Burger King sees growth overseas after $3.26 billion sale

Burger King Holdings Inc. sealed a deal Thursday to sell itself for $3.26 billion to 3G Capital, an investment firm with strong ties to Latin America. The fast-food chain's chairman and CEO, John Chidsey, said the deal will help it expand more rapidly overseas.

Chidsey, who will become co-chairman of the company after the tender offer is complete, said the $24-per-share deal also brings 3G Capital's experience and contacts abroad. "Hopefully they'll be able to even provide more of an accelerant to the fire," he told The Associated Press.

More than a third of Burger King's locations are outside the U.S. That's growing as the company shifts its expansion focus to other countries. In the past year, 90 percent of its new locations were built abroad.

Chidsey declined to comment on specific strategies, deferring to 3G Capital. He also declined to comment on potential efforts to cut costs, including possible layoffs. Messages left for 3G Capital weren't returned, but the company told franchisees and investors in a letter on its website that it plans to invest in the brand and highlighted opportunities in Asia and Latin America. Burger King's headquarters will remain in Miami.

Burger King has more than 12,100 locations around the world and perennially lags its far larger competitor McDonald's Corp. It struggled to keep up with its rival during the economy's roller coaster of the past two years.

Its biggest problem: high unemployment among its most important, but notoriously fickle, group of customers -- young men between 18 and 34, whom it has targeted with big burgers like the 930-calorie BK Quad Stacker and edgy ads featuring the creepy King character.

But there are deeper reasons for five consecutive quarters of declines in sales at locations open at least a year.

Burger King's once-unique concept of flame-broiled burgers isn't so rare anymore, thanks to a boom in gourmet hamburgers from smaller competitors, such as Five Guys and Culver's. And its profits suffer from trying to match McDonald's super-low prices, which has angered franchisees.

"McDonald's is just eating their lunch," said Bob Goldin, an analyst at the food consulting firm Technomic Inc. "Burger King's very heavily focused on a core audience of the younger male. And with that group, their attention goes to whoever has a better deal or whatever is hotter."

Analysts say Burger King needs a new approach with the help of its new owner, including becoming more efficient and differentiating itself from McDonald's by creating new menu items that will keep its customers coming back.

It's already had some success with its BK Ribs, which even at a high price of $7 for an eight-piece order, sold out earlier than expected this spring. The company's also changing its breakfast menu.

"This will give them more of an opportunity to develop a compelling menu," Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy said.

The company needs to work with its large group of franchise owners to brighten locations, UBS analyst David Palmer said. That will take time and money.

Burger King will likely need the support of that massive base of franchise owners, who own most of its locations in the U.S. and with whom the restaurant chain has squabbled over its deeply discounted promotions.

Burger King became publicly traded in 2006, four years after an earlier consortium of investment firms acquired the company.

The group -- TPG Capital, Bain Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs Funds -- still owns 31 percent of Burger King's outstanding shares and have agreed to tender their stock in the deal.

Under the terms of Thursday's deal, a 46 percent premium over the company's stock price before rumors of a buyout circulated, 3G Capital Managing Partner Alex Behring will join Chidsey as co-chairman.

The two said the deal has a $4 billion value include debt.

3G Capital is expected to begin its effort to acquire the outstanding shares by Sept. 17.

Burger King shares rose $4.73, or 25 percent, to $23.59 Thursday.