October 20, 2003
A new Burger King restaurant overseas is already in the top 10 among all international franchises:
The former Saddam International Airport now houses Iraq's first Burger King. Part creature comfort, part therapy for homesick troops, its sales have reached the top 10 among all Burger King franchises on Earth in the five months since it opened. The shiny metal broiler spits out 5,000 patties a day.
Another commercial venture shows how important location is! For Burger King, Baghdad is proving much more lucrative than other international locations, such as France.
The takeout stand is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and offers six sandwiches; a normal menu has 16. There are no milkshakes. But even with the limited menu, and with competition from the Bob Hope dining facility at the airport -- which is free and serves 8,000 meals a day -- Burger King's daily sales are between $15,000 and $18,000, military officials say.
(Hat-tip to Instapundit)
