A Look Back at the Owners of Burger King - East Idaho News
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A Look Back at the Owners of Burger King

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BK?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1409075768524Scott Olson/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — On Tuesday Burger King announced the acquisition of Tim Hortons, becoming the world’s third largest fast-food restaurant company. 

The company has had several owners and holding companies since 1954, including the Pillsbury dough boy and a booze magnate.

In honor of the deal, here is a look back at who has held the Burger King crown over the years:

1954: David Edgerton opened the first Burger King in Miami in 1954, when hamburgers and milkshakes were 18 cents. Three months later, James McLamore joins as a partner and the co-founders form Burger King of Miami Inc.

1960s: In 1961, the two men acquired national and international franchising rights for the Burger King brand, according to the Burger King corporate website. In 1963, South Florida Restaurants Inc. changed its name to Burger King Corp. as it opened its first international restaurants: two locations in Puerto Rico. In 1967, the Pillsbury Co. acquired Burger King for $18 million. At the time, Burger King had 274 restaurants and 8,000 employees across the world, the company states on its website.

1988: In 1988, Grand Metropolitan PLC acquired the Pillsbury Co., including Burger King, for $5.79 billion.

1997: In 1997, Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness to create Diageo PLC.

2000: In 2000, Diageo announces that it planned to spin off Burger King, choosing to instead focus on spirits and liquor.

2002: In 2002, Burger King sold to private equity firms Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners for $1.5 billion.

2006: In 2006, Burger King Holdings went public and listed its stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

2010: On October 19, 2010, 3G Capital acquired Burger King Holdings, turning the restaurant chain into a privately held company again.

2012: In April 2012, Burger King Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Justice Holdings Limited, a publicly listed British investment company, listed Burger King on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading began June 20, 2012, under the ticker NYSE:BKW. 3G Capital maintains about 70% of company ownership, according to the Burger King corporate website.

2014: On Aug. 26, 2014, the home of the Whopper buys Tim Hortons and becomes the world’s third largest fast-food restaurant company with $23 billion in sales.


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