Burger King is closing one of its New Jersey locations for good, disappointing many loyal customers. Among them is a longtime fan who says he's now switching to Arby's.
The closure is part of a wave affecting several Burger King outlets nationwide.
Local Burger King Closure Stirs Disappointment
A Facebook user has spread the word about the upcoming closure of a local Burger King in Franklin, New Jersey. Dylan Musella revealed that Sunday would be the last day for the fast food outlet. He mentioned in a follow-up comment that a new business focusing on chicken and pizza would take its place.
The news prompted a string of sad and disappointed responses from the community. One person expressed their sorrow simply as "So sad," while another lamented the loss of their favorite menu item, the Whopper Jr. with cheese.
This person also noted the closure of another Burger King location on Rt46 in Little Falls, expressing a shift in loyalty: they are now an Arby's patron.
Google searches confirm that both locations are marked as "Permanently Closed."
According to Eat This, Burger King has seen a significant reduction in its number of stores in recent years, facing declining sales and challenges with franchisees. However, the burger chain is hopeful that the trend of mass closures is coming to an end.
Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns Bu andlong with Popeyes, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse Subs, shared its financial outcomes for the fourth quarter of 2023 and the entire year on February 13.
In a later earnings call, RBI disclosed that Burger King's total net restaurants dropped by 3.7% over the year, wtranslatingto nearly 300 locations closing, according to Restaurant Business Magazine.
Also Read: Chick-fil-A Customers Mourn Temporary Closure of North Monroe Branch
The closure of many Burger King restaurants has been part of an ongoing trend, as explained by Josh Kobza, CEO of Restaurant Brands International (RBI). In a previous earnings call, Kobza noted that historically, the chain closes several hundred locations annually across the United States.
Last May, he forecasted the closure of 300 to 400 Burger King stores for 2023.
These shutdowns are strategic, aiming to improve the overall health of the chain by eliminating underperforming stores. This approach became particularly crucial after several Burger King franchisees faced bankruptcy last year.
Burger King Faces Backlash Over Ranch Sauce Change
Meanwhile, Burger King recently announced a shift in its ranch sauce recipe, sparking significant customer backlash. Alongside the introduction of limited-edition shirts on social media platform X, the focus remained on the altered ranch sauce.
The U.S. Sun revealed that one customer expressed frustration over the change, noting the company focused on everything except restoring the original ranch recipe.
Another lamented the loss of what they described as the perfect pairing of the old ranch with Burger King's fries, stating it was a key reason for their loyalty to the restaurant.
The new recipe was even described as "embarrassingly horrible" by one patron, while another said the change was devastating.
The dissatisfaction extended to a Reddit thread where a customer shared their disappointment after a recent visit at Burger King, emphasizing their preference for the original ranch sauce and urging the chain to ditch the new version.
Related Article: Arby's Closes Joliet Branch Amid 3000 Nationwide, No Official Reason Given for Shutdown
