Burger King shifts franchisee support personnel to electric vehicles
Burger King is transitioning employees it sends out in the field to assist local franchisees with a more eco-friendly means of transportation.
The fast food hamburger giant has moved 31% of its North American field team fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) across 16 states, with the goal of 100% EVs by 2030. This shift is the next step in delivering on Restaurant Brands International’s (parent company of Burger King) science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, compared to a 2019 baseline.
The field team serves the first line of support for franchisees locally, living in various states across the U.S. and traveling to restaurants to provide one-to-one service. Field team members drive tens of thousands of miles each month as a result.
Burger King worked with Element Fleet Management, a pure-play automotive fleet manager, to source the EVs and launch the program.
“Franchisee success is the end goal of everything our field team does, and restaurant visits are critical to this partnership,” said Jeromy Gwin, BK corporate franchise business partner. “I’m proud to work for a company that allows me to do my job in a more sustainable way.”
“It was instantly clear Burger King is serious about following through with their commitments and finding solutions that have long-term payoff and positive impact on the environment,” said David Madrigal, chief commercial officer at Element Fleet Management. “The brand’s enthusiasm for the goal, combined with the team’s responsiveness and active partnership enabled us to mobilize vehicle sourcing and charging infrastructure installations at record speed — making this our fastest program launch across the nation to date.”
Burger King invests in growth
In fall 2022, Burger King launched a multi-point rejuvenation effort, called “Reclaim the Flame,” as part of a larger plan to energize lagging U.S. sales. The fast-food giant designed the plan in collaboration with franchisees from across the country and unveiled it at its annual franchisee convention.
The plan includes Burger King investing $400 million over the next two years, including $250 million for a "Royal Reset" modernization program. Another $150 million is targeted for advertising and digital investments. Burger King franchisees representing more than 93% of all U.S. restaurants have endorsed the plan and have agreed to co-invest in increased advertising expenses over the coming years.
Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Miami, the Burger King system operates more than 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories, including about 7,000 U.S. locations Almost 100% of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.