Multiple national news outlets, including The Washington Examiner, People, and USA Today, announced in May that Burger King headquarters was planning to close up to 400 locations nationwide by the end of this year.

The Examiner noted that CEO Joshua Kobza is cracking down on underperforming franchisees, and MSN.com wrote that the franchise “is embarking on a transformative journey within the competitive realm of fast food.”

Now that we’re closing out 2023, it seems as though the Willow Grove franchise at 106 N York Road and the Glenside location at 900 Easton Road have survived the cutbacks.

The chain’s local competition includes Elevation Burger and Old School Burger in Willow Grove and Bullseye Burger House in Glenside, among others. According to The New York Post, McDonald’s and Chipotle are Burger King’s biggest rivals.

Investigative reporting by Mashed, a food-centric media outlet, claimed in September that the fast-food chain’s lifespan may be coming to an end:

Management is looking to turn their brand around. CNN Business wrote on October 10 that “Burger King has been working to revitalize its brand over the past few years, redesigning everything from its logo to its packaging. The next step: remodeling restaurants.” According to their sources, the next wave of restaurants, thd design of which has been dubbed “Sizzle,” will look something like this:

Courtesy of Burger King Company LLC

The new concepts feature digital ordering kiosks, Whopper branding, and streamlined drive-thru and pickup lanes. 

Fun Facts: The company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant chain, and went public in 2002. There are roughly 6,960 Burger King restaurant in the United States which employ more than 37,000 people who serve approximately 11.4 million customers daily. 

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Feature photo: Goodman Properties