LONDON – Fast food restaurant chain Burger King said on Sunday it would create 1,250 new full and part-time jobs in Britain next year as part of a commitment to open 300 new restaurants in the country.
Burger King, which is owned by UK leisure and drinks group Diageo Plc <DGE.L>, said it planned to open around 35 new restaurants throughout Britain next year, and intended to create 11,000 new jobs in the country over the next five years.
"Despite some difficult circumstances, 2001 was a successful year for Burger King in the UK. We have enjoyed consistently good sales levels and the long-term growth prospects are very encouraging," Burger King UK General Manager Eric Bonnot said in a statement.
A company spokesman could not provide details on how many of the new jobs would be full-time, and how many part-time.
Diageo is planning to sell or float the U.S.-based Burger King unit, whose main rival is U.S. fast-food giant McDonalds Corp <MCD.N>, and reported earlier this month that Burger King's worldwide sales had been flat during the July-October period due to tough trading conditions outside north America.
Industry sources have told Reuters that Diageo is expected to take a few more months before finally coming out in favour of a management-led leveraged buyout for its Miami-based hamburger chain, worth around $2-3 billion.
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