MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2007--Burger King Europe GmbH, a
subsidiary of Burger King Corporation (NYSE:BKC), awarded development
rights for Poland to American Restaurants Sp. z.o.o., a subsidiary of
AmRest Holdings N.V. (AmRest). AmRest is based in Wroclaw, Poland.
The first BURGER KING(R) restaurant in Poland is scheduled to open
in the second quarter of the calendar year. The restaurant will be in
Warsaw's new premium mall, Zlote Tarasy, which is one of the largest
multi-use developments under construction in Europe. Based in the
heart of Warsaw's central business district, the restaurant will be
among 220 shops and retail outlets, providing the ideal platform for
Burger King's entry into the Polish market. Additional restaurant
openings are scheduled during the next five years.
Commenting on the agreement, Peter Robinson, president of Burger
King Europe, said, "We are very pleased to announce our expansion into
Poland, which is part of our overall growth plan to increase our
presence in both existing European BURGER KING(R) markets and in
strategic new ones. AmRest's expertise as the top quick service and
casual dining restaurants operator in Central and Eastern Europe means
that it is the ideal strategic franchisee to spearhead Burger King's
entry into Poland. We look forward to a long and successful working
relationship."
Henry McGovern, founder and CEO of AmRest, said, "We are excited
about this opportunity to bring the BURGER KING(R) brand to Poland.
AmRest has a clear strategy operating scalable and highly profitable
branded restaurant concepts. Through our 'Everything is possible!'
culture, we strive to deliver a taste consumers crave and exceptional
service at affordable prices. AmRest has outstanding experience in the
Polish and Central and Eastern European marketplace, and we are
confident that our customers will love the great flame-grilled taste
of BURGER KING(R) products."
AmRest employs more than 6,100 people and manages 200 restaurants,
including 138 in Poland, 44 in the Czech Republic and 18 in Hungary.
Established in 1993, it has enjoyed success as the franchisee of such
YUM! brands as KFC and Pizza Hut and as the owner of its own brands:
Rodeo Drive and FreshPoint. Since 2005, AmRest shares have traded
publicly on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
About Burger King Corporation
The BURGER KING(R) system operates more than 11,100 restaurants in
all 50 U.S. states and more than 65 countries and U.S. territories
worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING(R) restaurants are
owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of which are
family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To
learn more about Burger King Corporation, please visit the company's
Web site at www.burgerking.com.
About AmRest
AmRest Holdings N.V. is the main independent operator of quick
service and casual dining restaurants in Central-Eastern Europe. The
company ethos is based on main core values: customer focus,
operational perfection and care for the highest quality services and
dishes. AmRest has the policy of social responsibility bringing help
to the needy. More information on www.amrest.eu.
CONTACT: Burger King Europe GmbH
Stephanie Kunz, +41 41 729 23 23
skunz@whopper.com
SOURCE: Burger King