Burger King’s Leicester Square flagship is currently meat free for a limited period
(Picture: Burger King)Burger King UK’s earnings almost tripled last year thanks to a jump in people ordering online.
The chain made sales of £211.7 million for the year to December 2021, which was 68% higher than in 2020 and well above pre-Covid levels.
Online orders now account for a quarter of the fast-food chain’s UK business, it said.
Burger King attributed this to higher sales made over its app, which increased user numbers by more than 60% to 1.3 million in 2021. Meat-free menu options such as the Vegan Royale and a plant-based Whopper burger also boosted sales.
Pre-tax earnings for the period were £49.6 million, up from £17.2 million in 2020.
The company added 48 new restaurants to its portfolio last year and plans to open 200 more sites by 2026.
Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King UK, said: “Both delivery and drive-through sales were strong throughout 2021 and will remain key areas of focus as we execute on our growth strategy.
“We have a strong development pipeline to further grow our UK footprint, and we are very well positioned to take advantage of the clear market opportunities ahead of us.”
Plans to float the business on the stock exchange stalled earlier this year after investors became nervous over the conflict in Ukraine.
The company never formally announced plans, but had reportedly hired bankers at Investec, Peel Hunt and Bank of America to advise on a potential listing.
Burger King UK, which manages the British franchise on behalf of US giant Restaurant Brands International, is owned by private equity firm Bridgepoint.
