Burger King acquires Karali

BURGER KING’S UK arm has acquired its second largest franchise operator, Karali Group, which owns 74 restaurants.

Financed by NatWest and Rabobank London and AIG, the deal takes Burger King UK’s directly-owned restaurant count to 266.

The acquisition is part of the fast-food restaurant chain’s plan to increase the number of its restaurants to 700 by 2026. It also seeks to open one restaurant a week until the end of 2022 to meet its target.

The Karali Group, owned by its managing director Salim Janmohamed, has been a long-standing franchise partner of both Burger King and Wimpy fast food outlets and its employees will now become part of the acquiring company’s core team.

Burger King UK CEO Alasdair Murdoch said the acquisition of Karali marked his company’s largest consolidation and would drive its operational efficiencies.

“We believe we have a strong expansion pipeline and are well positioned to take advantage of the clear market opportunities

ahead,” Murdoch said.