Burger King UK gets £60m

Burger King UK has lined up a £60 million borrowing package from Metro Bank and OakNorth as it pushes ahead with new restaurant openings in 2026. (standard.co.uk) The company said it wants to open more than 30 restaurants this year, with 18 to 20 of them company-owned and the rest run by franchisees. It has also earmarked more than 60 existing sites for refurbishment. (thenational.scot) Burger King UK opened seven restaurants and remodelled 31 more in 2025 before securing the new facility. The chain said the debt package will support its “next phase of expansion” across the United Kingdom and Ireland. (standard.co.uk) (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk) The financing arrives as restaurant operators in Britain face higher wage bills and weaker consumer spending. Burger King UK said the macroeconomic backdrop remains challenging, even as inflation has eased in some cost categories. (standard.co.uk) (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk) Burger King is expanding from a larger base than a year ago. The business operates 574 restaurants in the United Kingdom, including 284 directly owned sites, and employs about 6,000 people. (thecaterer.com) Its private equity backer, Bridgepoint, had already added fresh capital to the business. Press Association reported in December 2025 that Bridgepoint provided £30 million last year, while trade publication The Caterer reported £15 million had been invested with up to £20 million more expected over 18 months. (standard.co.uk) (thecaterer.com) Burger King UK has also widened its geographic ambitions. In December 2025, the company said a new 20-year master franchise agreement with a Restaurant Brands International subsidiary extended its rights into the Republic of Ireland for the first time. (thecaterer.com) (impartialreporter.com) The company’s latest reported numbers showed revenue rising 10% to £448.7 million and underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation reaching £28 million. Those figures help explain why lenders were willing to back expansion while much of the hospitality sector is still cutting costs. (thecaterer.com) For Burger King UK, the new debt gives it cash to add sites and update older ones without slowing the rollout it began last year. The next test is whether new stores can keep growing sales as household budgets and labour costs stay under pressure. (standard.co.uk) (thecaterer.com)