. 8 Mile Rd
3625 South Dort Hwy
3801 Clio Rd
13324 Woodward Ave
28203 Plymouth Rd
34835 Plymouth Ave
31456 Woodward Ave
23660 Telegraph Rd
30711 Southfield Rd
1113 E. West Maple Rd
2411 E. 8 Mile Rd
9774 E. M-36
Minnesota
209 Nokomis Street, Alexandria
926 Central Avenue Northeast, East Grand Forks
528 Western Ave, Fergus Falls
21 Depot Street, Litchfield
205 Lake Street, Long Prairie
586 Southwest 1st Street, Montevideo
516 East Bridge Street, Redwood Falls
100 21st Street North, Moorhead
1611 US-12, Willmar
Montana
1422 West Main Street, Lewistown
520 North 27th St, Billings
1211 9th Street West, Columbia Falls