WARSAW, Poland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Burger King brand and McWin have announced a new master franchise and development agreement to grow the brand in Poland, with a commitment to open more than 200 restaurants. McWin, a private investment firm specializing in the foodservice and food technology sectors, will manage the brand in Poland, which is present in the country since 2007, including its existing franchisees, and start operating 20 stores as a result of its acquisition of BK SEE Poland S.A.
"We’re excited to share big news from Poland, where we have announced plans to expand Burger King throughout Poland with McWin as our new Master Franchisee,” said David Shear, President, Burger King International Markets. “We know that guests here love our world-famous flame-grilled flavor and experience our brand their way through personalized digital innovation. We see this project as an important part of a larger plan to expand in Central and Eastern Europe that will allow us to bring our iconic brand featuring our great-tasting food to more guests than ever before.”
Founded in 1954, the Burger King brand is a global fast-food hamburger chain known for its food quality and value and as the only place guests can get the iconic flame-grilled Whopper® sandwich. The Burger King system operates more than 19,000 locations in more than 100 countries worldwide, including 33 countries across Europe.
Led by Henry McGovern, founder of AmRest Holdings SE, one of Europe's leading foodservice companies, and Steven K. Winegar, shareholder and senior executive of Zena Group and founder of Restauravia Grupo Empresarial, McWin is composed of an experienced team of industry and PE veterans with proven operational expertise, an unparalleled food industry network and deal origination capabilities, being the partner of choice for founders, investors, and management teams.
“This is the first investment of our €525 million McWin Restaurant Fund, which we closed a few weeks ago. We are incredibly proud to expand the Burger King brand across Poland, leveraging synergies across the McWin platform. We will be putting special emphasis on improving the brand’s digitalization and sustainability efforts in Poland,” Henry McGovern, founding partner at McWin, said.
“Our more than 150 years of combined experience of successfully operating and scaling iconic brands in the hospitality industry across multiple countries will help us unlock sustainable long-term value for customers, employees, and our communities, and for the Polish economy as a whole. We couldn’t be more excited. This is the beginning of an extremely meaningful chapter for both Burger King and McWin,” Steven K. Winegar, founding partner at McWin, added.
In addition to its delicious food, Burger King is committed to providing diners with a best-in-class guest experience, both in-restaurant and online. New Burger King restaurants will feature Digital Ordering Screens, Mobile Ordering, Table Service, and Delivery, so that guests can conveniently order and enjoy BK food however they prefer.
About Henry McGovern, Steven K. Winegar and McWin
McWin is a private investment firm founded by Henry McGovern and Steven K. Winegar partnering with exceptional founders and CEOs daring sustainable disruption, principally in the food service and food technology sectors.
Henry McGovern is the founder of AmRest Holdings SE, one of Europe’s leading foodservice companies, which under Henry’s leadership grew to more than 2,300 restaurants in 25 countries, with 55,000+ employees. Steven K. Winegar was shareholder and senior executive of Grupo Zena and the founder of Restauravia Grupo Empresarial, Megafood SL and former board member of Telepizza. Between them, they have built or operated 4,200+ restaurants across Europe, the United States and China and have extensive experience investing in food technology and broader disruptive technologies. McWin and funds advised by McWin are currently investors in Gail’s, Vapiano, CookUnity and Dean&David as well as alternative protein companies including BlueNalu, Perfect Day, The Every Company (formerly Clara Foods), Impossible Foods and UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) and leading food technology companies such as Footprint, Oishii and Menu.
About Burger King
Founded in 1954, the Burger King® brand is a global fast-food hamburger chain known for food quality and value as the only place guests can get the iconic flame-grilled Whopper® sandwich. The Burger King® system operates more than 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries. Almost 100 percent of Burger King® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To learn more about the Burger King® brand, visit www.bk.com.
About Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 29,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees, and communities for decades. Through its Restaurant Brands for Good framework, RBI is improving sustainable outcomes related to its food, the planet, and people and communities.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect management's current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, initiatives and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our expectations regarding the ability of the Burger King business in Poland to open over 200 restaurants in the coming years, as well as its ability to unlock sustainable long-term value for customers, employees, and communities, and for the Polish economy as a whole and creating a best in class experience, and the ability of Burger King to expand in Central and Eastern Europe. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI’s expectations are detailed in filings of RBI with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K and include the following risks: risk related to our ability to successfully implement its domestic and international growth strategy and risks related to its international operations; risks related to our ability to compete domestically and internationally in an intensely competitive industry; global economic or other business conditions that may affect the desire or ability of our customers to purchase our products; our relationship with, and the success of, our franchisees and risks related to our fully franchised business model; and the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising programs and franchisee support of these programs. Other than as required under applicable laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, change in expectations or otherwise.
