Burger King is one of the largest and most successful fast food chains in the world. Though it has stiff competition with McDonald’s and Wendy’s, Burger King has always held its own and will probably continue to do so. However, despite the fact that the franchise has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Burger King. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: It Wouldn’t Exist Without Mcdonald’s. It’s true! In fact, the chain was actually inspired by McDonald’s. The very first location was opened by Keith Kramer and Matthew Burns, and they opened it after they had a good time at a local McDonald’s.
Number Fourteen: For Awhile, It Was Insta. When it first opened, the chain was called “Insta-Burger King,” and its first broiler was called the insta-broiler. However, after it failed around 1959, the Miami franchisees who purchased it renamed it sans “insta.”
Number Thirteen: It’s Responsible for Making Sarah Michelle Gellar Famous. Gellar appeared in a Burger King ad that sparked the infamous “Burger wars” of the 1980s. The ad was so provocative that McDonald’s even sued BK over it because they called McDonald’s out by name.
Number Twelve: It Pioneered Product Tie-Ins. Though most large fast food franchises now sell products featuring Hollywood films, Burger King was one of the first to do so. In 1977, the chain teamed up with Star Wars to sell glasses that featured characters from the film.
Number Eleven: It Couldn’t Use the Word “Whopper” in San Antonio. San Antonio was home to a burger chain called Whopper Burger when Burger King moved in, and because of the preexisting chain, BK was prevented from using the word “whopper” in their advertising campaigns.
Number Ten: Not Every Burger King Is THE Burger King. When the chain expanded in Illinois, they didn’t realize that the name “Burger King” had already been trademarked in the state by a small mom and pop restaurant. The mom and pop restaurant was allowed to keep the name even though it has no affiliation with the chain.
Number Nine: In Australia, It’s Hungry Jack’s. You won’t find any Burger Kings in Australia because they’re all called Hungry Jack’s. Stay tuned for part two of our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Burger King, coming soon!