Burger King UK has announced expansion plans to open around 30 new restaurants per year from 2026 despite economic challenges
Despite a “softer” consumer sentiment and the strain of increased labour costs, Burger King UK has announced plans to launch 30 new restaurants in 2026. This comes as the fast-food giant reported robust revenues in spite of a “challenging” economic climate.
The brand, which currently operates 574 UK outlets, confirmed it will maintain its ongoing expansion strategy. It unveiled plans to open approximately 30 eateries each year from 2026, primarily focusing on new company-owned sites. However, specific details regarding the locations of these new establishments have yet to be disclosed.
Burger King noted “further signs of improvement” within the business this year, suggesting a deceleration in inflation. The company also emphasised that pressures on consumer finances and cost hikes related to last year’s budget have affected the UK hospitality industry, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King UK, said: “While inflation in food and utility costs has returned to more normal levels, the sector continues to face softer consumer sentiment and rising labour costs following significant increases in the national minimum wage and national living wage.”
Trading in 2025 remained “robust”, with the group exceeding 1 billion US dollars (£748 million) in system-wide sales across the UK. Over the course of the year, the group also inked a deal to extend Burger King UK’s franchise rights to the Republic of Ireland for the first time, offering the business additional avenues for growth.
The company disclosed its financial results for the previous year, announcing a 7% increase in revenues to £408.3 million in 2024. It reported that like-for-like sales rose by 4.5% to £347 million, fuelled by home delivery sales and a focused market strategy.
In addition, underlying earnings saw a 12% boost to £26 million, thanks to “disciplined cost control”. Mr Murdoch added: “I am pleased to report another year of solid performance and strategic progress for Burger King UK in 2024.
“Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment and ongoing sector cost pressures, we delivered revenue growth, positive like-for-like sales, and improved underlying EBITDA through disciplined cost management and operational focus.”
