Burger King maps out ambitious 5-year plan

The plan is expected to boost its sales from Bt1.7 billion targeted for this year to about Bt2.3 billion next year and Bt4 billion in 2021.

General manager Prapat Siangjan said yesterday that the company would add five Burger Kings to take the total to 72 outlets by the end of this year.

They are a drive-through store on Kanchanaphisek Road opposite the Paseo Park community mall and stores in the Little Walk community mall on Bang Na-Trat Road, The Jas community mall on Srinakarin Road, the Bangchak petrol station on Pattanakarn Road and the Shell station near Montfort College in Chiang Mai.

“We plan to open about 15 new Burger King restaurants locally next year at the cost of Bt25 million per store,” he said.

Of the current 67 Burger Kings operated by the company, 13 are in airports and 12 others have drive-through facilities.

“We have a strong foundation for the development of quick-service restaurants in airports,” Prapat said.

“Burger King is a strong brand |posting 40-per-cent year-on-year growth in the first nine months of this year, the second-fastest in Minor Food Group.” 

For future expansion, the company is looking at the capital, especially inner Bangkok, for first-tier locations, and at southern and eastern provinces as second-tier sites. 

About half of its customers are foreign tourists.

The company about three months |ago opened its first Burger King at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar, but does not yet have any concrete plan to expand its presence in that country.

“We need a certain period of time to study the market as well as consumer behaviour, which are quite different from Thailand,” Prapat said.

The company has opened its first outlet in the Northeast at The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima shopping complex and will look for prime locations with strong |consumer traffic for the placing of more stores in that region, he said.