Burger King, America’s leading multinational fast food chain, on Saturday, opened its first outlet in Nigeria.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the flagship outlet at Ajose Adeogun area in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Gbajabiamila said at the launch that the latest Burger King flagship outlet would be the highest revenue generating branch throughout the world.
“We always welcome Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country and we expect more,” Gbajabiamila said.
He assured Burger King Corporation that the Federal Government would do whatever it could to assist and make the business climate easier for the American fast food chain.
Jennifer Woods, Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Mission, said with Africa’s largest economy and a sizable youth population that was connected to the world, U.S. brands must consider Nigeria a critical market.
According to Woods, while American companies will benefit from expansion into Nigeria, Nigeria will as well benefit from their presence.
Woods said the U.S. Mission provided Burger King Corporation with industry-specific trade counseling to help navigate the process of expanding into Nigeria.
“I had the opportunity to tour this facility in October and was thrilled to see the employees in rigorous training to meet the high standards of a global franchise, providing opportunities for personal growth and career advancement to dozens of Nigerians.
“For those with ties to the United States, including those here today from the U.S. Consulate General, this restaurant is an opportunity to get a nostalgic taste of America.
“We see tremendous opportunity for Burger King and other American franchises here because sharing a meal is an experience that connects people,” she said.
Also, Robert Lu, General Manager, Burger King Corporation (Europe, Middle East and Africa) expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for welcoming the brand into the country.
Lu said that Nigeria had been a priority market for the last 10 years, adding that he was thrilled to “finally call it a reality”.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring our guests here the iconic Whoppers, fries, and delicious BK food that they’ve been requesting for years now.
“We can’t wait to show them what it’s like to have it their way at Burger King,” he said.
